David Nelson

Dr. David Nelson, Southern Baptist minister and retired senior pastor of First Baptist Church, passed away Friday, July 10, 2015 at his home at the age of 88. Dr. Nelson was born in Shannon, Mississippi, a son of the late Rev. Charles and Tallulah Willie Grant Nelson. Following his graduation from the John Herbert Phillips High School in Birmingham in 1943, he served in the United States Army Air Force as an Aviation Cadet until 1945 and as a member of the Army Air Force Reserve until 1948. Dr. Nelson received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Samford University in 1949. He then entered the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, from which he received the degrees of Bachelor of Divinity and Doctor of Theology. His pastoral career included serving in Louisville as pastor of Vine Street Baptist Chapel from 1949 until 1955 and Highland Baptist Church from1955 until 1961. In 1961 he became pastor of First Baptist Church in Owensboro, a position he held for 31 years until his retirement. Following his retirement he served a number of churches as interim pastor.
A loving husband, father, and grandfather, Dr. Nelson was devoted to his family. His personal interests included golf and flying as a private pilot. He was a long time member of the Owensboro Rotary Club, joining in 1964, serving as president in 1968 and being recognized by the club as a Paul Harris Fellow.
Dr. Nelson held many roles within the denomination, including service as president of the Louisville Baptist Pastor's Conference, and as Moderator, President of the Executive Board, Chairman of the Missions Committee and member of the Baptist Student Union Advisory Committee of the Long Run Association in Louisville. He served as the Pastor Advisor of B.S.U. at Kentucky Baptist Hospital. Dr. Nelson served as President and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Kentucky Baptist Convention in 1965 and 1966 and as a member of the Committee on Committees of the Southern Baptist Convention. His commitment to education included service as a trustee of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Campbellsville College, and Georgetown College and as the Doctor of Ministry Supervisor for the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served the Daviess-McLean Baptist association as Moderator and as chairman of the Evangelism, Personnel, and Finance Committees. During his service as a Trustee of the Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention he was a member of the Special Study Committee which revised the Church Annuity Plan. In 1994, Dr. Nelson was named a Distinguished Alumni of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was preceded in death by his wife Jo Griffin Nelson in 2010; his brothers Grant Nelson, Jay Nelson, and Tom Nelson; and his sisters Mary Jester, Grace Nelson, and Willie Ingle.
Dr. Nelson is survived by his children Kathryn Fruge and her husband Kent of Owensboro and Drew Nelson and his wife Kay of Birmingham; his grandchildren Matthew David Nelson, Jamie Nelson McClaren and her husband Brad, David Lafe Fruge and his wife Katie, Kendall Edge and her husband Clinton, and William Griffin Fruge; and his great-grandchildren Eve Fruge, Felicity Fruge, Elizabeth Edge and Samuel Edge. His family greatly appreciates the care extended to him by Janice Robinette and Tracie Messimore.
The funeral service for Dr. Nelson, officiated by Dr. Paul Strahan and Rev. Clarence Nemitz will be 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church. Visitation will be from 3:00 until 8:00 p.m. Monday at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory and from 10 until 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church. Private entombment will be in Christ Chapel Mausoleum at Owensboro Memorial Gardens.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions First Baptist Church Share the Vision or Hospice of Western Kentucky.