Roll Call Tribute

Milward Funeral Directors obituary
159 North Broadway
Lexington, KY 40507
859-252-3411

Allen C. Garner
Wednesday, June 25, 1924 - Wednesday, July 5, 2017

The Reverend Dr. Allen C. Garner, widower of Catherine Garner, passed on July 5, 2017. He is survived by his three children: Grace Garner Miller (Mrs. Benson), Allen C. Garner, Jr., both residing in Lexington, and Virginia Ann Cullison (Mrs. Donald) of Bonita Springs, FL; eight grand-children, three great grand-children and his sister, Martha F. Albers of Poplar Bluff, MO.

Allen was a native Missourian, who attended Texas A&M and upon completing his freshman year, enlisted in the Army, completed basic training and specialist schools after which he was selected for O.C.S. and commissioned 2nd Lt. in the Signal Corps. He served in WWII, two years in the SW Pacific, including campaigns in New Guinea and the Philippine Islands. Following his honorable discharge from the Army, he re-entered Texas A&M, completed his degree, graduating with a BS in Management Engineering. Thereafter, he returned to Missouri as partner to his father in the family Chevrolet automobile dealership.

One year later, while on a hunting trip in Colorado, Allen attended Sunday services at the Glenwood Methodist church where he saw his future wife, Catherine, in the choir. He arranged an introduction, courted her for seven months and married her in June of 1949.
In 1952, Allen began his ‘true calling’, serving as a Lay Minister to the First Christian Church, Corning, AK. After two years of Lay ministry, he made the decision to answer that calling in a full-time capacity. Disposing of his home and business interests, he moved his family to Nashville, TN where he entered the Divinity School of Vanderbilt University. During that time he served as student minister at Pembroke Christian Church, Pembroke, KY followed by an Internship at Vine Street Christian Church, Nashville, TN.

Immediately following his graduation from Divinity School and ordination; Reverend Garner accepted his first call to the pastoral ministry with Kingsway Christian Church, a newly formed congregation in Memphis. By 1960, he was called as Senior Minister to the First Christian Church, Winchester, KY where he ministered for the next 18 years. While in Winchester, he earned his Masters of Theology from Lexington Theological Seminary (LTS) and was among the first class of graduates to receive the D Min degree from LTS. Reverend Dr. Allen Garner was elected to the Board of Trustees of LTS and served continuously until 1993, after which he was installed as a Trustee Emeritus of LTS the following year.

Reverend Dr. Allen Garner’s ministries also included nearly five years in Birmingham, Alabama as Senior Minister, First Christian Church where he led the congregation with a move from their landlocked downtown property to a new 17 acre site, relocating the church “lock stock and baptistery” enabling their continued Christian growth and outreach.

In 1985, Rev. Garner accepted an invitation to the First Christian Church of Rocky Mount, NC where he ministered for nearly three years prior to his decision to retire and return to the Lexington area to devote more time to his family, his research and writing, and interim ministerial callings including:

Walnut Hills Christian Church, Cincinnati, Ohio
Bedford Christian Church, Bedford, Kentucky
Middletown Christian Church, Middletown (Louisville) Kentucky
Bethel Christian Church, Bethel, Kentucky
May’s Lick Christian Church, May’s Lick, Kentucky
Nicholasville Christian Church, Nicholasville, Kentucky
Middletown Christian Church, Middletown, Kentucky (2nd interim)
Crestwood Christian Church, Crestwood, Kentucky
Stamping Ground Christian Church, Stamping Ground, Kentucky
First Christian Church, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Organizing Pastor
Mt. Moriah Christian Church, Falmouth, Kentucky
Four Creek Christian Church, Butler, Kentucky
North Middletown Christian Church, North Middletown, Kentucky

During the course of his ministry, Dr. Garner continued his education beyond his M Th and D Min with graduate study and research at Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, Kentucky; The Graduate Seminary, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey; Mansfield College, Oxford University, Oxford England; and two post-doctoral summer sessions at St. Andrews University, St. Andrews, Scotland, where he studied with his friend and mentor, Dr. William Barclay, Director of both sessions.

The Reverend Dr. Garner has written both youth and adult curricula material for the Christian Board of Publication with numerous articles published in The Disciple, Vanguard and Leadership: A Journal for Ministry. Several of his sermons and writings have also been published in Pulpit Digest.

A private family service was held July 7 at Christ Church Cathedral Chapel, and a Celebration of Life for The Reverend Allen C. Garner will be held at Christ Church Cathedral in early August. We thank God for the gift of his life. Memorial contributions are suggested to Christ Church Cathedral.