By Bob Allen
Leonard Hill, a career writer and editor of various publications of the Southern Baptist Convention, died Feb. 18 in Nashville, Tenn.
Hill, 83, had lived for several years in a nursing facility. A member of First Baptist Church in Nashville, Hill served many years as managing editor of the Baptist Program, a monthly publication long published by the SBC Executive Committee that went out to 50,000 Southern Baptist pastors, education directors, music directors, chaplains, missionaries, denominational workers and professors.
After the magazine was succeeded in 1993 by the public relations journal SBC Life, Hill worked as an assistant in the Executive Committee’s program planning department and with seminary extension, a program to deliver theological education to pastors and lay leaders not enrolled in seminary.
A native of Oklahoma, Hill was a journalism graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University. He received the doctor of theology degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1962.
Prior to his work with the Baptist Program he was an editorial staff member of All Church Press, in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Baptist Standard in Dallas.
Hill was preceded in death by his wife, Katie Lou Hill. He is survived by two daughters, three grandchildren, a sister and a brother.
A memorial service is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 23, at First Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn., with Bill Sherman officiating. Visitation is scheduled 2:30-3:30 p.m., also at the church.
Memorial contributions may be directed to Baptists Today at www.baptiststoday.org or Associated Baptist Press at www.baptistnews.com/give.