Remembrance: 
Ten years ago this week – how God brings good things out of bad news 
by Bill Jones

Ten years ago this week, my life – at least my career path – changed dramatically. A 20-year career as a technical writer/editor in the corporate world came to a sudden and surprising end.

I had been “laid off” (corporate-speak for “fired”; I’ve never been “laid back on” after being “laid off”) several times in those 20 years; you come to expect it occasionally in that line of work, but this one was different. It came the week before I turned 59; I had planned to retire at age 62, so this time Joanna & I weren’t quite sure – do I go looking for another tech writing gig at age 59, or do I reassess and figure out what to do with the rest of my life?

The tech writing thing had been a surprise in itself. For nine years, from March 1978 through March 1987, I had worked for Mountain Bell in Denver, including 2½ as a supervisor in the Accounting Department, and the last 3 as a manager in the Mountain Bell corporate office. Then, in the summer of 1987, we moved to the Dallas area with Joanna’s job – she was a financial analyst with Mobil Oil – and I stayed home for 3 years, taking care of our two small children.

‘Til that point, I had “dabbled” in writing for about 10 years . . . subscribing to writer’s magazines, taking a correspondence course in fiction writing, attending writer’s workshops, even winning a contest and getting a short story published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine (which yielded a $25 check – wow!).

In early 1990, an old college friend and his wife (who had been Joanna’s roommate & best friend in college) visited us from Chicago. His company – an environmental management firm – was going to be opening an office in Dallas, and he was going to manage it. Their office staff – engineers, geologists, soil scientists, etc. – would be investigating facilities producing chemical and biological wastes, etc., and write reports required by the EPA. Because these reports were covered by the Freedom of Information Act, they needed to be accessible to the average interested person. So he needed a part-time editor to “clean them up,” remove the jargon as much as possible, and make them readable for that average Jane or Joe. Knowing I was wanting to write, he asked if I would be interested.

That’s how I became a technical writer/editor, and I made a decent career of it – despite the occasional layoff – for the next 20 years.

Countrywide/Bank of America
In 2004, I took a job with Countrywide Home Loans in Plano, editing their training materials. At the time, Countrywide was the largest company in the industry. In a short time, it would become just one amid a string of companies/entities that have folded on my watch. By 2008, Countrywide was gone, bought out by Bank of America. Despite the rot at the top of Countrywide, it had been a great place to work. We had a wonderful staff in what was called the Center for Learning (CFL), and a great camaraderie. It was really a family atmosphere, and I enjoyed working there.

There were other writers and editors on the staff, and we learned from each other. Then there were the “water cooler friends,” or probably more accurately, “coffee bar friends” – four of us who loved talking baseball, especially Texas Rangers baseball, with each other.

That all changed when Bank of America took us over. Bank of America had a different “culture.” In 2008, I was assigned to a team of seven people, the closest of whom was in Corpus Christi, about 6 hours away by car. Others were scattered among various states, including as far away as Florida and California; our boss, Edna, lived & worked in Maryland. Our weekly team meeting was by phone. They were good teammates, and I came to really enjoy and appreciate my relationships with them, but it just wasn’t the same anymore, because I was no longer working with – in any way, shape, or form – the friends in the cubicles surrounding mine. For that matter, Bank of America encouraged employees to work from home. Eventually, our floor came more and more to resemble a ghost town. Some days, I would look around and not be able to spot another body for maybe five or six rows of cubicles!

But I enjoyed our weekly team conference calls; our manager would always assign one of us to come up with a fun “teambuilding” exercise to do during our meeting – usually something simple to help strengthen our relationships. So I came to enjoy and appreciate the other members of our team.

Then came a call from Edna early on the morning of March 5, 2010. She had her boss on the line with us; the decision had been made to outsource my tech editor position. I was being let go. Countrywide’s Center for Learning had put great stock in professional editing and proofreading of the training materials it produced. Bank of America? Not so much.

Truth be told, I think Edna was more upset than I was. The decision wasn’t hers; it was made at the upper levels – a cost-cutting decision – and I could tell that it really upset her to lose me.

If I criticize Bank of America for the decision to rely on outsourcing for the editing of its training materials, I must also praise them for the way they treated me on my way out the door. I had seen several rounds of layoffs in my 5½ years in that office – both by Countrywide and then Bank of America. In every instance, there were multiple employees laid off, and immediately after being informed, they were instructed to gather their things and were then walked to the door by security personnel. No time to say goodbye to co-workers, etc.

