Dear Congregation Members,
The Reverend Dr. Henry Blaine Strock, Jr. peacefully died with his family by his side on May 23, 2020. A graduate of Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary, Dr. Strock served Idlewild for 16 years as Senior Pastor, and at his death, as Idlewild's pastor emeritus. Henry was a kind-hearted evangelist and a deeply thoughtful pastor who sought first the kingdom of God throughout his ministry. Hearing about Henry's death, I was reminded of my first meeting. It was at the Trezevant, in Allen Morgan, while visiting with a saint in light, Mary Davis. He and Lois were there to visit their longtime friend and I was there with Idlewild deacons to celebrate communion with Mary. I can still hear his voice, "Oh, Anne, ..." Henry was kind and compassionate, supportive, and encouraging. Behind the memory of his voice and that first encounter is the truth of Henry's understanding and prayerful support of pastoral ministry.
Idlewild will bear witness to the resurrection and give thanks to God for all of Henry's life with a memorial service on Sunday, June 28, 2020, at 2:00 pm.
As COVID-19 has made holding memorial services very different, this letter serves as an "invitation" to participate in person, or by
Livestream
, for Dr. Strock's worship service. To attend in person, one must
pre-register
and follow COVID-19 protocols of sacred distance seating, mask-wearing, and unfortunately, no singing.
There is a 90 person limit for in-person attendance. To register to attend in person, you must either do so
online
or by calling Marsha Enlow, the Idlewild pastoral assistant, at 901-726-4681. To participate by Livestream,
click here
. If you attend worship by Livestream, we would encourage you to address the family in the chat thread so that they can read your comments and celebration of Henry.
As this week begins, we can be certain that Henry is with the saints in light, celebrating his welcome home into God's embrace. If you have any questions, please call Marsha Enlow at 901-726-4681, or reach out by
email
.
In Christ's hope,
The Reverend Anne H.K. Apple
