DALLAS – When author and longtime Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) professor Howard Hendricks passed away Feb. 20 at the age of 88, Southern Baptist leaders, seminary professors and pastors took to Twitter to honor his life.
Hendricks served on the DTS faculty for 60 years and was founder and chairman of the seminary’s Center for Christian Leadership. He authored or co-authored 16 books and taught more than 10,000 students. He even was chaplain of the Dallas Cowboys football team from 1976-1984.
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File photo from Midwestern Seminary Howard Hendricks speaks at a Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary chapel service in 2004. |
Students and friends knew him simply as “Prof.” He preached on the campuses of Southern Baptist seminaries and at the 2003 SBC Pastors Conference.
Following is a sampling of what Southern Baptists said on Twitter:
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Jack Graham (@JackNGraham), pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas: “Howard Hendricks was an incredible man teacher leader believer. He influenced a generation of pastors and churchmen. Now rewarded.”
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Rick Warren (@RickWarren), pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif.: “Friend and mentor to so many of us, #HowardHendricks went on to heaven last night.”
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Gregory Mathias (@GregMathias), associate director of international missions for the Center for Great Commission Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.: “The passing of Howard Hendricks is a true loss for us but complete gain for him. Thanks for your legacy.” Southeastern Seminary President Daniel Akin quoted Mathias in a Tweet and added, “AMEN.”
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Terry L. Wilder (@TerryLWilder), professor of New Testament at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas: “Never had ‘Prof’ Hendricks for class but did enjoy lunch w/him a couple of times. Listened closely to the wisdom he shared.”
Russell D. Moore, dean of the school of theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., also sent out a Tweet, calling Hendricks a “titanic” professor.
Hendricks spoke at the Billy Graham conference center and at Promise Keepers rallies, and would tell those in attendance, “It’s wonderful to be here with you, but I have a group of delicious students waiting for me back at the seminary.”
Many of Hendricks’ students went on to become even more well-known than he was. Among them: Tony Evans, David Jeremiah, Robert Jeffress, Erwin Lutzer and Chuck Swindoll.
Swindoll, who later became president and then chancellor of DTS, said Hendricks “is the one man who has had the greatest impact on my entire life. And there is no doubt in my mind that since the late 1950s to the present day, no other teacher at DTS has been more influential to more of our graduates, or more magnetic to more potential students than Dr. Hendricks.”
Hendricks’ funeral will be held Saturday, March 2 at 11 a.m. Central at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas.
(EDITOR’S NOTE – Compiled by Michael Foust, associate editor of Baptist Press, with information from Dallas Theological Seminary.)