In my case, however, I was given until the following Thursday, March 11, so I had ample time to say my goodbyes.

Before I get into that, I should mention that I told Joanna the news after she got home from work that evening (I worked near the house, she worked downtown, so I almost always got home before she did). There was no panic on her part. Her attitude was, it’s okay, we’ll move on and figure out the next steps. As always, she was the calm one, the confident one, the one who gives me grace.

Edna told me that she wanted me to have time to begin looking for another job, so they were keeping me on her payroll for another month. I’ve forgotten all the arrangements she shared with me, but that was just part of the generosity I was being shown, and I’m pretty sure it’s all because Edna fought to make sure I was treated right. I really appreciate her.

The following week, as I prepared to leave, I wrote an email to all of my colleagues, telling them how much I had enjoyed working with them and would miss them, and also shared how generously Bank of America and Edna were treating me, and thanked them for that. Truly, as much as I have appreciated and cherished the remarkable opportunities that have come my way in the 10 years since that week, I still miss the camaraderie we enjoyed at the old Countrywide CFL. It was a great group, and I still keep in touch with a few of those folks. My three “baseball buddies” – Tom, Mark, & Curtis – and I still try to catch a Rangers game together every year, and we text each other about baseball and the Rangers during the season and off-season. I’m more thankful for the friendship of those three guys than I can adequately express.

My friends and colleagues there in the building threw me a going-away party, complete with a huge chocolate-chip cookie “cake.” My friends and colleagues on my remote team did something very special, too. On my last team conference call, Edna used the time that was always set aside for a teambuilding activity to ask each of my colleagues to tell, one by one, what they most appreciated about me – their editor . . . what they had learned from me, etc. It was extremely gratifying and moving – they touched me with all the wonderful things they shared. It made me feel that I had made a real impact. As an editor, I have always tried to work with people and help them to become more effective communicators. Not everyone accepts that help graciously – these folks did, and expressed their appreciation in a most moving way.

I haven’t worked in an office since the day I walked out that door for the last time, March 11, 2010.

Leadership opportunities in Baptist life
But, as the late Paul Harvey would say, then there’s “the rest of the story,” which is that I had suddenly become available for a new, unexpected opportunity.

One of my deepest passions is standing up for Baptist principles. Since January 2006, I had served on the Board of Directors of Texas Baptists Committed (TBC), the group that had – since the late 1980s – fought, under the leadership of Executive Director David Currie, to defeat Fundamentalism in Texas and expose its lies. Since 2008, TBC had been paying me a monthly stipend to direct its communications – manage the Web site, edit the print TBC newsletter, etc.

In late 2009, David Currie retired after leading TBC for more than two decades. Our funds had been dwindling for years, as our supporters had grown weary of the fight. After David retired, our Board began meeting almost every month to figure out whether we should continue and, if so, how and under whose direction.

In the fall of 2010, about six months after I had been laid off – and had precious few interviews for a new job – the TBC Board surprised me (maybe “shocked” is more accurate) by voting to ask me to lead TBC, effective January 2011. I hadn’t sought this role (or even imagined it), any more than I had sought any of the other opportunities that had come my way in Baptist life over the previous decade. It was just a matter of showing up and staying involved in matters about which I was passionate.

The first thing I did as executive director of TBC was to produce – over the first 3 months or so – a series of 71 short videos on various events and people of Baptist history and various facets of Baptist principles. I called them “Baptist Briefs”; they have been recognized by the Baptist History & Heritage Society, and professors at several Texas Baptist universities have told me they use them in their Baptist heritage & identity courses. And what a coup it was when the Historical Library & Archives of the Southern Baptist Convention – run by the Fundamentalists we’ve been fighting at TBC – sent a $75 donation in exchange for a DVD set of TBC’s Baptist Briefs to place in their archives.

In May 2011, I implemented another initiative God had placed on my heart and mind: an e-newsletter linking to Baptist news & opinion from a wide variety of sources. I named it “Weekly Baptist Roundup.”

I served a little over 6½ years as executive director of TBC until I reluctantly recommended in 2017 that we shut it down for lack of funds. But Weekly Baptist Roundup continues today, long after TBC closed its doors. For almost nine years now, at every Baptist-related conference, meeting, event, etc., I attend – whether in Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, or wherever – I can count on at least three or four people introducing themselves to me and telling me how much they appreciate receiving “the Roundup.”

