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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
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April 2005 |
Bishop Earl Hunt, church 'giant,' dies at age 86
By Dawn Hand
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (UMNS) -United Methodist Bishop Earl Gladstone Hunt Jr., 86, a leader in the church and in world Methodism, died March 26 at Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C.
Elected to the episcopacy in 1964, he led annual conferences in the church for 24 years before retiring in 1988.
During his 46-year career, Hunt served at all levels of The United Methodist Church and was active in the World Methodist Council. He also was widely respected as an evangelist, earning the top awards given for outstanding evangelism in the denomination.
Hunt was born in Johnson City, Tenn., on Sept. 14, 1918, the son of Earl Gladstone and Tommie Mae DeVault Hunt. He earned a bachelor's degree from East Tennessee State University in 1941 and a divinity degree from Candler School of Theology at Atlanta in 1946. He was ordained a deacon in 1944 and an elder the following year.
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Elected to the episcopacy in 1964, he led annual conferences in the church for 24 years before retiring in 1988. |
He became a bishop at age 46, when the Southeastern Jurisdiction elected him and assigned him to lead the Charlotte (N.C.) Area. During his 12 years there, he appointed the first black pastor to serve as a district superintendent in the Southeastern Jurisdiction and he organized a lay advisory council.
In 1976, Hunt was assigned to the church's Nashville (Tenn.) Area. There, he began his writing ministry, producing several books on theology and evangelism. At the time of his death, he was working on his last book, An Open Door.
Four years later, Hunt became leader of the Florida Area, where he served until 1988. While in Florida, he led the denomination's Committee on Our Theological Task. The committee spent nearly eight years perfecting a document addressing the church's theological task in the world. In 1988, the General Conference adopted the document, which is still contained in the denomination's Book of Discipline.
Hunt was the keynote speaker for the 1976 World Methodist Conference in Dublin, Ireland. He served 10 years on the council's executive committee and was awarded the World Methodist Chair of Honor in 1988.
Upon retiring, he moved to Lake Junaluska, N.C. There he served as president of the Foundation for Evangelism, an affiliate ministry of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.
The bishop is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Kyker Hunt; and son, Dr. Earl Stephen "Steve" Hunt; and daughter-in-law, Edeltraut Hunt, of Bethesda, Md.
Funeral services were held March 30 at Long's Chapel United Methodist Church in Lake Junaluska. Principal speakers was Bishop Ken Carder and James C. Logan. Bishop Richard Looney led a committal service later that day in Johnson City.
Dawn Hand serves as director of communication for The United Methodist Church's Western North Carolina Conference. Some information used in this obituary was obtained from the Asheville (N.C.) Citizen-Times newspaper.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008