Bill McConnell is retired after a more than 40-year career as a manufacturer’s agent, selling industrial ventilation, air pollution control and explosion suppression equipment. He had the privilege of serving the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in governance for nine years and was the 23rd national moderator. McConnell is a member of the Good Faith Media governing board.
- What story, verse or passage from your faith tradition’s sacred texts has significantly influenced / shaped your life?
My faith tradition has been most influenced by chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Matthew.
What is called the Sermon on the Mount is the pattern for living a Christ-like life that I try to follow
- Who are three people (other than your family) who have shaped your life and worldview? And why?
Peter Weigl – My graduate advisor at Wake Forest University who spent much effort in disciplining my thinking for approaching problems from a logical perspective.
Bill Bruster – My pastor at Central Baptist-Bearden in the early ’80s and remains a good friend to this day. Bill is a thinking Christian who has not been afraid to take a stand for what he believes.
President Jimmy Carter – A model of servant leadership for me since I first learned about him in the mid-1970s. He remains a national treasure.
- List three of your “desert island” books, movies or TV shows.
“America’s Test Kitchen” television show. I love to cook.
“Hamilton.” This is an amazing work and was eye opening for me as a lover of musical theatre.
“Lives of a Cell,” a small book of essays by Lewis Thomas. The essays are elegant and helped me rekindle a love of science for its own sake after I had finished my formal education and was deep into a career.
- What is one of the most critical issues people are facing today?
I consider the division in this country between races, political thought and religious beliefs to be one of the most troubling issues we are facing.
- What are a few of your hobbies?
My hobbies are reading good books, listening to good music and trying to keep a golf ball in the fairway and out of the weeds.
- If you could freeze your life into an already-lived 10 seconds, what would they be?
My wife and I have raised two sons, but the 10-second moment that stands out to me the most is holding my now 20-year-old granddaughter when she was an hour old. The feeling of joy that came from holding Maggie surprised me and is imbedded in my memory to this day.
- Our tagline at Good Faith Media is, “There’s more to tell.” What’s your “more to tell”?
There should always be hope, no matter how bleak the situation seems. God is with us.
Reflection and resources at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens.
