Ben Sparks first introduced himself to me on the campus of Union Theological Seminary in the fall of 1968 or 1969. I was in my first or second year of seminary; Ben was a member of the Board of Trustees, one of the youngest trustees ever to serve on the board of Union, now Union-PSCE. Ben was living in Roanoke, serving as Urban Minister for Montgomery Presbytery staff. After college, I had spent a year working with an inner city Presbyterian congregation in Brooklyn, New York. Ben wanted to talk with me about that experience. As we visited that afternoon on the Union campus, a friendship based on mutual respect began.
Quickly, I realized that Ben had read more books than I, many more books; he kept up with journals far more than I. A member of the Iona Community in Scotland, Ben treasured participation in that worldwide ecumenical group. Those attributes, along with a keen mind, quick memory, and fun spirit made me eager to let the friendship grow.
Evidently, my experiences in New York, my time in the Army, and travels through Europe intrigued Ben and caused him, also, to want to work at sustaining our friendship.
After graduating from seminary, I moved to Jacksonville, Fla. to be an associate pastor for Riverside Church. Two years later, Ben, his wife Annette, and their daughters, Kathryn and Elizabeth, came to Jacksonville. He became associate pastor for First Church, an urban congregation in the heart of the city. Our friendship was renewed and expanded to include wives and children.
Every visit with Ben was an opportunity to reflect with him on the challenges of ministry to all of God’s children and the mission of the church for our time. They made me ever more aware of his intellect, the wide range of his reading, and his deep love for the church. Ben was the first of my contemporaries truly to embody the term “pastor-theologian.”
During those years, Journal for Preachers began; Ben joined The Advisory Board, a position he has continued to hold.
Our Jacksonville years ended when I moved to the coast of North Carolina. In 1977, Ben and family moved to Nashville, Tenn., where Ben became pastor of Second Church and assisted in the teaching of homiletics at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Annette’s parents lived in a community near us; the Sparks family often vacationed at the beach near us.
On occasional summer Sunday mornings, Ben and family would file in to our sanctuary — and I would wonder what Ben would think of my sermon. Ben’s interest in worship and liturgy was as great as his interest in mission, theology, and preaching. Often, over visits during those vacation times, we would drift into deep discussions about leading a church, Reformed worship, the challenges and joys of preaching with the Bible in one hand, a newspaper or good work of contemporary literature — fiction, social commentary, or theology–in the other hand.
In 1982, Ben became pastor of Second Church, a downtown congregation, in Richmond, Va. I was on the Board of Trustees at Union Theological Seminary, so our visits became more frequent. Ben would talk about his involvement in The Presbyterian Outlook and his commitment to CARITAS, a citywide ecumenical organization he helped establish. CARITAS has grown significantly and now houses and feeds homeless people throughout the year. Ben taught courses in Urban Ministry for the seminary; he served on the founding board for Richmond Hill, an ecumenical urban retreat center, and worked to begin HOMEWARD, an organization that seeks coordination among Richmond agencies serving the poor.
On the tenth anniversary of his ministry at Second Church, our alma mater, Davidson College, awarded Ben an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree, in recognition of his service to the city and the church.
I left North Carolina in 1984, to serve a church in Florida. Ben came down for an occasional visit, served as guest preacher and led discussions on urban ministry for our elders. I returned to North Carolina in 1994, and again was elected to the Union-PSCE Board of Trustees. The Sparks home became my guest quarters each time the board met. During those visits, I realized how significant Ben’s ministry had become. The congregation continued to grow in membership and in outreach. The church had long been involved in urban ministry, a passion of Ben’s. That vision for outreach grew through mission trips to Malawi and Ghana Ben organized for adults and youth. He developed strong friendships with church leaders in those countries and often engaged them in theological dialogue — and debate.
About five years ago, Ben joined a group of pastors that met once a year to read and discussed the works of John Calvin, Karl Barth, and other classical and contemporary Reformed theologians, a group to which I also belonged. Ben’s papers on assigned reading were insightful and creative. His ability to engage the group in far-ranging discussions and to make important connections between the material we read and the challenges of parish ministry made him a valued colleague. Visits over dinner when the seminar was in session enriched our fellowship and friendship.
A few years ago, the board of The Presbyterian Outlook Foundation asked me to become a trustee. As I began work with the Foundation, Ben was often a source for historical perspective and a guide to the emerging challenges.
At the time Robert Bullock retired, I had just joined the executive committee. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was about to meet in Richmond. Having a strong, informed editorial presence was mandatory. Ben emerged as the person who could lead us. His wide connections across the church, his steadfast refusal to join any of the special interest groups in the denomination, and his keen mind and excellent writing skills made him a natural choice. The Executive Committee approached Ben about being interim editor. Ben consulted with his family and session, and then agreed to volunteer his services to The Outlook, as a sign of his commitment to the magazine and to the church.
That offer has strengthened our friendship. Weekly, sometimes daily, telephone calls and e-mails have kept us connected in friendship and mission. Throughout it all, Ben has been focused, committed, and fun.
As Ben now concludes his work as interim editor, I rejoice in the ways our shared commitment to The Outlook has strengthened our friendship. “Well done, my colleague in ministry, my pastor, mentor, and friend. Well done–and thanks.”
Arthur (Art) Ross III is pastor of White Memorial Church in Raleigh, N.C.
