(CP) Clifton Kirkpatrick, a former acknowledged clerk of the Normal Meeting of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and head of the World Communion of Reformed Church buildings, has died. He was 79.
Kirkpatrick died on Saturday on the 4 Seasons Retirement Neighborhood in Columbus, Indiana, in response to Presbyterian Information Service (PNS), with a memorial service to be held at Strathmoor Presbyterian Church of Louisville, Kentucky, in March.
Kirkpatrick was preceded in demise by his spouse of over 50 years, Diane Worthington, who died in March of 2024. He’s survived by a sister, two kids and 5 grandchildren.
“A mighty good man was Cliff Kirkpatrick,” stated former PCUSA acknowledged clerk, the Rev Gradye Parsons, in a press release quoted by PNS. “From the day he requested me to come back work with him I rapidly realized what a worldwide understanding he had of God’s church.
“He severely confronted the struggles of the PC(USA) and its detractors and I heard him say this quote a thousand instances: ‘Our function as Christians is to not be within the judgment seat however to be within the witness field.’ We’re all higher for having lived our lives with him, together with his management and together with his religion.”
A local of Harlingen, Texas, and born on Could 1, 1945, Kirkpatrick held numerous roles in quite a few native Christian organizations, together with the Dallas Council of Church buildings, the Fort Price Council of Church buildings, and Houston Metropolitan Ministries. He ultimately served on the manager committee of the World Council of Church buildings.
Kirkpatrick went on to function director of Worldwide Ministries at PC(USA) after which was acknowledged clerk for 3 consecutive four-year phrases in 1996, 2000 and 2004. He was additionally a professor at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
In 2004, Kirkpatrick was additionally elected president of the World Alliance of Reformed Church buildings, which later modified its identify to the World Communion of Reformed Church buildings, serving till 2010.
WCRC Interim Normal Secretary Setri Nyomi launched a press release saying that Kirkpatrick was “an expensive pal whose management and pastoral presents had been very inspirational in my ministry and ecumenical engagement”.
“We met for the primary time in 1996 when the small staff commissioned by WARC to place collectively the doc ‘Reformed Self-Understanding’ met in Louisville,” acknowledged Nyomi.
“We had been warmly welcomed by the then new acknowledged clerk of the PCUSA. That was earlier than my time as normal secretary of WARC. Since then, Cliff made a mark on me. I noticed him as an insightful theologian and ecumenical chief dedicated to justice.”
In an interview with The Christian Submit in 2005, Kirkpatrick addressed the difficulty of longstanding decline within the PCUSA, explaining that he believed an enormous issue was that “we have now not been as efficient in evangelism as God would have hoped us to be.”
“The best problem is to centre ourselves in Jesus Christ and to have a rising recognition that Jesus is the one who calls us to work for justice, to be a neighborhood, and to serve one another because the physique of Christ,” stated Kirkpatrick.
“Jesus is our peace, purity and unity. We’re not all alike, however what’s extra valuable than these variations is the united perception that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour.”
© The Christian Submit
