George Wilson, Jr., 1927-2023
IMB Photo
George Wilson, Jr., an International Mission Board missionary emeritus who shared the gospel in China, died Sept. 20, 2023, in Moore, Oklahoma. He was 95.
George was born Oct. 22, 1927, in Shawnee, Oklahoma, to the late George Wilson, Sr., and Blodwen Wilson. He graduated from Tucson High School, Tucson, Arizona, and received the Bachelor of Music Education from Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, Oklahoma, a Master of Religious Education and the Doctor of Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
His obituary reported, “Born the son and grandson of preachers, George felt the call to give his life to missions after a visit from a missionary to China at his father’s church when he was 12. His resolve — his call — to serve in China was further strengthened when he was 14 and attended a WMU camp where a nurse who had been serving in China spoke about the great need there.”
In 1947, he met Elizabeth Schreiber in a music harmony class. They married on June 5, 1948. She, too, felt a call to missions.
In 1956, the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) appointed George and Beth missionaries to China. His obituary stated that, “His greatest joy was to serve in Hong Kong.”
He served at the Hong Kong Baptist Convention, in local churches, at Hong Kong Baptist College and was a trustee of Hong Kong Baptist Hospital. In addition, he served at Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary and Asia Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary as professor and president. He also pastored Tsim Sha Tsui Baptist Church’s English service.
After retirement in 1995, he served for three years as pastor of Pakuranga Chinese Baptist Church in Auckland, New Zealand. Throughout retirement, even back in the U.S., the couple served in various Chinese churches.
George is preceded in death by his wife, Beth.
He is survived by his daughters, Sarah Clark of Houston, Texas, and Denise (Eric) of Tulsa, Oklahoma; sons, George (Pat) Wilson III of Norman, Oklahoma, and Dale (Snow) Wilson of New York, New York; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
A funeral service was Oct. 20 at First Baptist Church, Norman, Oklahoma.
Read an obituary here.