Jerry Spencer, a Southern Baptist evangelist who preached to millions across more than 50 countries and served in key denominational leadership roles for decades, died Feb. 14 in Savannah, Tennessee. He was 86.
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Spencer led more than 1,500 revival meetings and 100 area-wide crusades during a ministry career spanning nearly seven decades. He was born in 1939 and was raised near the Mississippi River in Osceola, Arkansas, where he was called to preach at age 17, answered God’s call to preach on mission fields at 26, and made his first mission trip to Brazil in 1966 where he spent six weeks and said that was when he “fell in love with overseas missions.”
“As a teenager growing up in the First Baptist Church Osceola, Arkansas, I truly enjoyed singing the old songs of the faith,” Spencer is quoted as saying. “One Sunday as we sang; ‘I’ll go where you want me to go dear Lord, over mountain or plain or sea. I’ll say what you want me to say dear Lord; I’ll be what you want me to be!’ As we sang I made a commitment. ‘Lord, I’ll go, say, and be as you lead me.”
Throughout his ministry, Spencer had a reputation of being a passionate soul winner, tireless preacher of the gospel and iconic evangelist who conducted evangelistic meetings, revivals, mission conferences, senior adult rallies and special outreach events throughout the United States.
Without excuse
Spencer challenged pastors and evangelist in 2021 during a Western Kentucky Evangelist Conference by saying that Christians today are without excuse in their evangelism efforts, considering the wealth and means at their disposal.
“Can you imagine what Paul would have done if he could have traveled in a 747? We have communications — radio, TV, the internet — yet we may be doing less than any generation before us. The church has gone into the sign business — put up a beautiful sign and then think, ‘They know where we are.’”
In his overseas ministry, Spencer focused on pastor and leadership conferences, women’s conferences, feeding programs, street witnessing, speaking in prisons, schools, businesses, marketplaces, churches, door-to-door witnessing, literature and Bible distribution, musical concerts, and crusades in open air venues such as public squares and soccer stadiums. Spencer served the people of dozens of countries, having made more than 60 trips to India alone to share the good news of Jesus Christ and Spencer helped establish a hospital, a Bible college and seminary in India and Ethiopia.
“Dr. Spencer has been a faithful and effective pastor and evangelist,” said Randy C. Davis, longtime friend and president/executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. “He was a great encourager to local pastors in Tennessee and throughout the country. Heaven is populated with thousands of people introduced to Jesus by Bro Jerry. We will miss this dear brother greatly.”
In addition to his evangelism ministry, Spencer also authored several books and other works, with his more notable book being, “Almost Persuaded to Be a Liberal,” published in 1972 and considered a religious bestseller.
‘Real deal’
Spencer was involved in denominational leadership serving on the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee for nine years and was also vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He served as president of both the SBC Pastors’ Conference and SBC Conference of Evangelists. And was inducted into the Southern Baptist Evangelists’ “Hall of Faith” in 2008.
“He was lifelong Southern Baptist who excelled in everything he did,” said James T. Draper, Jr., former president of LifeWay Christian Resources and longtime friend of Spencer’s. “His heart was always in missions and for the people of the world, but he kept his heart tuned to the local church. Everyone respected him. He leaves a great legacy for us to follow. He was the real deal.”
Spencer was a high school and college athlete and attended Union University for three years before graduating from the University of Tennessee in 1964. He then attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and has been awarded several honorary degrees including a doctorate from Liberty University.
Spencer has most recently served as staff evangelist at Riverview Baptist Church in Savannah at the time of his death
Spencer was married to Sue Walker for more than 50 years until her death. They had four children, including Dan Spencer, pastor of First Baptist Church Sevierville, and current president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Spencer remarried to Shirley Norris Robertson and the two lived in Savannah until his death.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written and originally published by the Baptist and Reflector.
