Dad was born January 13th, 1941 in Albany, Louisiana. In 1946 his parents moved from Baton Rouge Louisiana to Mobile, Alabama. He was first baptized there at Dauphin Way Baptist Church. His own report was that his walk with Jesus was sincere but very shallow in both knowledge and practice until 1984 when he married the love of his life and wife of 27years Janice Kinchen. From that time forward the two of them sought to deepen their walk with Jesus by studying the word and applying it to their daily lives. In 1995, Dad left with the blessings of the Baptist Church hungering for a more intimate and spiritual walk with the Lord. Shortly thereafter they both experienced the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and walked with Jesus in a renewed vigor. He was re-baptized in water at that time, not as a rejection of the childhood baptism but as a public statement of his commitment to a changed life and its accompanying fruit. By the time Dad reached the age of 56, he was writing worship music and sharing his faith daily in both secular and church environments. In 2005 at the age of 64, Dad received a revelation about the importance of Israel and the need for gentile believers to study the Jewish origins of the Faith. Dad’s love for Jesus deepened throughout his lifetime and it was expressed in his actions to all those around him. Those closest to him would say that he put Galatians 5:6 into habitual practice: “…The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Death gained a temporary and limited victory over him on August 17th, 2011 when his flesh succumbed to a bacterial infection and gave up his eternal spirit to the Living God. On that note Gary would have this to say:
Micah 7:8
8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
We invite you to celebrate the life he led and still enjoys in the presence of God with his family and Church here today. We will all grieve here today but as the Holy Word of God says, “…we do not grieve like those with no hope”. Our hope and Dad’s trust grounded obedience was firmly rooted in the hope of the resurrection of the dead and the glorification of those who belong to God in order for them to reign with him on the earth forever and ever.
Shalom be upon you,
Son and Pastor Eric Stephens
