2012 Faith Forum Panelist: William D. McKissic, Sr.

Texas Public Faith Forum at Perkins School of Theology: Sept. 27, 2012

Forum Panelist:

Reverend William Dwight McKissic, Sr. is founder and Senior Pastor of the 3,000 member Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington Texas. Pastor McKissic began the church in 1983, in a small garage with 15 members, a vision and God’s divine favor. The church is blessed now with a weekly attendance averaging 1,700 on any given Sunday.

Rev. McKissic was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1956. He is a 1978 graduate of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

He is the author of three books: Beyond Roots: In Search of Blacks in the Bible, Beyond Roots II: If Anybody Asks You Who I Am, and Moving From Fear to Faith. He has been cited in numerous publications and articles.

His leadership focuses on those who seek to hear preaching, and to connect with a ministry providing scriptural guidance in the areas of evangelism, prophetic and felt need missions, Christian education, family life, Christian counseling, and personal financial responsibility from a biblical perspective.

Pastor McKissic has a hunger to foster nurture and support the establishment of daughter churches throughout his surrounding area, the country and the world. He has fed that hunger by sharing both his time, energy, mentoring skills and resources with fledgling ministries and new church leaders, resulting in the establishment of several houses of worship which are winning an abundance of souls to Christ.

Although he depicts himself as just a “Country Preacher,” McKissic is a much sought after guest speaker, lecturer, and seminar leader. He has been honored to speak on the podiums of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Criswell College, University of Minnesota, Emory University, Southern Illinois University, Wheaton College, and Harvard University. He has also served as guest lecturer for several Baptist State Conventions: The Arkansas Baptist State Convention, Kentucky State Convention, Virginia Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention.

Reverend McKissic is President of Heritage and Hope, Inc., an organization with the mission of equipping men and women to be successful in their relationship with God, their families, calling and careers. He is also founder of the Cornerstone Academy, a Christian school established under the direction of the Cornerstone Baptist Church, with the goal of building champions for Christ. He is a former Trustee of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Pastor McKissic has received numerous honors from both Christian and civic organizations along with two honorary Doctorate Degrees: a Doctor of Divinity Degree from Morris Booker Baptist College and a Doctor of Humane Letters from Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock, Arkansas.

He and his wife Vera, have four children and 11 grandchildren. Rev. McKissic and Vera reside in Arlington, Texas.