Lawrence Ray Wilson
1896-1968

Biographical Sketch On The Life Of L.R. Wilson 

L.R. Wilson was born in Cord, Arkansas, about twenty miles East of Batesville on December 23, 1896. In 1909 his father died, and five others of his family,  including his mother, were taken in the next three years. He, and the other three children who were left, lived with relatives, but he soon assumed full  responsibility for his support, doing such work as a boy could do in the hill country of Arkansas at that time. Once, as he was telling me about this, I remarked on the great loss he suffered. He agreed, but since his family was not religious, he thought that he was perhaps better off away from that influence. That is real faith!

When he was nineteen years old he went to the Tupelo community South of Newport (Arkansas) to pick cotton. He said that he arrived there with his complete wardrobe on his back and three cents in cash money in his pocket. Somehow he had become interested in the Bible and with his first pay check subscribed to the Firm Foundation. The Tupelo postmaster was a Christian, but there was no church there. Together, they arranged for Z.D. Barber to hold a meeting. Brother Wilson obeyed the gospel in that meeting and waited on The Table the next Sunday. From this time he was kept busy speaking in Tupelo and nearby communities. He knew that he was severely handicapped by his limited education, but did not know how to change that.

When World War I came he enlisted and served in the Quartermaster Corp of the Third Cavalry. His unit was under fire briefly in France, but he never had to fire a gun in anger, for which he was thankful.

Upon his discharge from the Army he resumed preaching, more determined that ever to get an education. There was no G.I. Bill in those day, but Z.D. Barber again entered his life, showing him how he could attend Freed-Hardeman College at Henderson, Tennessee.

He entered school there as a Freshman in High School at the age of twenty three and stayed there for six years, supporting himself by odd jobs, Sunday preaching and summer meetings. He was usually in debt to the school at the end of each term, but managed to pay that off in the summer. Five of these years were spent in the home of N.B. Hardeman, who had a profound influence for good in his life. He also became a close friend of E.R. Harper, another student. This friendship lasted to the end of life and was a great blessing to each of them.

At the end of his Senior year he was married to Ruth Johnson, who was also a student in Freed Hardeman. Two children were born to them, Margaret Elizabeth, now the wife of Dr. Ray Ziegler of Waco, Texas, and L.R. Jr., now in the practice of medicine in Lubbock, Texas (1975).

After graduation from Freed Hardeman, he preached for the Central church in Jackson, Tennessee and completed the work for his B.A. degree, with a major in Greek at Union University. Following this he moved to jasper, Alabama, where he preached while earning a Master degree in history from Birmingham Southern College. From jasper he moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he preached for the Laurel Avenue church and conducted one of the first Bible Chair programs among our people, in the University of Tennessee.

His meeting work took him into more than half the states, and he served some of the best churches among us as local evangelist. These include Central in Ada, Oklahoma; Tenth and Rockford in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Denver Heights in San Antonio, Central in Amarillo, and in Cleburne, all in Texas. He did much radio preaching on some of the most powerful stations in the land, and had two debates with the Baptists, and two with the Pentecostals.

In 1964 he moved from San Antonio to Florida to become the founding President of Florida Christian College. He served well there until 1949. Some of us had been trying to start a Christian school in Oklahoma, and when G.R. Tinius, Chairman of our board, learned that he had resigned in Florida, he went to see him about coming to Oklahoma to help us. He finally agreed to come, but he knew what he was getting into, so he said that he would make us only one promise: To do his best. He certainly did that!

In the first five years of the history of Oklahoma Christian College, he laid a ground work that is still bearing fruit in that very fine educational institution. When he went to Florida he owned a home in San Antonio. The proceeds from that home, together with two cars, went into Florida Christian College. He came to Oklahoma almost empty handed. He refused the salary the board offered him at Bartlesville, saying it was too much. Often some had to wait on pay day for their checks. He always waited and never complained.

His work in Amarillo and Cleburne followed his work with Oklahoma Christian. Soon after leaving the school, he was unanimously elected President Emeritus of the school. At it's first commencement as a Senior College, the school conferred on him it's first honorary degree, Doctor of Laws. On his seventieth birthday the gospel preachers of Dallas held a special meeting honoring him, at which he was presented a suitably engraved plaque. Being an humble man, he wore these richly deserved honors well.

With the July edition of 1955 he became Editor of the Voice of Freedom. This work was difficult and demanding, but again he was more than equal to the occasion. Throughout his life he was a capable writer, leaving some excellent works such as: The Adult Quarterly for the Firm Foundation from 1939 to 1946; books such as Aerial Bombardments; (radio sermons) The New Testament Church; The Never-Failing Scriptures; The Triumphant Jesus; Congregational Development; Roman Catholicism-Facts or Fabrications; a Bible work book for Bible teachers; Bible Exegesis. In addition to these, he has written many tracts and articles for the various papers among us.

Brother Wilson never knew the meaning of the word "failure." The spirit that caused him to support himself as an orphan child, then took him through many years of schooling under almost impossible circumstances, many years as a gospel preacher, the founding President of two Christian Colleges, and finally the very difficult task of producing a very fine and useful monthly periodical never failed him and characterized his whole life.

He was quite ill the last few months of his life, suffering much. On the last day of May in 1968 The Lord called him home. E.R. Harper, that life-long friend and brother, came from Abilene to conduct the final service. A few other preachers shared in the final service. What was mortal sleeps in the Restland cemetery in Dallas to await the resurrection. "He being dead yet speaketh."

—Gospel Preachers Of Yesteryear, Loyd L. Smith, Originally Published In The Christian Worker, 1975