Sunday, March 22, 2009

Out of town Monday


Don McKinney Funeral
in Lake Charles, La.

A longtime friend and acquaintance, Pastor Don McKinney of Heritage Baptist Church, Lake Charles, Louisiana, passed away Friday, March 20, 2009. I will be attending the Funeral on Monday, March 23.

We have known Brother McKinney for about 40 years -- as well as his wife, his two sons, Ron and Barry, and his brother, Lamar, and I have had the privilege to be in Brother McKinney's home and with the church.

The last time I saw Brother Don, he was a visitor and guest at Pilgrim Book Store, bringing a couple of young men with him, and they all left with some books.

Here are the details for Funeral Services and related events:

Funeral arrangements
: By Johnson Funeral Home, 4321 Lake Street, Lake Charles.

Funeral: Monday, March 23, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. at Heritage Baptist Church, 3501 Ernest Street, Lake Charles, LA, 70605.

Memorial Service: Monday, March 23, 2009 at 6 PM to celebrate the life of Pastor Don McKinney at Heritage Baptist Church Sanctuary.

Officiates for the services: Dr. Ronald W. McKinney, Lamar L McKinney, Paul B. McKinney and Gary James.

Internment and graveside service: Lakewood Memorial Cemetery in Jackson, MS, Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 11 AM.

In lieu of flowers, Donations may be made in his memory to Heritage Baptist Church Benevolent Fund, 3501 Ernest Street, Lake Charles, LA, 70605, for his widow, Mrs. Marie McKinney.

Words of comfort to the family may be expressed at -- http://www.johnsonfuneralhome.net/.

-- Bob L. Ross, Pilgrim Book Store and Pilgrim Publications, Pasadena, Texas 77503.

8 comments:

  1. Bob:

    May God grant safe travel to you and all who are attending this funeral and may his peace and comfort be with all, especially the family, during this time.

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  2. Bob, may the Lord grant you traveling mercies and I pray that the gospel will be clearly preached at the funeral.

    I never met Dr. McKinney, but I had heard of him several years ago when attending an independent sovereign grace church and the Bible conference that was held there several times per year.

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  3. Bob,
    I trust your trip down here was a safe one. Hope you also enjoyed our warm weather.

    Out of curiosity, I find it hard to believe that you and Pastor Don were on the same page theologically. Yet, somehow, you and he remained friends.

    I have sat in the pews of his church and my family used to attend his church.

    Luke

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  4. Back in town

    Three of us traveled together to Brother Don McKinney's Monday morning Funeral Service in Lake Charles. His son, Ron, brought a great message to a large crowd of members, friends, and some acquaintances who traveled from distant places. A wonderful selection of food was served by the ladies of the church to those in attendance and the after-service fellowship was enjoyed by all.

    Brother McKinney was a successful Assembly of God pastor in Lake Charles before he became convinced of Baptist views, and after some expected struggles and conflict, he separated from the AoG and established a Baptist church. He maintained a TV ministry in the city for many years, and was a model as a preacher and pastor in his field of ministry.

    It was a joy for me to renew contact with Mrs. McKinney, the two sons, Barry of Jackson MS and Ron of Dalton GA, as well as with Don's brother, Lamar of Tyler TX. All of the McKinney clan are remarkable for their love of the Lord and His Word. I have been blessed to have known them on a personal level for so long a time.

    I had the privilege to look over Brother McKinney's Pastor's Office and Library, and was impressed by the immense library of cassettes and videos of his sermons, extending over the years. I also noticed he had a complete set of C. H. Spurgeon's sermons which we published, and that brought a very special appreciation to me, knowing he was such a great lover of those sermons.

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  5. Bob:

    It's good to see you back and hear the Lord's faithfulness watching over your travel and being present among those gathered to say farewell to Brother McKinney.

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  6. Bob,
    If I may, let me rephrase my statement into a question. Did you and Bro. McKinney see eye to eye concerning election?

    Luke

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  7. To Luke:

    I don't recall that we ever discussed the matter. I adhere to the Baptist Confessions on Election. If Brother McKinney did likewise, I suppose we saw "eye to eye."

    May I say, Election is no issue with me, so long as it is affirmed that no one is elect apart from believing in Christ. It is an issue, however, if it is taught, as with Reformed baby baptizers, that the elect get born again as babies before they are believers, or that elect adults get born again before they are believers.

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  8. I met Don McKinney in 1994 when I walked into Heritage off the street (so to speak). Pastor McKinney met me at the door and discovered I knew some of the reformed baptist pastors in the UK. He the proceeded much to my surprise to ask me to give my testimony during the service. I have often thought of him fondly and wished to re-visit him and that congregation.

    I am sad to hear of his passing, but rejoice that it was a promotion into the presence of his Savior.

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