RALEIGH, NC ~ Bill F. Mackey, age 81, died Thursday, July 14, 2022, after a year and half battle with cancer.

The son of Robert Lee and Evelyn Ellis Mackey, Bill was born in Lancaster, SC. He professed faith in Jesus Christ at the age of 10 and surrendered to the call of ministry at age 16. Bill had many wonderful godly influences in his life. Between his home church, Fork Hill Baptist and the legacy provided by his parents and grandparents, Bill was taught from an early age the importance of spreading the gospel to the world - a passion he kept throughout his life.

Bill attended North Greenville Junior College (now North Greenville University) and graduated from Furman University. Bill went on to receive his Master of Divinity and his Doctor of Ministry degree from The Southern Baptist Seminary.

After seminary, Bill served in churches and denominational work in Kentucky, South Carolina, and North Carolina. He served as an Associate Pastor for First Baptist Church Middlesboro, KY (1966-1969). He became the pastor of First Baptist Whitesburg, KY, where he served for 10 years (1969-1979). Following his eastern Kentucky experience, Bill served eighteen years with the South Carolina Baptist Convention as the State Evangelism Director (1979-1992) and the Evangelism/Leadership Development Director (1992-1998). Bill was the Executive Director -Treasurer of the Kentucky Baptist Convention from 1998 until his retirement in 2011. Following his retirement Bill and Kay moved to Raleigh, NC to be close to family where he served as a Leadership Consultant with Fruitland Baptist Bible College, a ministry of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife Kay; his daughters, Anonda Nepa (AJ), and Beth Wooten (Bartley); his grandchildren, Lilly, Mack and Nate Wooten, Will and Zach Nepa; Dorine Ferreira (a family friend from Brazil that has become like a daughter to Bill and Kay) and her daughters, Alena and Alex; and his brother, Ronnie Mackey (Linda).

A memorial service will be held at Wake Crossroads Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC on Monday, July 25, 2022 at 1:00 pm with visitation from 12:00 – 1:00, one hour prior to the service at the church. His funeral and graveside service will be at Fork Hill Baptist Church in Heath Springs, SC on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at 4:00 pm with visitation from 3:00 – 4:00 pm, one hour prior to the service, at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Mackey Family Endowed Scholarship Fund at North Greenville University, the Bill and Kay Mackey Endowment at the Kentucky Baptist Convention or Fruitland Baptist Bible College.