The Johnson County Christian Lodge is scheduled to have an official chamber of commerce ribbon cutting on March 1.

The lodge’s executive director, Bill Wissore, has worked with a passion to complete the project, building on a lone concrete slab laid some 12 years ago.

He said those in need are already coming to the unfinished facility for help.

One young couple had been living in their truck for several weeks. He had lost his job, and they couldn’t pay for their apartment. Medical care was needed. He couldn’t find employment. They were desperate.

While Wissore talked to them, a businessman recognized the couple’s truck, asked permission to fill it with gas, and gave them cash.

He had watched them bring in junk metal each day to have a few dollars in income. They have been provided food, temporary shelter and medical care as he looks daily for a job.

Another man said God had provided one resource after another through Wissore’s direction.

He and his wife came to the lodge with no food, money, insulin for her diabetes, and no car.

Now, as faithful volunteers in building the lodge, they have been provided an apartment, money, medical care and a car through gifts of others.

He is persistent in seeking work as a trained welder or any other employment.

“There are urgent needs among the displaced and homeless in Johnson County,” Wissor said. “We opened a warming lodge in the old Safeway Building [owned by Hill College] Jan. 8-11 to help during that frigid weather.”

Wissore explained the guidelines for the permanent lodge to open its doors at 316 North Wilhite in Cleburne.

It is a nondenominational, Christian-based, nonprofit organization that seeks to bring hope when negative circumstances occur in people’s lives.

Its main goal is to further Christ’s kingdom while assisting local churches and individuals by providing safe, temporary lodging for displaced individuals and families and providing a resource center of local assistance programs and counseling services.

Tenants must be referred by a pastor, staff or the benevolence ministry of a church in Johnson County.

Special considerations are given to other Johnson County assistance agencies.

“Although personal responsibility may be a contributing factor causing poverty,” Wissore said, “there are many unforeseen circumstances such as a fire or a natural disaster that may leave a family without a place to stay.”

Thornton William “Bill” Wissore III grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis, Mo.

He was the first of three boys born to Iola and Thornton William Wissore Jr., who worked at McDonald Douglas Aircraft, but wanted to become a farmer.

“After reading ‘Five Acres and Independence’ over and over, my parents bought cows, pigs, and chickens, and we moved to the country,” Wissore said. “I attended a two-room schoolhouse with a dirt floor basement where we watched movies on a bed sheet screen.”

Bill made discoveries — he was not athletic, and his grades were not strong.

His communication skills, however, were outstanding even then.

Chesterfield School was built, and Bill became one of its first students, graduating in 1963.

Antioch Baptist Church was the center of his social life. Bill’s father led the music and his grandmother was organist.

When Bill was 7, his father wrote in his diary, “Little Bill accepted Christ today. He wasn’t pushed.”

Two weeks later he was baptized. At a church camp in the sixth grade Bill felt God was leading him into missions, and he was willing.

While living on campus at Southeast Missouri University, he met Eileen Maxey, also from the St. Louis suburbs.

She was outgoing and in a sorority. He was more private and intense.

But they were together in drama — backstage, at rehearsals, making sets — and became close friends.

“By 1966, I knew my grades were bad and that the draft board was close, so I joined the U.S. Air Force,” he said. “I received electronic radio technical training at Biloxi, Miss., came home on leave in 1967, and we married. Eileen was teaching speech and drama at Hazelwood High School in St. Louis County.”

After technical school he was stationed at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth, and Eileen joined him.

After his discharge in 1970, Bill received his Bachelor of Arts degree in education, drama and industrial arts at Southwest Missouri in 1971 and taught industrial arts at Hazelwood West Junior High School.

“The suburbs had mushroomed. Many people wanted to move out of the city,” he said. “We had one group of students from 6 a.m. until noon, and another group from 1 until 7 p.m. I was teaching every aspect of industrial arts.”

Teaching gave him a background for using his skills in the business world.

Eileen’s father owned a biomedical electronics business, and Bill was employed with a company that sold those products.

He traveled 11 states, repairing and servicing blood-cell counters.

Eileen’s dad asked Bill to join in the business with him, and he was made vice-president of Maxey Medical in St. Louis.

“We were active in Cross Keyes Baptist Church, and I was made a deacon. I worked in children’s church, and Eileen and I and our three children started family evangelism. We sang, did chalk drawings, puppets. We began to get invitations to visit churches with our ministries.”

Bill believed he should give up his job and attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, but he was hesitant.

“I was 38 years old. I had hated school. Finally Eileen said, ‘Either do it or quit talking about it.’ ”

In Fort Worth, Eileen was hired by KXAS-TV. She is still employed at the NBC station as program coordinator between the local station, networks and syndicates.

At seminary, Bill majored in communications, as American Christian Television System was widespread in 1977.

He studied TV and radio writing there, making good grades, while he also worked as a youth minister in the Metroplex.

For 13 years he wrote video scripts and developed multimedia video presentations and computer-generated animation aircraft systems videos for FlightSafety International. He had earned his pilot’s license earlier.

He was honored as Multimedia Innovator of the Year by the industry.

“I remember reading my dad’s Aviation Week magazines when I was a child. Now they were writing about me.”

After the Sept. 11 attacks he was laid off. The mission field was closer than he knew.

“I had always been a bivocational church staff member, but now I felt God was calling me to the ministry as a pastor. In 2003, I was pastor at New Prospect Baptist Church in Nemo, Texas, and then, pastor at First Baptist in Venus.”

While pastoring in Venus he saw the slab in Cleburne — the dream for the homeless that had never materialized.

After attending several meetings he agreed to be the volunteer executive director.

It is busy at the lodge.

Taping, bedding and drywall are underway. Some 22 doors must be hung. Painting, building the kitchen cabinets, laying the tile floors, and finishing the electricity must be completed by March 1.

Some 3,300 square feet will accommodate 25 to 35 people, 50 during a temporary weather emergency.

Of the 10 bedrooms, three are for families with private baths.

Others are male or female dorm wings with group baths that include showers.

A day room with one television and a laundry room are at the center of the complex.

A dining room with a full kitchen will serve simple meals such as chili, soup or stew.

“There will be no telephones. This is not luxury,” Wissore said. “The purpose of the temporary housing is to provide food and shelter but also to get counseling, training, employment and independence. During the day no tenants will be here with the exception of mothers with young children. All the others will be transported out to help them find employment or medical care. We hope to have a van.”

To stay, the tenants will have to complete tasks at the lodge.

The Wissores have three children: son, David Wissore and his wife, Patti, in North Richland Hills; daughter, Kimberly Fowler, and husband, Chris, in Allen; and daughter Lisa Amat and husband, Mark of Orlando, Florida. There are 7 grandchildren.

They are members of Field Street Baptist Church in Cleburne, and he teaches an adult couples Sunday School class and sings in the sanctuary choir.

“I can see it in Bill’s eyes,” Eileen Wissore said. “I can feel it in the air. He is so prepared. He’s been a corporate manager, a foster parent, a pilot, a pastor, a builder and a communicator.”

Soon he will be an innkeeper, a missionary in Cleburne.



Larue Barnes may be reached at laruebarnes@yahoo.com.



The Johnson County Christian Lodge is supported through the gifts of individuals, businesses and local churches. Monetary gifts are tax deductible.

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