Obituary: Margaret P. Lawson

Margaret P. Lawson, retired professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, died Sept. 29. She was 79. She was born Oct. 25, 1943, in Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe. Prior to coming to the United States in 1983 to begin studies at Southwestern Seminary, she taught high school English and biology, and she served as coordinator of Christian education at the Baptist Union of South Africa. In addition to a Bachelor of Theology degree from the University of South Africa, Lawson earned a Master of Arts in Religious Education degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree, both from Southwestern Seminary. Lawson served nine years at Southwestern Seminary as an adjunct teacher for multiple classes—including principles of teaching, building church curriculum and adult education—before she was elected to the faculty as assistant professor of foundations of education in 1999. She was promoted to associate professor of foundations of education in 2008, where she served until she retired in 2012. She served as the minister of education or minister of discipleship at several churches in the Fort Worth area, including Springdale Baptist Church, Riverside Baptist Church, First Baptist Church of Lakeside and Woods Chapel Baptist Church, as well as Surrey Hills Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Okla. Lawson also served as the director of the curriculum center at Southwestern from 1987 to 1993. In 2013, Lawson was awarded the Distinguished Leaders Award by the Disciple Leaders Network, a ministry of the Baptist Association of Christian Educators. A celebration of life service will be held at 10 a.m. on Oct. 21 at Arlington Plaza—Sky Active Living.