Dr. George Gerald Houghton, who gave 36 years of his life to training the next generation of pastors, teachers, and missionaries, passed away on October 27, 2025. He was 84.
For anyone who knew Dr. George, his life was marked by conviction, scholarship, and an unwavering commitment to biblical truth.
He didn’t chase the spotlight; he didn’t need it.
His legacy lives in the thousands of students he taught, the faculty he helped hire, and the articles he wrote that continue to shape conservative Christianity today.
The Twin Brothers
George and his twin brother, Myron, were born on July 26, 1941, in Schenectady, New York. Their father, William James Houghton, and their mother, Louise J. Dlubac, raised them in a Christian home. George accepted Christ as his Savior at age nine in a weekly neighborhood Bible club.
The Houghton twins became inseparable in ministry. Both pursued theological education and both ended up teaching at Faith Baptist Bible College. Dr. Myron became known for his theology classes and his love of puns. Dr. George became the academic leader who shaped the school’s direction for decades.
When Dr. Myron passed away on July 12, 2020, just two weeks before their 79th birthday, it was the end of an era for all who knew them. Now, five years later, a new, eternal era begins as the brothers are reunited in the presence of the Lord they both served so faithfully.
The Scholar
Dr. George’s academic credentials were impressive. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Bethel College, his Master of Divinity from Central Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary in Minneapolis, and both his Master of Theology and Doctor of Theology degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary.
But degrees don’t tell the whole story. Dr. George was a scholar in the truest sense. He studied church history with the kind of depth that helped him understand not just what happened, but why it mattered. His articles in the Faith Pulpit addressed the critical issues facing conservative Christianity with clarity and conviction and are still widely read today.
He wrote about new evangelicalism and its drift from fundamentalism. He examined the GARBC’s rich history and heritage. He tackled questions about worship, fundamental militancy, and ecclesiastical separation. His work on the Pentecostal and charismatic movements provided biblical guidance for churches navigating these issues.
Every article reflected the same commitment: teach the truth clearly, defend it boldly, and apply it practically.
36 Years at Faith
Dr. George joined the faculty at Faith Baptist Bible College in 1973. He would spend the next 37 years serving in multiple roles before retiring in 2010.
He taught church history, he served as Vice President for Academic Services, and he spent time as the College Dean. Another significant contribution was his role in bringing key people to work on staff at Faith.
Dr. George had a gift for recognizing talent and character. When Faith needed faculty and staff, he knew who to call. He understood that the right people in the right positions would shape Faith for generations.
One of those key moments came in the early 1990s when the school needed an interim president. Dr. David Boylan, the accomplished dean of engineering at Iowa State University, was serving on Faith’s board. Dr. George and Dr. Ernie Schmidt approached Dr. Boylan about teaching at Faith after his retirement from Iowa State.
The morning after Dr. Boylan retired from Iowa State, Dr. George and Dr. Schmidt took him to breakfast. Before they finished eating, Dr. Boylan had a job teaching at Faith. Dr. George recognized the skill and high-quality teaching that Dr. Boylan could bring to Faith, and he moved quickly to secure this exceptional professor.
Dr. George also played a key role in the founding of Faith Baptist Theological Seminary. In the mid-1970s, President David Nettleton formed a Seminary Committee to explore starting a seminary program. Dr. George served on that committee, helping lay the groundwork for what would become a leading institution among fundamental Baptist seminaries. When the seminary officially opened in 1986, his vision for theological education at Faith became reality.
The Teacher
Students remember Dr. George as demanding but fair. He expected them to think critically, study thoroughly, and defend their positions with Scripture. He didn’t just want them to know facts. He wanted them to understand why those facts mattered.
His church history classes weren’t just dates and names. They were lessons in discernment. He taught students to recognize patterns, understand movements, and apply wisdom from the past to challenges in the present.
One of his core convictions appeared in a Faith Pulpit article on the benefits of a Bible college education. He wrote about the importance of doctrinal discernment, explaining that Bible college should help students “understand what they believe and why they believe these things.” Students would “develop their own convictions based upon the Word of God and learn to discern between truth and error.”
That was Dr. George in a nutshell. He wanted students who could think for themselves, defend the truth, and stand firm when culture pushed back.
The Defender
Dr. George understood that truth needs defending. In an age when many evangelicals softened their positions for the sake of unity, George held the line.
In his article “Another Look at the New Evangelicalism,” he examined how the evangelical movement had drifted from fundamentalism. He didn’t write with anger or bitterness. He wrote with clarity and concern, pointing out specific areas where compromise had crept in.
His conclusion was sobering: “If those attitudes and issues do not seem to be of such concern today, it is only because the new evangelical position has become mainstreamed into many Bible-believing circles to the extent that speaking against them puts one in a rather small minority.”
Dr. George wasn’t afraid to be in that small minority.
In another article on militancy, he wrote: “Although addressing doctrinal and positional issues is not all that Christian leaders should be doing, it is one such important thing.” He understood that love for truth sometimes requires standing against error, even when it’s unpopular.
Family Man
On September 24, 1976, Dr. George married Karen Crown. Together they built a life centered on ministry and service. They had two children: Rebekah Sue, born in 1979, and James Austin, born in 1980.
While Dr. George devoted himself to Faith Baptist Bible College, Karen supported his work and raised their children. The Houghton home was marked by the same commitment to biblical truth that Dr. George taught in the classroom.
A Lasting Legacy
Dr. George retired from full-time teaching in 2010, but his influence continued. His articles remain relevant, and his students continue in ministry. The faculty he helped hire continue to shape future generations.
He didn’t build monuments to himself. He built something better: a network of pastors, missionaries, and teachers who carry forward the commitment to biblical truth that he exemplified.
In one of his Faith Pulpit articles about the benefits of Bible college education, Dr. George wrote about lasting friendships. He noted how faculty, administration, and staff at Faith “show genuine interest in students and their needs. They often seek out students and minister to them in their offices, in the dining hall, in the hallways or in their homes.”
That was Dr. George. He sought out students, invested in them, and mentored them. Decades later, many of them still remember the impact he made.
Dr. George Gerald Houghton is survived by his wife, Karen, their son, and their extended family. But his legacy extends far beyond his immediate family. It lives in every pastor who learned to study Scripture carefully, every missionary who stands firm on biblical truth, and every teacher who helps the next generation discern between truth and error.
The twin brothers who started life together in Schenectady, New York, in 1941 are now reunited with their Savior. They gave their lives to teaching others about Him. And the fruit of that labor will continue for generations to come.
Well done, good and faithful servant.
You can read Dr. George’s obituary on the Legacy.com website: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/george-houghton-obituary?id=59910452