In March 2012, the T. B. Maston Foundation for Christian Ethics (which my dad had helped found in the late 1970s, in honor of his major professor at seminary) – on whose Board I had served since 2008 – elected me as chair. So within the span of less than 15 months, I had assumed leadership of two influential Baptist nonprofits, both feeding – and feeding on – my passion for Baptist life, and for four years I led both simultaneously. I can’t begin to express how blessed I have been to have these opportunities.

In 2013, my friend Charlie Johnson – a member of our TBC Board – asked me to join the Board of Pastors for Texas Children, which Charlie serves as executive director, as a charter member; advocating for our public schools and the children they serve has flowed seamlessly from my passion for the freedom that Christ brings. Another unexpected blessing in my life!

When that call came from Edna 10 years ago, I knew Joanna and I would be okay, but I had no idea the opportunities I would soon have because of my newfound “availability.” It’s been a remarkable journey since then. What’s most special to me is the many friendships and relationships I’ve made, the wonderful people with whom I’ve been privileged to partner, in one initiative or another, over these years – people for whom I have gained deep admiration and affection. Some of those have been Baptist leaders, and others are laypersons who support the work we do, share their concerns with me, discuss Baptist life with me, and so forth. I love all of those connections, because they’re people who care deeply about the Baptist witness to the world.

Retirement Dinner
In August 2018, my home church – Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas – joined with the (former) Board of Texas Baptists Committed to give me a retirement dinner at Wilshire, which was attended by around 100 friends and supporters from all walks of life. Wilshire’s pastor, and my dear friend, George Mason, moderated a panel discussion between three other great friends and influences in my life – David Currie, Suzii Paynter, and Charlie Johnson. George also introduced video tributes from two other wonderful friends and influences in my life – Babs Baugh and Marv Knox.

Another treasured friend, George Gagliardi, presented a tribute to me that – like Gagliardi himself – defies description. George is a unique musical talent and has delighted, amused, and stirred audiences both religious and secular for decades. George has written hundreds of songs over the years, and he added one this evening in my honor, which he titled “Big Bad Jones,” sung to the tune of “Big Bad John” (the legendary ballad recorded by the late great Jimmy Dean, who was – by the way – a generous benefactor of Wayland Baptist University in Jimmy’s hometown of Plainview, TX). What a unique and delightful retirement present from my friend George Gagliardi!

David and Lance Currie, representing the TBC Board, presented me with gifts. And all the time I’m pinching myself to make sure this isn’t a dream! It brought to mind the joke my Daddy used to tell about the funeral of a man whose eulogist went on and on, praising him to the high heavens, until finally his puzzled widow leaned over and whispered to their son, “Boy, go up there and make sure that’s yore daddy in the casket!” That’s about the way I felt!

Speaking of sons, truly the most touching moment for me was when I glanced over at my son, Travis, who had tears in his eyes as these folks talked about his daddy. The greatest tributes, after all is said and done, come from family, and the presence that evening of Joanna, Travis, daughter Alison & son-in-law Adam, sister Patsy & brother-in-law Palmer, and niece Stephanie, meant everything to me.

Regrets? Maybe just one. (with apologies to Frank Sinatra & Paul Anka)
Well, if you’ve made it to this point, thank you and congratulations! As I’ve continued setting down these thoughts, it has occurred to me that recounting all of this has been therapeutic for me – a nostalgic walk down “Memory Lane,” if you will. So I guess I’ve probably written this more for me than for you, but I hope it’s given you a little insight into how God can take what seems to be bad news and turn it into good – in not just one way but many.

I’ve worked a lot of jobs in my life – some that would probably surprise even those who think they know me well. So here goes a little more “memory-laning,” not necessarily a comprehensive list, but close (and please try your best not to laugh as you read some of these):

• Dog enumerator for the City of Kansas City, MO (summers of ’70-’73)
• Resident assistant in Brotherhood Dorm at OBU (senior year, ’72-’73)
• Substitute music teacher (grades 1-6) at Sequoyah Elementary School, Shawnee, OK (fall ’73)
• Sold (not many, lol) Fuller Brush products in Tecumseh, OK (winter ’73-74)
• Telephone operator on the old cordboard for Southwestern Bell in Shawnee, OK (’74-’75)
  • (Bob Morris started the same day – we trained together; discovered we had both voted for George McGovern in ’72 and had an intense interest in Nixon’s removal from office; became best friends – Bob was my best man when Joanna & I got married in ’76, and he is my best friend to this day)
• Made change for slot-machine customers at Harold’s Club casino, now defunct, in Reno, NV (summer ’75)
  
