JACKSONVILLE–William M. Carmichael Jr., 84, who served on the staff of the Florida Baptist Convention from 1970 to 2008, died Dec. 4 in Jacksonville.
As one of the longest-tenured Florida Baptist Convention staff members, Carmichael was tapped as associate director of Florida Baptists’ Church Training Department in 1970 at the age of 30, and he was named department director in 1983. He retired in 2008 from his role as director of the renamed Discipleship and Family Department. During his nearly four decades of ministry with the Convention, even with major cultural shifts and denominational transitions, Carmichael was known for having a steadfast devotion to instill within Florida Baptists a passion to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
At the time of Carmichael’s retirement in 2008, Bob Bumgarner, then-director of Florida Baptists’ Church Development Division, said, “Bill has been the primary catalyst for helping us focus on discipleship and spiritual transformation. His legacy has been to help us move away from thinking of discipleship as a program to it as an ongoing personal expression of our relationship to God and others.”
In addition to his Convention ministries, Carmichael served his country as a chaplain in the U.S. Army. In 1990, he was deployed to Iraq in the first Gulf War, serving as a spiritual advisor to the men and women from a North Florida medical unit. After decades of military service, Carmichael retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, carrying with him the deep respect and admiration of his peers.
Carmichael became a Christian at the age of eight and was baptized at Murray Hill Baptist Church in Jacksonville. He was ordained to the ministry in 1960 at Live Oak Baptist Church. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Valdosta State University in Georgia in 1963 and with a master’s degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky in 1966.
Prior to joining the Florida Baptist Convention, Carmichael pastored churches in Georgia, Kentucky and Florida.
He is survived by his wife, Wanda Carmichael; his children: Kyn Logan (David), Scott Carmichael (Cynthia), Tommy Carmichael (Mona), Alex Harrison (Kami) and Angie Thompson (Denny); his grandchildren: Cory Ingram, Carly Cains (Richy), Olivia Schilling, Jasmine Starling (Skylar), Kinley Harrison, Dallas Thompson, Maguire Harrison, Jeffrey Carmichael, Walker Thompson and James Carmichael; his great-granddaughter, Delaney Ingram, and many extended family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, William M. Carmichael; mother, Mildred Scott Carmichael; and brother, Ralph Douglas “Doug” Carmichael.
A celebration of his life is planned for 11 a.m. on Dec. 11 at Deermeadows Baptist Church in Jacksonville. Burial with full military honors will follow at Jacksonville National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Samaritan’s Purse or Alzheimer’s Association, organizations close to Carmichael’s heart.