Rev. Jack Brabson Gillespie

Reverend Jack Brabson Gillespie, 89, of Adairsville, GA, passed away, Monday, August 3, 2020 after a courageous battle with Leukemia. A Private Funeral Service will be held. Burial will take place in Elmhurst Cemetery Elberton, GA.

Jack was born in Elbert County Hospital on June 7, 1931 to Milton, Sr. and Eleanor Warren Gillespie at 2:00 am on a Saturday morning. He went to school for 12 years at Elberton High School and graduated in 1950. He entered the air force that December where he served for the next 4 years on active duty and 4 more years in the active reserves. After his military duty Jack went back to work at Elberton Drug Co. where he became the manager of the restaurant side of the store. At the encouragement of others, he entered the beginning of “Night School” at the U. of GA. In the fall of 1955 and continued there for the next 8 years until he graduated in 1963. He attended Emory’s Candler School of Theology for the next 4 years and graduated from Candler in 1967 and was ordained in full connection as an elder in the United Methodist Church. Jack served the following churches: Rutledge-Pennington U.M. Churches from 1963-67; Carnesville-Allens U.M. Churches from 1967-72; Pleasant Valley-Union Chapel Churches from 1972-78; Prospect U.M. from 1978-82; Skyland U.M.C. from 1982-87. At the Pleasant Grove U.M.C. in Dalton from 1987-89; At the Wesley Chapel U.M.C. in Marietta from1989-1995; Then at the East Cobb U.M.C. in Marietta from 1995 until he retired in 2001. Then in retirement He served White U.M.C. in Cartersville from 2002-04; Then Oak Hill U.M.C. in Lyerly from 2005 until 2018; Then Mt. Calvary U.M.C. from 2018 until present, almost 50 years in active ministry. Jack served on the General Board of Evangelism in Nashville for several years in the area of National Evangelist Relationship, preaching in over 40 of the United States and Hawaii. He led tours of the Holy Land for over 20 years and Tours to England, Ireland and the British Isles. Jack was invited to serve as a visiting professor of Christian Ethics at the U. of Norway at Bergin, Norway by his good friend, Dr. Stein Skjorshammer who was a professor of N.T. in the university of Norway. The class at Bergin’s U. of Norway asked Jack to preach the baccalaureate for their class at graduation the year he was there, on May 21, 1982. While in Norway, Jack traveled on the train to Oslo where he preached for a week’s revival in the Oslo First U.M.C. in downtown Oslo at the invitation of the Pastor and Chairman of the Board; Dr. Skjorshammer’s father. Returning to Bergin, Jack preached for the next week at the Bergin First U.M.C. and taught in the high school each morning which was called the gymnasium. The final weekend in Norway Jack was interviewed by the Bergin Daily News and then invited to preach to the World Conference of the Full Gospel Fellowship that was meeting in Bergin that wee-end, which he did and it was a great crowd of over 5,000 from all around western Europe and Scandanavia. Stein came to the U.S. the next year and Jack was privileged to perform his wedding to his second wife who was from Tilinin, Russia were stein moved after his divorce setting up a chain of over 50 grocery stores.
Jack served with the National Board of Evangelism in Nashville, TN as a National Evangelist and was invited to preach in over 40 of the United States and once in Hawaii. He led in district workshops on evangelism in many of the districts of the North Eastern Conferences as well as preaching in churches in the evenings. Jack loved to preach and therefore continued to preach even into his later years. One of Jack’s prized points of bragging was the leading of 10 pastors into the ministry over his time in full time ministry…one in just about every church he served. So now, even though he had been appointed to his Heavenly charge…there are many who will continue to preach for many years here in this area of ministry as a result of his leadership over his 50 years of active ministry.

Jack was married the first time in 1954 to Mary Bradley and they were married for 46 years until her death in 1999. He was preceded in death by his parents and also, by his first wife, Mary, and two sons, Jack, Jr. and Larry, Sr..

Jack married Eva Sue Wyatt in 2000 and they were still married at the time of Jack’s death. He was the third son of seven sons, and the father and stepfather of seven sons by Mary and Eva Sue. He is survived by one son, Tim and six grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren and one on the way, who still have precious memories of their father, grandfather and great grandfather.

Online condolences may be expressed at http://www.mariettafuneralhome.org

Marietta Funeral Home, 915 Piedmont Road, Marietta, 770-422-1234, is in charge of arrangements.

Announcement courtesy of Berry Funeral Home.