Dick Baker Dead at 84

Richard D. "Dick" Baker, a prolific composer and former minister of music, died Sept. 5 in Plano, Texas, Baptist Press reports. He was 84. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary honored the distinguished alumnus in chapel Sept. 7 and Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano will hold a public celebration service in Baker's memory Sept. 10. Baker began composing songs in 1947 and continued writing throughout his lifetime, publishing more than 300 gospel compositions, with several of them translated into other languages. Baker's hymns include "All to Thee," "Longing for Jesus," "His Way Mine" and "Have You Been to Calvary." Many of his songs were written with his brother, Bo, a former pastor at Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth and Plymouth Park Baptist Church in Irving, Texas. In 1978, he was called to serve as Prestonwood Baptist Church's first minister of music, developing a 200-300 member choir, full orchestra, music conservatory and choir programs for children and youth.