The Synod of the Trinity is mourning the loss of a colleague and friend, the Rev. Dr. Kenneth Bailey, who joined the church triumphant on Monday night, May 23. He was 85. Dr. Bailey was a wonderful support to several pieces of our regional work.
“Those of us serving the Synod of the Trinity are deeply saddened by the death of Dr. Ken Bailey,” said the Rev. Susan Faye Wonderland, transitional executive for the Synod. “His faithful presence and scholarship have been a special gift to those of us in this region of Christ’s church as we have experienced Ken’s Biblical and cultural wisdom. Most recently, Ken allowed us to work with him to prepare a DVD on Christian Leadership that gathered some of his special brand of teaching just one more time for the church he loved. May this wondrous servant rest in peace!
“His spirit will be with us for a long time to come!”
An extensive biography can be found here.
The Synod helped with underwriting what was one of his last teaching video series that Ken produced with Presbyterian Media Mission on Christian Leadership from the New Testament. (More here.) More information about Dr. Bailey’s life and ministry is available on the Presbytery of Shenango website by clicking here.
According to Wikipedia, Dr. Bailey spent 40 years (1955-1995) teaching in the Middle East in Egypt, Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus. He had a degree in Arabic and literature, systematic theology and did his dissertation in the field of the New Testament. He was ordained by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Since 1962 he taught on the Near East School of Theology in Beirut (since 1974 as professor for New Testament Studies) where he founded the Institute for Middle Eastern New Testament Studies. From 1985 to 1995, he taught at the Ecumenical Institute for Theological Research in Jerusalem. He also taught at Princeton and was associate professor of theology in Dubuque, McCormick and Pittsburgh as well at the Fuller Theological Seminary in Los Angeles.
He lived in New Wilmington, PA, and is canon of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church (United States).
A memorial service was held for Dr. Bailey on Friday, June 3, at 1 p.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Mercer, PA. The Presbytery of Shenango recorded the service and it is available online here.
Christianity Today also wrote a piece on Dr. Bailey that can be viewed here.
Our prayers are with Dr. Bailey’s wife, Mickey; his daughter, Sara Makari; grandchildren Kelcey and Cameron; and his extended family. He was predeceased in death in 2010 by his son, David.