The First Baptist Church of Columbia will honor the Rev. Billy Kimbrough on Sunday, March 1, for his 45-plus years in fulltime ministry on the occasion of his 10th anniversary on the church’s staff.Kimbrough, 72, serves as the part-time minister to Senior Adults. Prior to retiring from fulltime ministry and moving to Columbia in 1998, Kimbrough pastored in seven Southern Baptist Churches in Arkansas and Alabama.
A native of Batesville, Ark., Kimbrough earned his preaching degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and began his ministry as a pastor in 1963 at Wheatley Baptist Church in Wheatley, Ark. Under his direction in the northwest Arkansas town of Alma, two separate churches which had broken off from one congregation were reunited as the First Baptist Church in an historic church development.
“This Sunday I will be challenging men in our church to finish faithfully in their roles in the home, church, and community, and there is no better example of that in our congregation than Billy Kimbrough,” First Baptist’s Senior Pastor Pete Tackett said. “At a time in life when many are playing out the clock, he is still passionately pursuing God’s call in his life. I am honored to serve alongside him.”
In August 1998, Kimbrough retired from the fulltime ministry following an eight-year pastorate at Wear Baptist Church in Moulton, Ala. He and his wife of 54 years, Leota Kimbrough, moved to Columbia later that year and, in February 1999, he accepted a part-time position as the first-ever minister to Senior Adults at First Baptist.
In addition to recognition during both the 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., worship services on Sunday, Kimbrough will also be honored with a 4 p.m., reception that day at First Baptist’s Faith Hall.
The Kimbroughs have two sons, Gerald Kimbrough and wife Lydia of New Albany, Miss., and Anthony Kimbrough and wife Michele of Columbia.