By Linda Lawson, Lifetime member

Lloyd Householder's move in 1977 to director of communications at the Baptist Sunday School Board (now Lifeway) from serving as manager of the church training department seemed an unusual switch in some ways.

He had worked primarily in the Christian education components and had no formal training in communications. However, his innovative approaches to leadership, his conviction that public relations should focus on relationships and his investment in his people to produce high-quality results and work as a team served him well.

I had the privilege of working with Lloyd in the communications department from 1978 until his retirement in 1992. It was with sadness that I learned of his death on Jan. 30. He was 82.

Lloyd's commitment to new ideas sometimes created stress among his staff because implementation could create extra work or force us into new ways of doing things. The vast majority of the time the changes were improvements in our ability to serve LifeWay components and Southern Baptist churches.

Lloyd became involved in a number of communications organizations and served as national president of the Baptist Communicators Association and the Religion Communicators Council. BCA member Philip Poole, then a LifeWay communications staffer, used to ask Lloyd when he returned from a meeting, "What have WE been elected to now?" We always knew that a new responsibility for Lloyd led to new "opportunities" for us. Most of them truly were opportunities.

Lloyd laid a foundation for effective communications at LifeWay. He led those of us in the department to better understand the heritage of the Southern Baptist Convention and of LifeWay. When he talked about someone we had never heard of, he would look at us and, with a half-hearted chuckle, say, "Ye know not Joseph."

Lloyd also consistently looked to the future. Several times during his tenure he suggested exploring a name change for the Sunday School Board. With regret, he concluded the time for that had not yet come.

While many communicators of today may not have known Lloyd Householder, they are standing on the shoulders of one who forged a significant path in quality communications.

Lloyd is survived by his wife of 56 years, Rose Marie, and two grown children.

Baptist Press News Release

Jim Newton, 75, longtime Southern Baptist journalist and Lifetime Member of Baptist Communicators Association, died Jan. 16 at the Baptist Hospital Hospice Care in Jackson, Miss. He passed away within weeks following an unexpected recurrence of his leukemia.

Following his graduation from Baylor University in 1958, he began his career as assistant editor of The Bishop News in Bishop, Texas, then moved on to become press representative for the Baptist General Convention of Texas and later assistant director/news of Baptist Press. While working at the Texas convention, he began a courtship via the office teletype machine with the former Patricia Tullos, who was employed at the (Mississippi) Baptist Record. They later married and had two daughters, Jana and Kayla.

Jim continued his career in Memphis, serving for eight years as editor of the World Mission Journal of the Baptist Brotherhood Commission. He then joined the Home Mission Board (HMB) news department in 1980.

The Kingsville, Texas, native left the HMB in 1987 for a brief stint with Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, an assignment intended to have taken him and his wife to Singapore. But an economic slump prevented the move, and he returned to lead the news department for a second time before it was combined with the Public Relations Office.

Jim retired from the Board in 1992 as public relations director to accept a communications position with the U.S. based-office of World Vision International in California. Following his retirement, he and Pat returned to Clinton, Miss., to be near their children and grandchildren.

Jim worked extensively as a communications consultant with World Vision, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism, a ministry of the BGEA. In 1981 he wrote the missions book The Way to Timbuktu, published by Convention Press for the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board).

He was the winner of 26 awards from the Baptist Public Relations Association (now BCA) and a three-time recipient of BPRA's prestigious Frank M. Burkhalter Award for religious journalism.

Jim was an ordained minister and deacon serving in various capacities in the local churches where he lived.

He was a member of Trace Ridge Baptist Church in Ridgeland, Miss., a suburb of Jackson. In addition to his wife and two daughters, Jim is survived by five grandchildren.

Visitation is Jan. 18 from 5-7 p.m. at Lakewood Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Jackson. Services will be at 1 p.m. Jan. 19 at Trace Ridge Baptist Church, following a noon visitation.

Notes and cards may be sent to Pat Newton at 719 Winding Hills, Clinton, MS 39056.

Leave a Tribute to Jim

Lifetime Member Robert (Bob) M. Duck, 85, of Montgomery, Ala., passed away Monday, November 21, 2011.

Bob was a loving son, brother, uncle, and friend and faithful servant of his Lord Jesus Christ. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ruth Thomas Duck and Joseph M. Duck, Sr., brother, Joseph M. Duck, Jr., sister-in-law, Betty Duck, and sister, Frances Duck. He is survived by niece, Kim Duck Windsor (Ken) of Sylacauga, Ala., great nephew, Wes Watkins (Amy) of Sylacauga, Ala., great niece, Ginger Watkins Nix (Jeff) of Washington D.C. and great-great nieces and nephew, Marlee and Maggie Watkins and Judah Nix.

He served in the U.S. Navy from 1944-1946 where he was awarded the American Area Ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon, and Victory Ribbon. He was a graduate of the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. Upon graduation from Alabama, he was a widely popular disc jockey and program director at Sylacauga and Andalusia radio stations, spinning rhythm and blues hits and was known as "Boogie Bob from Sylacaug." He was also a graduate of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Religious Education.

BPRA members enjoy fun and fellowship after the 1993 Wilmer C. Fields Awards Competition banquet. The event setting was a dinner cruise in New York Harbor. Front row and left to right: Robert Duck and Joy Bowman. Back row, left to right: David Porter, David Winfrey and Cameron Crabtree.

Graveside services were held Friday, Nov. 25, 2011, at 2 p.m. at Evergreen Cemetery in Sylacauga, Ala., with Rev. Bill Dean officiating. A memorial service was held Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011, at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Montgomery, Ala. Honorary Pall Bearers were the staff of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, members of Hannah and Truitt Sunday School Classes of First Baptist, directors of The Alabama Baptist newspaper, Rev. David Richardson, Stan Bailey, Dr. Ed Truitt, Rev. Gene Hannah, Henry Steindorff, Jim Warren, and Lewis Figh.

Congratulations to Amanda Parrish, a senior communications student at Union University, who received the $1,000 student scholarship from Baptist Communicators Association for the 2011-12 academic year.

A veteran and respected BCA member, Jim Veneman, serves as an instructor to Parrish at Union University. He had this to say about this year's scholarship recipient:

In my classes she has shown that it is never enough for her to simply meet a deadline. She always approaches an assignment as a creative challenge, and sincerely enjoys attempting to produce work that will show her audiences a fresh look, a new way of seeing the everyday.

Her ability to work with a wide range of people and circumstances helps her gain amazingly fast rapport with those around her. Even in the sometimes-difficult situations that all communicators find themselves, she performs beautifully, always returning with marvelous material and new friends.

Last summer Amanda was on a small team of students that traveled to New Mexico to produce stories for the Baptist New Mexican. Her responsibilities included both writing and photography. Amanda's commitment to excellence was exhibited in every story she produced. Her ability to work within a team was exactly what was needed. The finished stories and photographs were tremendous.

There is absolutely no doubt that someday soon Amanda will be a valued member of a communications team. She will be looked upon as a go-to person when the needs are greatest, and will be the guide and leader needed by so many.

BCA members attending the 2011 workshop in Atlanta voted on the selection of Parrish to receive the scholarship. Applications are currently being received for student scholarships for the 2012-13 academic year. Deadline for this scholarship will be February 2012. For complete information, go to our scholarship program page.