Bill Lloyd Rogers
1928-1972
Bill Lloyd Rogers was born in Saltillo, Mississippi January 22, 1928. He was baptized by J. F. Doggett in August of 1940. He attended Freed-Hardeman College.
Bill married Wanda Patricia Willis May 21, 1948. To this union was born two children, Nancy Jenet and David Porter. Later, he was married to Lucetta Finney (1935-2020).
He began preaching in 1945 with the Shiloh Park, Pittsburgh Landing church in Tennessee. From there he worked with the church at Kosciusko, Mississippi from 1946 to 1947. The he preached for the church in Tallassee, Alabama from 1948 to 1951. From there he worked at Graggland Circle in Memphis, Tennessee from 1951-1955. From there he preached for the Murrell Boulevard church in Paducah, Kentucky form 1955 to 1957. From there he went to Memorial Parkway church of Christ in Huntsville, Alabama where he preached beginning in 1957.
He did some debating during his preaching career. He was in the Welch-Rogers Debate on “Oneness Holiness Doctrine,” in 1951. He ended up debating D. L. Welch, a United Holiness preacher two times. The following year he was in the Rayburn-Rogers Debate. Rayburn was a Baptist and the discussion was on the General Church Question. In 1954 he was in the Rogers-Baker Debate. He published this debate in a volume. He also published another debate in 1959, the Rogers-Barr Debate. He actually debated Vernon L. Barr, a Baptist, on two different occasions. He also debated W. C. Nevil, an Independent Baptist two different times. Then he debated B. S. Myers, a Holiness preacher; G. S. Rayburn, a Baptist; B. A. Baker, a Dispensationalist; and others. He also conducted an eighteen day radio discussion with Bennie Lee Fudge on the Orphan Home question.
He was involved in radio preaching as well. He preached on WELO radio station in Tupelo, Mississippi and on radio at Alexander City, Alabama.
He wrote a tract called, “Is Baptism Necessary for the New Birth?” There was also a book he wrote called "Financing The Kingdom" that was produced by the Gospel Advocate.
Bill passed from this life December 17, 1972
-Sources: Preachers of Today, Vol. 1, page 293; Vol. II, page 375.
-Scott Harp, 01.14.2021
The Paducah Sun, Paducah, Kentucky
Saturday, March 30, 1957, page 9
Location Of The Grave Of Bill Rogers
B.L. Rogers is buried in the Saltillo Church of Christ Cemetery in Saltillo, Mississippi. From Tupelo travel north on Hwy. 45 four miles and take the Saltillo exit. Turn right. When the four-lane highway narrows, look to the right for the church building. Enter the driveway and the cemetery is in the rear of the building. Go into the middle of the cemetery, and head toward the rear. Rogers is buried next to his parents, Richard A. & Dollie Ann Rogers
GPS Location of Bill Rogers' Grave
34°23'04.0"N 88°41'34.4"W
or D.d. 34.384438, -88.692874
Accuracy to 15'
Graves Faces SE
Mayfield Church of Christ, Saltillo, MS
Bill L. Rogers
Husband Of
Lucetta Rogers
Jan. 23, 1928
Dec. 17, 1972
How Beautiful Are The Feet Of
Them That Preach The Gospel
Special Thanks to Tom L. Childers for showing me the
gravesite of Bill Rogers in May, 2009. We were on a quick day tour of Restoration sites in Mississippi, and stopped in Saltillo on our way south from his Henderson home to visit the Rogers family plot.