Jack Stanton, ‘Mr. Evangelism,’ dies at 82

BOLIVAR, Mo. — Jack Stanton, known as “Mr. Evangelism” to many Southern Baptists, died July 14 in Bolivar, Mo., after a long illness. He was 82.

Stanton served 15 years as associate director of evangelism at the Home Mission Board (now North American Mission Board) before his 22-year tenure at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar as associate professor of evangelism and director of the International Institute of Evangelism and the Jim Mellers Evangelism and Conference Center. After his 1997 retirement, the university named the evangelism center in his honor and created the Jack Stanton Chair of Evangelism. He also had taught evangelism at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City.

Stanton was preceded in death by his wife, Mary, and is survived by their two daughters Mary Lee and Melody.