Resolution Honoring Lonnie Wilkey upon His Retirement
WHEREAS, Lonnie Wilkey is a noted Tennessee Baptist communicator and journalist with a long history of serving Southern Baptists; and
WHEREAS, he received an Associate of Arts degree from North Greenville College (now University) in South Carolina, and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree from the University of South Carolina; and
WHEREAS, he devoted more than 35 years of his ministry serving the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board as editor of the Baptist & Reflector, the state Baptist paper for Tennessee, for 26 years and as associate editor for 10 years prior; and
WHEREAS, he served as director of communications for the former Southern Baptist Education Commission and in communications for the development departments at North Greenville University and the Baptist College at Charleston (now Charleston Southern University); and
WHEREAS, he served as news editor of The Northwest Sentinel in Travelers Rest, South Carolina; and
WHEREAS, he is a past president of the Association of State Baptist Publications and has been actively involved in the organization throughout his career as an editor; and
WHEREAS, he served as treasurer of the Baptist Public Relations Association (now Baptist Communicators Association) for three years and has been an active member of BCA throughout the years, including being honored for his writing through BCA’s Wilmer C. Fields annual awards competition; and
WHEREAS, he was inducted as a fellow into the Center for Media, Faith and Culture at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, for his work in reporting on the tornado that caused $40 million in damage to the campus in February 2008; and
WHEREAS, his reporting has spanned the globe with coverage being not only in the United States but also Brazil, Canada, Cuba, England, the Philippines and West Africa; and
WHEREAS, he is the author of Jerry Currey: A Man with No Excuses (1998) and Faith, Family and Life Lessons: Reflections of a Baptist Journalist, to be published in 2024; and
WHEREAS, he has preached, spoken and led conferences in many Tennessee Baptist churches; and
WHEREAS, he has an intention to retire December 31, 2024, after serving nearly 45 years as a journalist and in communications roles, the majority of which has been for and about Baptists;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the grateful members of the Association of State Baptist Publications, gathering for their annual dinner in conjunction with the SBC Annual Meeting, held this year in Indianapolis, do convey their deep appreciation for the contribution of Lonnie Wilkey to Southern Baptist communications on this date, June 10, 2024.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that members of the Association of State Baptist Publications do commit to pray for him and his wife, Joyce, as they enter a new season of ministry, for the good of their souls and the glory of God.