• Worked odd-jobs (made salads, breaded shrimp, washed dishes, etc.) in the kitchen of the Nevada Club casino, now defunct, in Reno, NV (summer ’75)
  • (48 hours a week at Harold’s Club; 40 hours at Nevada Club, for a total of 88 hours a week for eight weeks)
• Worked the counter at Baskin-Robbins in Norman, OK (’75-76, my 1st year as a student at OU Law School, another little-known fact about me)
• Sold books for Southwestern Book Co. in Winston-Salem, NC (1st half of summer ’76)
• Worked construction, demolishing a building, for I. L. Long Construction Co. in Winston-Salem, NC (2nd half of summer ’76, after giving up on selling books)
• Assistant manager at two 7-11 stores in Del City, OK (spring & summer of ’77 – this was after Joanna & I had gotten married, in Sept. ’76, and I had withdrawn from law school in Feb. ’77)
• Assistant manager at two McDonald’s Restaurants in Denver, CO (Sept. ’77-March ’78)
• Telephone operator on the then-new TSPS board for Mountain Bell in Denver, CO (March-Nov. ’78)
• Accounting clerk for Mountain Bell in Denver, CO (Nov. ’78-Oct. ’81)
• Accounting supervisor for Mountain Bell in Denver, CO (Oct. ’81-April ’84)
• Manager – supporting the Accounting Dept. – in the corporate office of Mountain Bell in downtown Denver, CO (April ’84-April ’87)
• Technical editor/writer for various firms in Texas (1990-2010)
• Bookseller at Barnes & Noble at Stonebriar Mall in Frisco, TX, for one year between editing/writing jobs (Sept. 2003-Sept. 2004)
  • (Worked the counter with a retired attorney named Bernie Kaye; we discovered a mutual affiinity for liberal Democratic politics; to this day, Bernie – now 92 years old – and I get together every six weeks or so for lunch at Jason’s Deli and talk politics for a couple of hours; I count Bernie as one the closest friends I’ve ever known)
• Communications editor (paid nominal amount for part-time work), Texas Baptists Committed (2008-2009)
• Executive director, Texas Baptists Committed (Jan. 2011-July 2017)
• Founding editor & publisher, Weekly Baptist Roundup (May 2011-present)

The key thing to know about all of these experiences is that I don’t regret a one of them. I may regret a decision I made here or there – for example, it has dawned on me only in recent years that in 1975 I should have channeled my obsession with all things Watergate into entering journalism school instead of law school. Over the ensuing years, it has become apparent that I might well have been cut out for a career in journalism, whereas over those three semesters in law school it became obvious to me that I was NOT cut out for a career in law.

Another key thing to know is that all of this would have been different had I not had the seminal experience of my life early in my sophomore year at OBU. In one stunning flash of a moment (the apostle Paul and the Damascus road come to mind), I realized the shallowness of the faith I had brought to OBU, and I quit believing in God. That started me on a journey that, after several years, led me back to faith in Christ but in a much deeper and more authentic way, a journey that continues today.

In the meantime, though, I had to abandon the dream I had since my early teen years, of pursuing a career in the Baptist music ministry. You couldn’t be a music minister if you didn’t believe in God! Knowing nothing but music, never having thought about majoring in anything else, I switched my degree to music education, but only out of desperation. I had never really wanted to teach.

So when I graduated from OBU in 1973 with a music education degree, I had no idea what to do with the rest of my life. The rest of the story is the one that you’ve read (if you’re still with me at this point) earlier in this missive – a vocational journey that eventually wound up in technical writing/editing and then, as only God could imagine, leadership in Baptist life.

I hope this has been as much fun for you as it has for me . . . just kidding, I’m just thankful a few of you are still reading at this point. As I said, this is mostly cheap therapy for me. If you’ve read it and learned some things about me you didn’t know before, all to the better . . . I think.

Ten years ago this week, my career path – and my life – changed dramatically. As we like to say at Wilshire Baptist Church, thanks be to God.

Amen