1912
Jay
2003
Jay Rev. Perry
November 9, 1912 — February 6, 2003
Rev. Perry died Thursday afternoon in St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville.
The following was written by Rev. Perry some ten years ago:
~~
I was born Nov. 9, 1912 on Hampton Creek, Roan Mountain, Tennessee. During my boyhood, my family and I attended Sunday School and Worship Services in the Hampton Creek Elementary School Building each Sunday afternoon. Those services were made possible through the untiring efforts of Mr. J. L. Grey, a dedicated lay worker, who came to this area for the express purpose of establishing Presbyterian Churches. It was not until 1927 that an organized Presbyterian Church was established on Hampton Creek, and since that time it has continued to serve the spiritual needs of the community.
In 1924 during a revival conducted by the Rev. Walker K. Keys, I made my profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and have sought to follow Him ever since. Several other young people of the community also made their profession of faith on the same day.
After finishing my elementary school work on Hampton Creek, I attended Cloudland High School for 3 years, and then transferred to Lees McRae institute, a division of Lees McRae College, Banner Elk, NC, for my final year of high school.
In the fall fo 1931 I entered King College, Bristol, TN, and graduated in 1935 with a B. A. Degree.
After finishing college I taught school for one year, serving as principal of the Upper Shell Creek elementary School.
In the fall of 1936 I entered Louisville Presbyterian Seminary, and finished in 1939 with a Master of Divinity degree.
My first pastorates were in Memphis Presbytery where I served as minister of the Mason Presbyterian Church, Mason, TN, and the Stanton Presbyterian Church, Stanton, TN.
In January of 1943, I accepted a call to become minister of the First Presbyterian Church, Lewisburg, TN, and as Stated Supply of the Bethbirei Presbyterian Church, a rural church whose history goes back to 1810, who was the mother of several Presbyterian churches in this area, including the church at Lewisburg.
While in Lewisburg I married Myrta V. Tennison on June 11, 1951, and to this union have been born two daughters, Myra Finny Edwards and Sandra Ed Palmer. We now have 5 grandchildren, three girls and two boys. Jonathan Billingham, Jennifer Edwards, Julie Edwards, Perry Bolding, and Faith Palmer.
In 1957 I accepted a call to the Marks Presbyterian Church, Marks, Miss., and served this church for 13 years.
In 1970 I accepted a call to the First Presbyterian Church, Lawrenceburg, TN and served this church until the end of 1978, at which time I retired and moved back to Lewisburg, TN.
Since retiring I have continued to serve churches as Interim Pastor, and to date have served six different congregations in this capacity.
As I look back over my ministry of over 50 years, I am deeply grateful to God for His many and varied blessings and feel that under His leadership and guidance I have been used for His honor and glory and for the advance of His Kingdom. God's power and grace have sustained me down throught the years and to Him belongs all the honor and glory for any and all accomplishments. As a whole these 50 years spent in the ministry have been happy, challenging, and rewarding.
Not only has God been gracious unto me, but my peers have been thoughtful and gracious unto me also. They have elected me as moderator of Presbytery several times, and in 1947 they elected me as moderator of the Synod of Tennessee. My ministry has also been enriched by being chosen to serve in other positions of leadership down through the years, especially in the field of Christian Education. I look back with joy on those days when I served on the Men's Council of Presbytery and Synod, and to those 31 summers in which I participated in young peoples' camps, and conferences, serving as director in our half of them.
I have no plans to stop preaching. It is my intention to continue to serve churches as interim pastor or stated supply as long as I am physically and emotionally able.
God willing, I hope to be useful until the end.
~~
And so he was. Rev. Perry is additionally survived by two brothers, Dale Perry of Gray, TN and Astor Perry of Raleigh, NC.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Building Fund, Town Square, Lewisburg, TN 37091.
And now ...
'the Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
the Lord make his face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee:
the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee peace. Numbers 6: 24-26
The following was written by Rev. Perry some ten years ago:
~~
I was born Nov. 9, 1912 on Hampton Creek, Roan Mountain, Tennessee. During my boyhood, my family and I attended Sunday School and Worship Services in the Hampton Creek Elementary School Building each Sunday afternoon. Those services were made possible through the untiring efforts of Mr. J. L. Grey, a dedicated lay worker, who came to this area for the express purpose of establishing Presbyterian Churches. It was not until 1927 that an organized Presbyterian Church was established on Hampton Creek, and since that time it has continued to serve the spiritual needs of the community.
In 1924 during a revival conducted by the Rev. Walker K. Keys, I made my profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and have sought to follow Him ever since. Several other young people of the community also made their profession of faith on the same day.
After finishing my elementary school work on Hampton Creek, I attended Cloudland High School for 3 years, and then transferred to Lees McRae institute, a division of Lees McRae College, Banner Elk, NC, for my final year of high school.
In the fall fo 1931 I entered King College, Bristol, TN, and graduated in 1935 with a B. A. Degree.
After finishing college I taught school for one year, serving as principal of the Upper Shell Creek elementary School.
In the fall of 1936 I entered Louisville Presbyterian Seminary, and finished in 1939 with a Master of Divinity degree.
My first pastorates were in Memphis Presbytery where I served as minister of the Mason Presbyterian Church, Mason, TN, and the Stanton Presbyterian Church, Stanton, TN.
In January of 1943, I accepted a call to become minister of the First Presbyterian Church, Lewisburg, TN, and as Stated Supply of the Bethbirei Presbyterian Church, a rural church whose history goes back to 1810, who was the mother of several Presbyterian churches in this area, including the church at Lewisburg.
While in Lewisburg I married Myrta V. Tennison on June 11, 1951, and to this union have been born two daughters, Myra Finny Edwards and Sandra Ed Palmer. We now have 5 grandchildren, three girls and two boys. Jonathan Billingham, Jennifer Edwards, Julie Edwards, Perry Bolding, and Faith Palmer.
In 1957 I accepted a call to the Marks Presbyterian Church, Marks, Miss., and served this church for 13 years.
In 1970 I accepted a call to the First Presbyterian Church, Lawrenceburg, TN and served this church until the end of 1978, at which time I retired and moved back to Lewisburg, TN.
Since retiring I have continued to serve churches as Interim Pastor, and to date have served six different congregations in this capacity.
As I look back over my ministry of over 50 years, I am deeply grateful to God for His many and varied blessings and feel that under His leadership and guidance I have been used for His honor and glory and for the advance of His Kingdom. God's power and grace have sustained me down throught the years and to Him belongs all the honor and glory for any and all accomplishments. As a whole these 50 years spent in the ministry have been happy, challenging, and rewarding.
Not only has God been gracious unto me, but my peers have been thoughtful and gracious unto me also. They have elected me as moderator of Presbytery several times, and in 1947 they elected me as moderator of the Synod of Tennessee. My ministry has also been enriched by being chosen to serve in other positions of leadership down through the years, especially in the field of Christian Education. I look back with joy on those days when I served on the Men's Council of Presbytery and Synod, and to those 31 summers in which I participated in young peoples' camps, and conferences, serving as director in our half of them.
I have no plans to stop preaching. It is my intention to continue to serve churches as interim pastor or stated supply as long as I am physically and emotionally able.
God willing, I hope to be useful until the end.
~~
And so he was. Rev. Perry is additionally survived by two brothers, Dale Perry of Gray, TN and Astor Perry of Raleigh, NC.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Building Fund, Town Square, Lewisburg, TN 37091.
And now ...
'the Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
the Lord make his face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee:
the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee peace. Numbers 6: 24-26
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