William James Cumbie was a mover and shaker on the Virginia Baptist scene for nearly 60 years. He first appeared on the Virginia scene in 1948 when, at age 25, he was the energetic new pastor of the First Baptist Church of Annandale. It was the beginning of a love affair with that wild, reckless and growing child known as Northern Virginia.
It also was the beginning of a more important love life. Just two weeks before beginning his Annandale pastorate, Cumbie married Catherine “Kay” Inscoe and the couple honeymooned in Colonial Williamsburg, declaring that they loved each other and Virginia.
Bill Cumbie
The '50s and '60s were exciting years of church growth, denominational development and, for the Cumbies, family building. In fairly close succession, the couple had four children: Elizabeth, James, Rebecca and Judith. The Annandale church occupied the young man's energy and he helped it grow from a core group of about 75 to a membership of over 700. He led the church in building programs. He developed a quick step and learned every back road from Alexandria to Vienna, visiting his far-flung congregation and developing long-lasting relationships among those in other churches.
In 1952 Bill Cumbie was present at Columbia Baptist Church for the organizational meeting of the new Mount Vernon Baptist Association, which included 25 churches out of the old Potomac Association. In 1956-57 Cumbie served so effectively as moderator of the Mount Vernon that one pastor remarked that he had never seen a better, more efficient district association moderator. The same man predicted that “this young pastor will be heard from in the future in larger Baptist councils in Virginia and our Southland.” It was a prophetic statement.
In 1957, the association was ready to appoint a full-time superintendent of missions, a title which changed over the years to executive director. At age 34, Cumbie was elected as the association's first executive and he steamed ahead with all the gusto of youth. For the next 30 years, until his retirement in 1988, he led the day-to-day work of the Mount Vernon, rallying leaders in the member churches, building staff and programs and planting the Baptist banner all across the burgeoning metro Washington area. He was not satisfied even when the Mount Vernon became one of the undisputed models for associationalism in the nation. He always pushed for something more, something better.
Cumbie became active in every phase of Baptist life. He was involved in the professional organization for SBC “DOMs” (directors of missions, as they were known). He served on the board of trustees of his alma mater, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He was an unpaid assistant to the chief leader of the Baptist World Alliance and never missed a BWA Congress. And he embraced the Baptist General Association of Virginia as if he were one of Virginia's native sons.
He studied Virginia Baptist history. When someone mentioned Editor R.H. Pitt's classic address, “The Virginia Baptist Temper and Tradition,” Cumbie laughed that he had read the address in its full original text, noting the omissions in later printed copies. He chaired the General Association's 150th anniversary committee. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Richmond and claimed it as proudly as he did his earned degree from Baylor University. He learned the politics of the General Association. He understood the intricacies of its framework and organization. In 1975-76 he achieved “the highlight” of his life with election to the office of president. He was the first director of missions to serve as president of a state convention.
Bill Cumbie early discovered that to master public meetings it was necessary to master parliamentary law. He served as parliamentarian of SBC meetings and frequently for the BGAV. In 1985 he openly criticized Charles Stanley's “flagrant misuse” of parliamentary procedure at the pivotal SBC meeting in Dallas.
Whenever as a messenger to a BGAV meeting, Cumbie rose to a microphone during a business session, a hush fell over the room and all ears listened. Seasoned messengers would punch newcomers and whisper for them to listen up. And Cumbie was always right on target with his objections and observations. Wags wondered if the man from Mount Vernon slept with the BGAV constitution and bylaws as well as with Robert's Rules!
Bill Cumbie was feisty, determined and hopeful. His personality was shaped by nine years in an orphanage in Macon, Ga., and by gentle folks at the First Baptist Church of Macon.
At 10, he accepted Christ and was baptized. Two years later, the orphanage's superintendent expressed the hope that one day Billie might become its first preacher. The boy was only 12 but he already knew that the pulpit was his destination. As “DOM” for Mount Vernon, over a 30-year period, he averaged preaching somewhere every other day (not every other Sunday but every other day). And he possessed a power and skill in the pulpit which enabled him to reach any type of congregation.
In order to accomplish so much, he had to be master of himself and slave to a clock. He once admonished this columnist that every person has equality in one thing: everyone has the same 24 hours within a single day. It mattered how you organized and prioritized and “I haven't got time” was not a valid excuse.
Bill Cumbie suffered no fools. He was never bashful about buttonholing someone, jabbing his pointed finger into the air or into someone's chest, and holding forth when truth as he perceived it was misrepresented. People—friends, colleagues and even opponents—listened because ultimately they respected him. They understood that the man from Mount Vernon knew whatever he was talking about and that he cared passionately about the subject and, even more, about them.
He died on Feb. 19 at age 83; and when Virginia Baptists gather again, the man from Mount Vernon will be missed.