After 50 years of serving Baptist newspapers — 23 of those years as editor of The Alabama Baptist — Bob Terry is retiring Dec. 31. A reception will be held in his honor Tuesday, November 13, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Trussville, in conjunction with the 2018 Alabama Baptist State Convention.
Terry, an Alabama native, has spent 43 years as editor of a major paper. He became editor of The Alabama Baptist (TAB) in 1995 and has repeatedly led the paper to rise to the top among its peers. For more than two decades, TAB has been named annually in the top three regional Christian newspapers. He also has won numerous personal awards for his editorials and news writing.
Before coming back to Alabama, Terry became executive secretary of the Association of State Baptist Publications (ASBP), a role he carried over into his time as editor of TAB.
Because of the ASBP role and the opportunity to lead the nation’s largest state Baptist paper by circulation, he has had an unusually large breadth of influence in Christian publications over the years. He was recently honored for serving in the ASBP leadership role for 25 years.
During his career, he also served in other leadership roles both nationally and internationally, such as chair of Baptist World Alliance’s communications committee and postal representative for the nation’s religious press. Before becoming editor of TAB, Terry served as associate editor of Kentucky’s Western Recorder for seven years, then as the editor of Missouri’s Word & Way for 20 years.
He earned a bachelor of arts from Mississippi College in Clinton in 1965, then went on to earn a master’s degree and doctor of ministry degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He also holds an honorary doctor of sacred theology from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri.
Through the years, Terry also has served Alabama’s churches as an interim pastor on numerous occasions.
The November 13 reception will be held on the second floor at First Baptist Church, Trussville, Room A200. Hors d’oeuvres, tea and coffee will be served. The reception is hosted by The Alabama Baptist board of directors. Everyone is invited to attend.