Letters: Gregory Walcott – a thoughtful, considerate actor

The death of a friend is not something we take lightly. The recent death of actor Gregory Walcott prompted many pleasant memories.

Walcott was a busy character actor, whose résumé included television westerns, Clint Eastwood movies and prestige films like “Norma Rae.”

He was best known as a star of Plan 9 From Outer Space, often called the worst movie ever made. No one sets out to make a bad picture. Walcott said being star of the world’s worst film did not stop his career. He mused it was good to be remembered for anything.

Walcott was working on a film in Hong Kong when I met him. What many folks do not know is he was elected a vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention once.

I became involved with that film by finding locations and use of movie lots. Many movie stars are nice to be around. This was true of Walcott. He was most thoughtful and considerate in making the film on Bill Wallace, the lone Southern Baptist missionary killed as the Chinese Communist overran China.

Plan 9 From Outer Space seemed destined to be no more than a footnote in Walcott’s busy career. He was a regular on 87^th Precinct and had guest roles on Bonanza and Maverick. He worked alongside Clint Eastwood on Rawhide and in Every Which Way but Loose and other movies. 

I especially like the lawman he played in Steven Spielberg’s The Sugarland Express and Norma Rae. 

Britt Towery

San Angelo

Get back to Jesus; forget tradition

I agree with Kevin Glenn’s comments in “Some Baptists embrace effort to root out ‘poser’ Christians.” 

The “talk but not walk” way of life has been around for a long time within what we call the church. As a small child, I often was confused by the “amens” in the service and the conversations I heard between the same people in the church yard after service, as they stood around, smoked cigarettes, told inappropriate jokes and gossiped about other church members. It appears there are a lot of people asking the question, “What was the church supposed to be again?” 

I support the Baptist Faith and Message; I just cannot support what I see as a general religious practice that many of the churches seem to be mired in. We cannot win anything without Christ at the helm. He—not our buildings, not our programs and certainly not our traditions—saves lives from the darkness.

We are in terrific decline because we keep following tradition, and the shout of tradition drowns out the voice of Christ. 

A friend of mine started an unconventional gathering called a “biker church.” Its doctrine looks just like the Baptist Faith and Message. The love I have seen there has resulted in 200 professions of faith in three years. Their building is about 2,000 square feet. Traditions do not matter there, but knowing Jesus does. Knowing him is more than knowing about him. 

We must get back to Jesus and forget about serving tradition. Mark 7:9.

Mark McAdams

Jarrell

Pastors’ support of education appreciated

Thanks, pastors, for standing for what is right, especially in support of educators.

Vern Butler

Beaumont