Richard Wendell “Dick” Ham, 79, retired minister of music of First Baptist Church of Richmond and the only music minister to serve as a Kentucky Baptist Convention officer, died Jan. 13. He had served as the KBC’s 2nd vice president in 2001.

A Louisville native, Ham is a graduate of Campbellsville Junior College, from which he later received a distinguished alumni award; Georgetown College; and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Among the churches he served were Walnut Street Baptist in Owensboro, Immanuel Baptist in Lexington and First Baptist of Pine Bluff, Ark. In 1968, he joined the Baptist Sunday School Board in Nashville, Tenn., as consultant of church music, a position he held for 15 years.

Ham loved working with people of all ages, but especially with youth. While in Tennessee, he led the Tennessee Baptist All-State Chorus on numerous occasions, and later established the Kentucky Baptist All-State Chorus, which he directed as well.

In November 1983, he was called to First Church, Richmond. During his tenure, he continued to be involved in music programs locally and around the state and nation.

Following his retirement in 2000, he served interims at churches in Frankfort, Lexington, Corbin and Williamsburg, and was an ambassador for Georgetown College. He also was a columnist for the Richmond Register.

Ham authored three books and composed several pieces of music. He received the “Musician of Note” award in 2000 from the Kentucky Baptist Music Conference, and he received the conference’s Eugene Quinn Lifetime Achievement award in 2014. He also was awarded the Honorary Kentucky Colonel by two governors. (WR)