Bill Rice
1912 - 1978

"The single most important decision you will ever make after your conversion is whom you will marry. The way your married life goes will affect your entire life, your ministry, your home-everything-more than almost any other one thing in the world. We speak of holy matrimony, and so it is. So it should be. Husbands and wives, live according to the precepts of the Bible and you will be blessed."

Some of the servants of the Saviour make a striking, significant impression on you the first time you meet or hear them. Bill Rice was one of those noteworthy men. We can hear now that "Howdy, neighbor!" drawled with a western accent native to his West Texas birthplace in the little cowtown of Dundee in 1912.

Orphaned in his teens, Bill worked his way through Decatur Baptist College in Texas, attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and was for three years on their evangelistic staff. He rapidly became a nationally known evangelist, conducting revivals from coast to coast and across the waters.

Dr. Bill had a multi-faceted ministry. Although revivals were his first love, he served on several mission boards, edited a Christian paper called THE BRANDING IRON, managed a summer conference ground, conducted a weekly radio broadcast, was the author of several popular books and gospel songs, served as first vice president of the Sword of the Lord Foundation and was co-editor of THE SWORD OF THE LORD until his death.

Dr. Bill and his wife, Cathy-he called her Princess-were also founders of the world's largest missionary camp for the deaf in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where they made their home.

A strong Bible preacher, a man of the firmest convictions, he was yet so genial, made such fine use of advertising, of illustrations, of attractive methods of getting and holding a crowd, and had such constructive effect on the church, such a loyal backing for the pastor, that he was everywhere loved and respected where people who believed the Bible had him in revivals.

Dr. Bill had a commanding personality and had rare ability in storytelling that held his audiences with rapt attention, enabling him to drive home the simple truths of the Gospel.

Whether you found Dr. Bill riding a rugged mountain trail with a week's growth of beard on his face, boots on his feet, gun by his side and lead rope in hand or working as a cowboy on his own 1500-acre ranch in Middle Tennessee or preaching in a revival campaign, you would probably notice he was—to use his own words—“gettin' a lot of livin' out of life!"

His two other preacher brothers were Dr. John R. Rice and Evangelist Joe B. Rice.