Reverend Saylor went home to be with the Lord Friday, September 28, 2018. He was born December 21, 1932, in Johnson City, Tennessee, to Hugh G. Saylor and Virginia Roberts Saylor. He was preceded in death by Hugh and Virginia Saylor, a sister, Helen White and a brother, Harold Saylor.
Reverend Saylor graduated from East Tennessee State University with a BS Degree in 1957, then graduated in 1960 from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Bachelor of Divinity and Masters of Divinity. He was called to the Ministry at First Baptist Church, Lake Charles, Louisiana, under Dr. Paul Roberts.
Reverend Saylor pastored eight different churches in his lifetime, in Texas, Tennessee, Ohio and North Carolina. He did nine interims following his retirement. Reverend Saylor had a lifelong passion for missions after doing a two month Summer Student Mission trip to Jamaica under auspices of the Baptist Student Union. He did volunteer mission trips to Russia, Romania, Australia, Africa, Jamaica, Brazil (took a crew and built a church in one week), and China (taking teams many times to teach conversational English at ChongQing University and high schools to witness). God gave him the privilege to travel to six continents of the world sharing the Gospel.
He received his Real Estate Broker License in North Carolina after retirement.
Reverend Saylor is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Betty Schwartz Saylor; five children, Paul Saylor, Elizabeth Renna, Joel Saylor and wife, Crystal, Sharon Stilwell and husband, Kevin and Micah Saylor; and three grandchildren, Elizabeth Stilwell, Austin and Garrett Saylor. Also surviving are his sister, Carolyn Holly and husband, Leon; his brother, Charles Saylor and wife, Lee; and a niece and nephews.
Visitation will be held Saturday, October 6, 2018, from 9:30 AM until 11:30 AM at First Baptist Church, 301 S. Davidson Street, Charlotte, NC 28202. The service will be held at 12:00 PM at the church. Officiating will be The Reverend D. Mark Harris and The Reverend Michael Cummings.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Bill’s name to one of the following: Novant Hospice Matthews, 324 North McDowell Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, North Carolina 28204, or First Baptist Church Mission Fund, 301 South Davidson Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202.
The entire Saylor family would like to thank the Matthews Hospice team, and especially nurses Angie, Kristi and Cindy, for their care and concern and love shown to Bill.
