Bruce Edwards
FRANKLIN — Bruce Edwards, who served in youth ministry with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board for 25 years, died April 28 at the age of 72.
Prior to joining the staff of the TBMB in 1995, Edwards served in youth ministry at Lifeway Christian Resources in Nashville and as a youth minister in churches in Tennessee, Texas and Georgia. He retired as student ministry specialist with the TBMB in 2020.
Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the TBMB, observed that Edwards “impacted tens of thousands of students through decades of equipping and encouraging student pastors and student leaders.
“He constantly practiced the power of presence by showing up and helping anyone and everyone,” Davis said. “He was a hard-working team player.”
Vicki Hulsey, childhood specialist for the TBMB, worked with Edwards for 19 years. “What a legacy Bruce has left for us to learn from,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
“Bruce was a man who loved Christ above all else. … He was a man who invested in the next generation. He was a teacher and a discipler.
“He was the kind of friend we should all long to be — a friend who invests in others, sees potential in others and is there in the good times as well as the hard times,” Hulsey wrote.
Nicki Brooks marketing manager for the TBMB, observed on Facebook that “hundreds of student pastors and leaders were equipped and encouraged by Bruce’s ministry to Tennessee Baptists.”
Kent Shingleton, lead pastor of Hope Fellowship Church, Smyrna, formerly served as youth evangelism specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board and he was a longtime friend and colleague of Edwards.
“Bruce loved to serve others. His passion was to equip and encourage church leaders so that the lives of teenagers might be eternally changed by the gospel.
“It didn’t matter if it was camps, conferences, training events, retreats, consultations or summer missions, Bruce was all in. He absolutely loved doing what God called him to do. For 20 years, God allowed me to serve alongside and learn from Bruce. What a blessing it was as God gave us memories that will last forever,” Shingleton said.
Edwards is survived by his wife, Ann. A celebration of life service will be held May 5 at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, at 1:30 p.m. CST, with visitation from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. B&R
