William J. “Bill” Wilson was Assistant Pastor of the Largo Community Church in Mitchellville, Maryland for 15 years (1991 to 2006). He and his wife Fran have been married for almost 58 years and have four adult children, eight grand-children, and one great-granddaughter. A great-grandson is expected in April 2009!

Bill and Fran have a heart for missions and helped to start two churches. One was during Bill’s service at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. The other was while Bill was stationed in the Pentagon, when Jack Morris asked him to help start an interdenominational church, one without racial or denominational boundaries. Praise God, these churches are still flourishing.

After leaving the area for Air Force assignments, the Wilsons came back to the D.C. area, Bill to serve as Assistant Pastor at the Largo Community Church, now grown from 38 to 1,000+. Bill is still an active minister at Largo Community Church where he and Fran currently teach an adult Sunday school class and both are involved in many other ministries.

Bill entered the U.S. Air Force in 1952 after being commissioned and graduating (with a Phi Beta Kappa key) from the University of Kentucky. On earning his navigator wings, he logged some 4,500 hours, flying in virtually every part of the world. One of his least pleasant memories was flying over Bikini through the mushroom cloud of the first hydrogen bomb ever detonated.

After teaching ROTC cadets for three years at Occidental College in Los Angeles, he got another bachelor’s degree, this one in electronic engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology. Then he earned a masters degree in EE at Ohio State University. In 1970, he was sent to Thule AB, Greenland as commander of the Air Force Satellite Control Facility. Afterward, Bill served in the Pentagon as a full Colonel on the Air Staff.

Having earned his private pilot’s license in 1964, Bill planned on retiring to a flying job with Wycliffe Bible Translator’s flying arm, JAARS. However, his computer experience was more valuable to them than his flying skills! That led to 10 years of volunteer service with Wycliffe. Incidentally, Bill and Fran’s daughter Lois has served with Wycliffe for well over 20 years. While serving in Benin, West Africa, she and her husband lost their oldest son to cerebral malaria.

Bill and Fran’s experience in leading Christian youth groups at various military chapels led them to sponsor the large JAARS youth group. A number of teens were definitely troubled but came to Christ and are still serving Him today. Several of the boys aspired to become pilots; as a result, Bill became a certified flight instructor and got them their private pilot’s licenses! Bill and Fran still fly all over the country in their Cessna 182, culminating in 4,200 hours in his pilot’s logbook.

It is with great respect and love that we nominate William J. Wilson of the Largo Community Church to the Wall of Honor.

Dwayne Hooper, Executive Minister
Largo Community Church
Mitchellville, Maryland