Robert T. Banks Jr., a prominent missions leader among Southern Baptists in the second half of the 20th century, died in Atlanta Jan. 19 at age 91.
Banks served as executive vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Home Mission Board during pivotal years of transition as SBC institutions came under the control of a new conservative agenda. Throughout those years, he was hailed as peacemaker and an advocate for the thousands of “home missionaries” sent out by the SBC.
His career in denominational service began among Oklahoma Baptists, where he served as head of the state’s Royal Ambassadors, a church-based missions education program for boys, from 1954 to 1968. Then, he became director of the state convention’s Brotherhood, the larger men’s ministry under which Royal Ambassadors was a part.
Bob Banks
During this time, he led in creating Camp Hudgens, a Baptist camp for boys located near McAlester, Okla.
In 1974, he was hired to the staff of the national SBC Brotherhood Commission in Memphis, Tenn., where he served until 1981. At that time, he became associate to the president of the SBC Home Mission Board (today known as the North American Mission Board) in Atlanta.
From 1981 to 1995, Banks served under the last of the presidents identified with the SBC’s “moderate” leadership, William Tanner, and the first of the presidents identified with the SBC’s “conservative” leadership, Larry Lewis. This was a transformational time in the denomination and at the HMB, with emphasis shifting from a mix of evangelism, church planting and social ministries to a greater emphasis on evangelism and church planting.
Banks also played a key role in relocating the agency’s headquarters from Midtown Atlanta to suburban Alpharetta, Ga.
He was revered by thousands of retired home missionaries when he stood up for their retirement benefits after the merger of the HMB and two other agencies to create NAMB.
One of his longtime friends was Floyd Craig, a veteran Baptist communications professional and the first editor of Associated Baptist Press, predecessor to Baptist News Global.
“Bob and I came to the Oklahoma Baptist Convention staff about the same time,” Craig recalled. “He came as Royal Ambassador secretary and I came as director of public relations. It was then we became fast friends. Traveling the state, we represented the convention in scores of meetings and training sessions.
“It was during these days that Bob had a dream of a camp just for Royal Ambassadors. I remember walking with him over a lakefront property as his dream began to take shape. He was determined. In short, Bob got that property donated, and he did the impossible by getting the Oklahoma convention to fund establishing Camp Hudgens. He took on the tasks of overseeing land development, the construction of lodges, a dining hall and the needed equipment structures. He even bought row boats and a sailboat to teach sailing to boys who probably had never seen a sailboat.”
One of Banks’ greatest gifts was in planning, Craig said, and that talent benefited the various places he worked.
“After knowing him all these decades, I have come to the strong conclusion that his walk with Jesus was the foundation of his life.”
“After knowing him all these decades, I have come to the strong conclusion that his walk with Jesus was the foundation of his life. From that base, he was always a man of integrity, courageous in his decisions. His love for his family and friends never wavered. Through it all, he had a great sense of humor, the ability to listen and was a friend who could be trusted. Wherever he served Southern Baptists he served with honor, distinction and dedication. Through difficult times, he exhibited a sense of peace.”
Bob Banks was born in Griffin, Ga., April 13, 1931. He was a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 1952, he married Martha Sibley, who preceded him in death. He is survived by their three children and families: daughter, Sibyl Ann Cantrell and son-in-law Ray Cantrell; daughter, Brenda Lee Benson; son, Brian Nelson Banks, and daughter-in-law April Banks.
He was a longtime member of Dunwoody Baptist Church in Atlanta, where his funeral was held Jan. 23.