Lonnie Wilkey
When I was 22 years old and fresh out of college, I thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life. At the University of South Carolina I developed a love for writing. When I began my last semester I needed to do an internship. I wanted to focus on sports writing so I applied for and was accepted as an intern in USC’s sports information department. Because I ultimately wanted to be a Gamecocks or Atlanta Braves “beat writer” for the Greenville (S.C.) News, I knew that was where I should be.
God had other plans.
As it turned out, I had to give up the job with the sports information department because my part-time job (which helped pay for my education) conflicted with the assignment they had for me.
Instead, I worked as an intern with the USC news office under a former newspaper editor who never gave up that role. He would give me assignments and hand the story back to me. He used a red pen and it looked like my story had bled to death. But his editing made me a better writer. I had several articles published during that semester.
After graduating from USC, I worked in communications positions at North Greenville College (now University), Baptist College at Charleston (now Charleston Southern University) and the former Southern Baptist Education Commission. While at North Greenville I also worked for a small weekly newspaper and that experience deepened my love for and desire to work with a newspaper.
At Baptist College, I had my first article published by a Baptist paper (the Baptist Courier in S.C.) and I was hooked. I then moved to the Education Commission and edited their publication (the Southern Baptist Educator) and wrote articles for Baptist Press and worked in their newsroom during annual meetings of the Southern Baptist Convention.
A few years later, I got my “dream” job with the B&R and God has blessed me in a way I never could have imagined
For 10 years I worked as the associate editor under then editor Fletcher Allen who taught me what it truly meant to be a Baptist journalist. He gave me freedom to write and edit other people’s writing and to basically learn the newspaper business from the ground up.
Looking back, I know now that God had a plan for my life. He redirected my path from what I desired (a career in sports writing) to the career He had planned for me — telling His stories through publications produced by Christian organizations, primarily the Baptist and Reflector, one of the longest, continuously published newspapers in the nation (since 1835).
Gratitude
Words cannot adequately express my gratitude to God for allowing me to work with and for Tennessee Baptists the past 36 years. I have had opportunities I never could have imagined while growing up in rural Greenville County.
I have had the opportunity to interview and write articles about Tennessee pastors and former SBC presidents Adrian Rogers and Steve Gaines as well as legendary Southern Baptist leaders such as James L. Sullivan, W.A. Criswell, Hershel Hobbs and many others.
God provided me opportunities to travel around the world to tell His stories of Tennessee Baptists at work for His glory and honor.
But the stories over the years I am most grateful for are the hundreds upon hundreds of Betty and Bob Baptists I met and wrote about — those unsung heroes in the pews of our Baptist churches, both large and small, who did incredible things because they simply loved and wanted to serve the God who saved them.
I’m also grateful for the folks who became “family” to me with the Baptist and Reflector and TBMB. Space (or lack thereof ) won’t allow me to mention everyone. They know who they are.
Two of those are my close friends and colleagues, Chris Turner and David Dawson, who will take over the reigns of the B&R and will continue telling the stories of Tennessee Baptists.
I also have been overwhelmed by those who have reached out to me and shared a story about how I made an impact on their life. It has been very humbling, but all the glory needs to go to God. I am nothing without Him.
-30-
Though I will be the editor for one last issue (Dec. 18), I decided this would be my farewell column. Traditionally, journalists used to end their articles with a -30- so their editor would know the story was finished.
This will be my final column as editor of the paper. I will have some articles in the next issue or so as I am trying to wrap some things up before I retire at the end of this month.
As I leave, thank you Tennessee Baptists. It has been my joy and privilege to serve as editor of your paper. It never was mine. God just allowed me to serve Him. Though I am retiring to my native South Carolina, I will always be a Tennessee Baptist. B&R
