Ruling elder, Jack Williamson died Saturday August 8 of complications from a stroke. He was a long time member and ruling elder of First Presbyterian Church in Greenville, Ala. He was a founder of the Presbyterian Church in America, and moderator of the denomination’s first General Assembly.

“O how the mighty have fallen!” Jeffrey Hamm, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Greenville, Ala. began Williamson’s graveside service Monday with these words from the lament of David in 2 Samuel 1:19. For Hamm, the words David cried out upon hearing of the death of King Saul and Jonathan, represented the magnitude of loss felt from Williamson’s passing.

"He gave up everything for the gospel. He had a radical commitment to Christ."

“Jack was an exceptional man,” Hamm said. “God hasn’t made another like him.” Williamson, who was 90, still came regularly to hour-long Sunday morning prayer meetings with the pastor and elders. He had met and prayed with the men the Sunday prior to his death.

“He would ask for prayer regarding his complacency in the cause of Christ,” Hamm said with disbelief. For a man with such a rich history of faithfulness to the Lord to express concern that he hadn’t done enough for Christ was difficult for Hamm to fathom. “He gave up everything for the gospel. He had a radical commitment to Christ.”

Williamson was a B-24 Liberator pilot in World War II and a prisoner of war in Russia. After the war, he studied law and became an attorney in Alabama. Over a long and distinguished career, Williamson argued cases in local, state, and federal courts—including five church property cases before the United States Supreme Court. He won all five in favor of the churches.

Williamson was an invaluable contributor to Mission to the World (MTW), serving on the committee for Christ’s College in Taiwan, and on the Committee on Mission to the World. He was on the board of World Magazine, taught at Reformed Theological Seminary, and—perhaps most importantly—taught Sunday school for 60 years.

Jack Williamson attended every General Assembly, and came prepared for every discussion, a fact that long-time friend Kennedy Smartt said made him an excellent role model for ruling elders. “People waited to hear from him before making decisions,” Kennedy remembers.

Williamson was instrumental in the formation of the Presbyterian Church in America. “I don’t think anybody made the contribution to the formation of the PCA that he made,” said Smartt. “He was highly respected in the other denomination at the time of the split. He was a mighty man of God.” Williamson was the moderator of the First General Assembly of the PCA in 1973 at Briarwood Presbyterian Church.

Kennedy Smartt, in his book I Am Reminded, recalls his election: “It came as a surprise to no one when only one man was nominated to be the moderator of the First General Assembly. It was Jack Williamson and he was elected with a rousing, standing ovation. Jack had served on the board of The Presbyterian Journal, as the secretary of Concerned Presbyterians, on the steering committee for a Continuing Presbyterian Church, as the chairman pro tem of the Convocation of Sessions, as the chairman of the Organizing Committee, and as the chairman of the Advisory Convention. Who else?”

Ben Wilkinson, who worked closely with Williamson during the seminal days of the denomination, remembers Williamson as an “astute thinker” and a humble leader who was always careful to ensure that everyone had the opportunity to represent themselves and their perspectives. “I was a younger man and had no stature,” Wilkinson said, “but he treated me with respect, not as an underling.”

“He was committed to the person of Christ without reservation,” Wilkinson said when asked what he admired about Williamson. “He was fearless for the defense of the faith.”

Jack Williamson is survived by his wife, Tere, two sons, a daughter, and several grandchildren.