Six Texans inducted into Evangelists Hall of Faith

INDIANAPOLIS—Six Texas Baptists garnered spots among 30 heroes of the faith honored as the inaugural class of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists Hall of Faith.

The inductees, 12 of who are deceased, were elected by their peers after the conference’s executive committee voted to launch the Evangelists Hall of Faith this year in conjunction with the group’s 50th anniversary.

Among those being honored during a banquet with more than 175 people at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Indianapolis were Billy Graham, George Beverly Shea, Cliff Barrows and the late T.W. Wilson, all of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Texas Baptists inducted were Walter K. Ayers, Manley Beasley, Ron Rudy Hernandez, all deceased, along with Freddie Gage of Euless and Homer Martinez of Dallas.

During the conference business meeting, the group voted to name two inductees to the Hall of Faith every other year. In other business, Ron Herrod of Tennessee was elected president of the conference.

Full list of Hall of Faith inductees:

Hyman Appelman, Kansas City, Mo.
The late Walter K. Ayers, Texas
Cliff Barrows, BGEA
The late Manley Beasley, Texas
Wayne Bristow, Oklahoma
Sam Cathey, Oklahoma
Clyde Chiles, Missouri
The late E.J. Daniels, Florida
The late Ron Dunn, Texas
Freddie Gage, Texas
The late Mike Gilchrist, Louisiana
Billy Graham, BGEA
The late Vance Havner, North Carolina
The late Jesse Hendley, Georgia
The late Rudy Hernandez, Texas
Junior Hill, Alabama
The late Eddie Martin, Pennsylvania
The late Angel Martinez, Arkansas
Homer Martinez, Texas
George “Bev” Shea, BGEA
Bailey Smith, Georgia
The late J. Harold Smith, Tennessee
Jerry Spencer, Tennessee
Bill Stafford, Tennessee
Bette Stalnecker-Gibson, Tennessee
Jay Strack, Florida
Leon Westerhouse, Alabama
Gene Williams, Georgia
The late T.W. Wilson, BGEA
Don Womack, Tennessee