During the program, SBU will present Jimmy L. Edwards ‘51, a Doctor of Education degree, and William Ray Leininger, a Doctor of Missions degree. All current and retired faculty and staff are welcome to attend the chapel service.

Biographies of Honorary Doctorate Recipients

JIMMY L. EDWARDS ‘51

Jimmy L. Edwards was born and raised in Salem, Missouri.  After graduating from Salem High School in 1949 and completion of the summer term at Southwest Baptist College, he began his teaching career at age 17.  He taught nine years in elementary schools and was principal of Dent County R-I School, grades K-8, for 24 years. 

In 1961, Mr. Edwards received a bachelor of science degree in education from the University of Central Missouri and an elementary education degree from Lincoln University in 1964.

For nine years, Mr. Edwards served as the director for the Salem campus.  Under Mr. Edwards’ leadership, the SBU Salem Center grew and expanded into a satellite campus that today reaches 220 students in the Salem area. He continues his association with SBU by serving as a member of the Salem Campus Advisory Board. 

Mr. Edwards married Duetta Ruth (Knier) Edwards  in 1960.  They have three children, Barry, Sherry McGlaughlin and Tara Qalo, all SBU graduates.  They currently have 11 grandchildren with number 12 due this month.

Mr. and Mrs. Edwards own and operate a farm near Salem and are members of Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, where he serves as a deacon, song leader, and  Sunday School teacher. 

WILLIAM RAY LEININGER

Since 2005, Dr. Ray Leininger has served as virtual strategy coordinator  in Tomsk, Russia, for the International Mission Board (IMB).   Dr. Leininger and his wife, Judy, have been responsible for developing and implementing a strategy to share the gospel in Tomsk and have led ten mission teams to Siberian Russia for the IMB. 

Immediately prior to serving at the IMB, he was pastor of First Baptist Church (FBC) of Bolivar for 20 years.   While serving at FBC in Bolivar, Dr. and Mrs. Leininger co-led their first international mission team on a trip to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, in 1988.   In addition, they led other mission teams focusing on evangelistic English teaching ministry.

Dr. Leininger pastored churches in both Illinois and Oklahoma. He has held leadership positions in the East Central Illinois Baptist and Illinois Baptist State Associations.  He served the Mid-Lakes Baptist Association as moderator for two years. He was a member of the Board of Directors for the Missouri Baptist Convention for three years and served on the Board of Trustees at SBU for more than a decade.

Dr. Leininger earned a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Missouri, in 1962.  Also, he earned a master of divinity in 1972 and a doctor of ministry in 1975 from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Dr. and Mrs. Leininger have been married for 46 years and reside in Bolivar.  They have three children, Andrew, Sarah and Elizabeth, who is a 1987 SBU graduate.  They are the proud grandparents of  11 grandchildren. 

Dr. Harlan E. Spurgeon

Dr. Harlan Spurgeon is a native Missourian who has had a varied career in Baptist ministry.  He and his wife Joann served as missionaries to Taiwan for fifteen years.  They returned to pastor his home church, the First Baptist Church of Bolivar, Missouri.  He later served for four years as President of Southwest Baptist University, and for ten years as Vice President for Mission Personnel at the Foreign Mission Board (now called the International Mission Board),  Since retiring, he has served as interim pastor of six churches, the most recent of which was the Zion Baptist Church of Mirfield, UK. His total pastoral experience spans 34 years.  Mrs. Spurgeon is a native of St. Louis.  She and Dr. Spurgeon have served as partners in ministry throughout their varied career for 57 years.  Joann served for ten years as Teacher and then Director of the Creative Learning Center (pre-school) at Second Baptist Church in Richmond, Va.  Harlan and Joann have four grown children and five grandchildren.  They make their home in Springfield, Missouri and are members of University Heights Baptist Church. 

Harlan is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University, William Jewell College, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry Degree.  He received an honorary doctorate from SBU in 1976.

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