Cecil Griffith Culverhouse

Rev. Dr. Cecil Griffith Culverhouse, 93, of Birmingham, Alabama, died Sunday, January 7, 2018, at home. Born in Birmingham, Alabama June 16, 1924, to Carl and Alma Culverhouse, Cecil had two older brothers, Carl and Earle. In 1957, he married Patricia Braswell, with whom he had two sons, Ian and Rob. Patsy died in 1996. In 2010, Cecil married Jane Childers Cannon. Cecil earned a BA from Howard College (now Samford University) in 1944, and an MDiv (1947) and a ThM (1948) from Union Theological Seminary. He did graduate work at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and received a Doctor of Divinity from Westminster College in 1970. Cecil's career in the ministry began with ordination as a Presbyterian minister in 1947. He served as pastor in Marion, AL, the West Nashville Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tenn., and the First Presbyterian Church of Fulton, Mo., serving the Fulton church for 27 years. After retirement, he served as interim minister at Old Auxvasse-Nine Mile Church, as Stated Supply at the Roanoke church, and then as Parish Associate at the First Presbyterian Church of Jefferson City for 18 years, until he was 85. Cecil served the larger church as Moderator of Tuscaloosa Presbytery, Missouri Presbytery, and Missouri Union Presbytery and of both the PCUS and UPCUSA Synods of Missouri. He represented his denomination on the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and as fraternal delegate to the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America. He was a member of the PCUS Mission Board and Chairman of National Missions. He served on the Board of Trustees of Montreat, Montreat College, the Presbyterian School of Christian Education, and Presbyterian Manors of Missouri. Cecil was one of the founders of Ecumenical Ministries of Callaway County, and of Serve, Inc., and was instrumental in building of the Fulton Presbyterian Manor. Deeply committed to the relationship of Missouri Union Presbytery with the Cistibiscan Church District of the Hungarian Reformed Church, he visited the church in Hungary many times and in 2006 was made an honorary faculty member of the seminary at Sarospatak, Hungary on the occasion of the schools 475th anniversary. Cecil was named a Churchill Fellow in 1968, received the Sun-Gazette McCubbin Award in 1990, and received the Kingdom Supper Distinguished Service Award in 2005. He was honored twice with the Missouri Union Presbytery Moderator's Service Award. He was the author of a number of books and articles. Dr. Culverhouse is survived by his wife, Jane; sons, Rob and Ian; and his brother, Earle. A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Fulton, Mo. on Saturday, January 20, 2018, at 11:30 a.m, with visitation starting at 10:30. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the ministry of David Pandy-Szekeres of the Hungarian Reformed Church. Gifts should be mailed to the Office of Missouri Union Presbytery (915-A Leslie Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO 65101).