Ken Hemphill: Still Wearing Cowboy Boots

By Dr. Michael Cox, Pastor
First Baptist Church Pryor, OK

In May 2000 I graduated with a Doctor of Ministry degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Ken Hemphill was the President of the seminary at that time. I had never met him before but was scheduled to have my picture taken with him, as was common for doctoral graduates, and was invited to attend a reception at the Presidential Residence. All of the events of that week were a bit of a blur. But I do remember that he was cordial, relational, and wearing cowboy boots. I was glad that he was the seminary President. He preached at the commencement ceremony and was outstanding in the pulpit, wearing cowboy boots. What a charge! Again, I was glad that he was the seminary President.

In 2003, I found myself in a new pastorate in Lynchburg, Virginia. A wonderful church, West Lynchburg Baptist Church, had called me as pastor, so my wife, Joyce, and I had moved from Calvary Baptist Church in Inola, Oklahoma, our home state, to the beautiful, scenic state of Virginia. On Sunday morning June 13, 2004, Joyce and I were in the Lynchburg Airport, a small regional airport, waiting to catch a flight to Atlanta and from there to Indianapolis to attend the Southern Baptist Convention. After checking in and taking a seat, I spotted none other than Ken Hemphill and his wife, Paula, also in the airport. I took the initiative to introduce my wife and myself to Ken and Paula. He had just concluded a speaking engagement in Lynchburg and was also enroute to the Southern Baptist Convention. They were both so very friendly, and he was still wearing cowboy boots. I was glad that he had been my seminary President.

We all flew, seated apart, to Atlanta. Once we arrived in Atlanta, we learned that our connecting flight had been delayed in Houston due to thunderstorms. This left us wandering the Atlanta airport for the next eight hours – with Ken and Paula Hemphill. I had a chance during these hours, and even over dinner, to get to know Ken as a personable, relational, man of God. As it turned out, we had something else somewhat unique in common. Years earlier, Ken had been heard by the Pastor Search Committee of my current pastorate, West Lynchburg Baptist Church! A lady on the Search Committee, whom I had actually met, didn’t like the fact that he wore cowboy boots when he preached, so they didn’t call him! He ended up being called to First Baptist Church, Norfolk, Virginia, – and the rest is history. Once again, I was glad that he had been my seminary President.

Since that time, I have maintained a friendship with Ken, through emails, text messages, and visits to his Empowering Kingdom Growth, Auxano Press, or North Greenville University booths at the Convention each year. Of all the fine men holding denominational posts in the Southern Baptist Convention, Ken stands out to me as being a uniquely personable, relational leader, willing to connect with me, return my calls, spend time with me, and make me feel like I was important to him and to Kingdom work. I am not claiming that we are BFF’s. But I am stating that he is a man of God who has both a heritage and a history of stellar Kingdom work through ministering as a pastor in local SBC churches and as a denominational servant, and he has neither forgotten his commitment to Christ, to Kingdom advancement, nor to his denominational moorings, nor has he forgotten his manners. He is a uniquely relational leader.

Southern Baptists would do well to see the value of Ken Hemphill and enlist him in Dallas in June 2018 as the next President of the Southern Baptist Convention. We will be glad that he is our Convention’s President; and he will still be wearing cowboy boots.