Obituaries

A well-known Disciple whose positive spirit and warm manner encouraged countless friends and young people has died. Darla Su "Suzi" Cummins passed away on Jan 17 at the age of 75 in Swanton, Md. She was the wife of Duane Cummins, former president of the Division of Higher Education (now HELM) and president emeritus of […]

Former Disciples vice moderator, minister and seminary professor Kenneth Earl Henry has died. Henry, 77, of Decatur, Ga., passed away Oct. 28. He was a founding member of Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur and was a professor at Interdenominational Theological Seminary, retiring in 2003. He was the first African-American to serve as first […]

Former Disciples missionary James Richard "Dick" Dodson, 85, has died. Dodson, who served as a missionary in Africa, died Sept. 21 in San Antonio, Texas. He and his wife, Joy, served in the Congo for 11 years. Richard Dodson was the founding dean of the Congo Protestant University’s theological seminary in Lubumbashi. He also was […]

James L. Demus III, a Disciples pastor and a long time advocate for justice and equal rights, died Sept. 23. Funeral services for Demus, 57, pastor of Park Manor Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Chicago, Il., were held on Monday, Sept. 27. In his biography, it was noted that Demus, "reached out beyond the […]

A memorial service will take place this weekend for a Disciple whose work led to the creation of the Christian Church Foundation (CCF). Spencer P. Austin, who died in April at the age of 100, will be honored on Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. during a gathering at Downey Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) […]

Disciple and legendary college basketball Coach John Wooden recently died at the age of 99. Wooden was born into a Dutch-Irish family in 1910 in Hall, Ind. He attended Disciples churches in Indiana and later in Los Angeles, Calif. He died June 4 in Los Angeles. From 1964-’75, Wooden’s University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) […]