The Production Team

Many persons have contributed in various ways to the Baptist identity website and the materials posted on it.

The contributors are extraordinarily diverse, yet they all have in common a deep commitment to Christ as Lord and to the Baptist family of Christians. They are too numerous to list individually. They include professors, pastors, deacons, Sunday School teachers, historians, theologians, and editors. They range in age from high school students to octogenarians. Male and female, they come from churches large and small in various states and countries. The input from these persons took place over a period of years. Some of the input came when the initial twenty-seven articles were printed. Other input came when some of the material from the Baptist Identity Series was released for evaluation and field testing. Input has been in various ways, such as emails and letters in response to printed material and the website, written evaluations of manuscripts at the request of the authors, and verbal communication discussing Baptist identity.

Concerning the website itself, the original designer of the website, the person who then updated it, and the individual who is the current webmaster are all not only skilled in website design but also devoted Christians. Making additions to the website is an ongoing effort, led by JBH Communications, and suggestions for improvements are always welcome.

Although the Baptist identity website and the related materials are indeed a team effort involving a large number of persons, the persons primarily responsible are William M. Pinson, Jr. and Doris A. Tinker, who authored the material and developed the graphics and design. Because it is helpful to know something about persons who are primarily responsible for a body of material, the following information is provided.

William M. Pinson, Jr. was asked by Noble Hurley to author the material on Baptists because of Pinson’s long involvement in Baptist life and his experience as an author. Born in Texas, Pinson’s ministry has taken him throughout the world and involved him in various aspects of Baptist life. Pinson received his undergraduate education at the University of North Texas, where he was president of both the Baptist Student Union and the student body. He graduated from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a doctorate in 1963. He also attended the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University. Pinson served as a full professor with tenure at Southwestern Seminary, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Wichita Falls, Texas, President of the Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in California, and Executive Director of the Executive Board of The Baptist General Convention of Texas for almost eighteen years, the longest continuous period of any person in that position. In addition he has been a member of numerous denominational committees and commissions, including those of the Baptist World Alliance, preached and taught throughout the United States and in many other countries, and written numerous books and articles.

Following retirement as Executive Director, he was named Executive Director Emeritus. He also has served as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Baylor University, where he has taught a course on Baptist identity, and is Distinguished University Professor of Dallas Baptist University, where he annually delivers the Pinson Baptist Heritage Lectures. He is the Trustee Emeritus of the Baylor Health Care System and on committees of the Baptist World Alliance. In addition he serves as the volunteer Director of the Texas Baptist Heritage Center. Thus, much of his attention is given to Baptist beliefs, practices, and heritage. He writes, preaches, and teaches often on these subjects.

Doris Ann Tinker was asked by Noble Hurley to assist in the preparation of these materials because of her involvement with and her distinguished career in Baptist life. She grew up in a Baptist home with a deacon father who consistently taught his children about Baptist beliefs and practices. Her father and brother, both now deceased, were Baptist deacons and her son is a Baptist deacon, and her grandson is also. Her granddaughter and husband are both graduates of a Baptist university and seminary. Growing up in Arkansas, she was active in her Baptist church and continued that Baptist church involvement while living in Florida, California, Missouri, and Illinois. She moved to Dallas with her husband and son and became an active member of the First Baptist Church of Richardson. She taught Sunday School and assisted with the youth ministry. She soon joined the staff of the church as the pastor’s secretary and filled that role with such effectiveness that when James H. Landes, Jr. came as pastor several years later he asked her to remain in that position. When Landes was called to be the Executive Director of the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, he requested that she become his assistant in the Executive Director’s office. When Landes retired and Pinson was elected to that post, he asked her to remain and she became the Executive Associate with major responsibilities related to numerous aspects of Baptist life. When Pinson retired as Executive Director, his successor likewise asked her to work with him and she did so until her retirement, having served in that role for tweny-seven years, longer than any other person.

Upon retirement as the Executive Associate in the office of the Executive Director, she joined E. Eugene Greer and Pinson in the office of the Executive Director Emeritus and accepted the volunteer role as Director of Organization and Communication of the Texas Baptist Heritage Center. Upon the death of Greer in 2003, she assumed many of the responsibilities he had carried. She participates in the research, writing, and editing of books, articles on Baptists, and this website as well. She has planned and conducted numerous conferences and workshops on Baptist identity. She has served as a committee member of the Baptist World Alliance.