Russell Dilday Obituary News: In Loving Memory of Russell Dilday Baptist Statesman dies at Age 92
Russell H. Dilday, who was fired in 1994 by fundamentalists in control of the board of trustees after overseeing the more than doubling of the school’s endowment during his time as president of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, died on June 21. He was 92.
Dilday’s daughter, Nancy Dilday Duck, said that his health had been deteriorating during the previous two years. He was a resident of the Ventana by Buckner senior living complex in Dallas.
Richard Dilday
According to a statement from his family, “Daddy never lost his wonderful sense of humor or his heart for ministry.” “He was surrounded by admirers and lovers. We are sorry to see him go, but we are thankful for his incredible life and everything he accomplished for the glory of God. Baptists have lost a great leader, and we have lost a wonderful father.
From 1978 to 1994, Dilday presided over Southwestern Seminary. More than half of all Southern Baptist missionaries at the time received their training at the institution, which grew to be the largest theological seminary in the world during his leadership. During the height of the political warfare between Southern Baptists for leadership of the largest non-Catholic denomination in the country, his tenure as president was defined by ongoing conflicts with a fundamentalist board.
Former Baptist Standard editor Toby Druin recalled Dilday’s grace in the midst of challenging times for Southwestern and Southern Baptists.
“Russell Dilday was the ideal Christian statesman, leader, and ardent supporter of Baptist values. He was forthright in his advocacy of the Bible’s supremacy, according to Druin. “He presided over Southwestern Seminary through some of its most prosperous times.
“I will always remember him for his integrity and character, as well as his friendship toward the Baptist Standard.”
Dilday served as president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and in executive positions at two other BGCT-affiliated colleges after being fired on March 9, 1994. He was a special assistant to the president of Baylor University and a retired distinguished professor of homiletics at the George W. Truett Theological Seminary. He had a key role in the establishment of B.H. Carroll Theological Institute, acting as its first chancellor, and he served as interim president of Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, in 2002.
Dilday served as the founding pastor of Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston, the pastor of Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta, as well as churches in Antelope, Texas, and Clifton, Texas, in addition to his work in institutional and denominational life. He also served as the interim pastor for a number of parishes.
