Longtime Baptist communicator Floyd Craig died Aug. 30 at the age of 91.
A native of Oklahoma, Craig and his wife, Anne, formed Craig Communications in 1981. Clients included a number of Southern Baptist organizations. Prior to establishing their firm, Craig served as director of communications with the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and as director of communications for the Southern Baptist Christian Life Communications (now Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission).
When Baptist Press editors Dan Martin and Al Shackleford were fired by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee in 1990, Craig — along with other Southern Baptists and several Baptist state paper editors — was instrumental in establishing Associated Baptist Press (now Baptist News Global).
‘A friend to me’
Craig was a friend and mentor to a number of Baptist journalists, including Lonnie Wilkey, editor of the Baptist and Reflector.
“Floyd was a friend to me, especially after I first became involved in Baptist communications. He also was helpful to me after I was named editor of the B&R and always was just a phone call away,” Wilkey recalled.
Craig was the author of 10 books on communications, marketing and crisis management. “Floyd was truly a legend in the field of Baptist communications,” Wilkey said. “He had a tremendous sense of humor and a common sense approach to life. He will be missed by all who knew him well.”
Larry Brumley, senior vice president for marketing communications and chief of staff at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, described Craig as “an inspiration and source of support until his final days” in a guest column for Baptist News Global on Sept 1.
“The network of Floyd Craig proteges is vast and spans the country. He lives on through all of us, and I will forever be grateful for what he meant to my life,” Brumley said.
Craig is survived by his wife of 68 years, Anne Craig, two children and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written and originally published by Baptist and Reflector.
