William David Hendrix, 58, of West Point, Georgia, passed away Monday morning, November 14, 2011. He was born on Palm Sunday, March 29, 1953, in Columbus, Georgia, to John LeRoy Hendrix and Ruth Rader Hendrix.
He attended Reidsville High School in Reidsville, Georgia, and continued his education at LaGrange College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion in 1975. He received a Master’s Degree in Divinity from Emory University in 1978, and attained a Doctorate of Ministry degree from Vanderbilt University in 1981.
He was called to ministry and acquired his license to preach from the United Methodist Church, becoming an ordained minister at the age of 19 and began serving his first church, Hopewell United Methodist Church in Fairfax, Alabama, shortly thereafter. He served several pastorates in the South Georgia Conference from 1978 until 1984. He also served Adams United Methodist Church in Adams, Tennessee, and Anna Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Anna, Illinois.
He began his ministry with the Association of Vineyard Churches in 1985, a relationship that lasted nearly 27 years. He gave his live passionately to helping to bring the Kingdom of God by equipping his church in worship, evangelism, healing, ministry to the poor and fellowship amongst believers. An active church planter, he helped to form churches in Nashville, Memphis, Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta and served the Lanett Vineyard of Lanett, Alabama, since 1995.
He taught with several universities and colleges including Beacon University in Columbus, Georgia, and Trinity College and Seminary in Newburgh, Indiana, where he was a professor for sixteen years, serving as head of the Preaching Department and interim Dean of the Pastoral Ministry Department in his tenure. He developed courses for the Vineyard Bible Institute and taught internationally at New Life Bible College in Moscow, Russia. Most recently, he taught ethics courses for Chattahoochee Valley Community College. He was a published author of several books, including Guarding the Truth, Psalms for Life, and Prophetic Activism as well as additional curriculum resources for the United Methodist Publishing House. He was co-founder of Chaplains to the City, a ministry for Atlanta Police Officers and their families.
He was passionate about serving orphans through Shepherd’s Purse, a ministry founded to help raise awareness and provide aid to at-risk children, teens and young adults in former Soviet Union countries. He and his wife, Nanci, served as board members and Directors of Shepherd’s Purse South Region and the PORT (Post Orphanage Resource Teams) Program, an initiative designed specifically toward graduates of orphanages. Through his involvement with Shepherd’s Purse, he traveled to Russia, Ukraine, and Haiti.
An avid Braves fan, he coached baseball and softball teams, as well as basketball, football, soccer and other sports.
He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Nanci Nix Hendrix of West Point, his children, Sally Hendrix of West Point and Mark Hendrix and his wife Mary Alexander Hendrix and granddaughter Evelyn Hendrix of LaGrange. He is also survived by his sister Pamela Hendrix Crovatt and her husband Frank Crovatt, Jr. of Pooler, Georgia, and his brother John LeRoy Hendrix, Jr. and his wife Dawn Welch Hendrix of Palm Harbor, Florida, and several nieces and great-nieces and great-nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, his mother and his mother-in-law, Dorothy Davidson Nix.
A visitation will take place from 5PM until 7 PM EST Thursday, November 17, 2011, at McCarthy Funeral Home in West Point, Georgia, followed by a memorial service at 2 PM EST Friday, November 18, 2011, at the West Point Recreation Department Gym, located at the corner of East 12th Street and US Highway 29.
Flowers will be accepted by the family or memorials may be made to Shepherd’s Purse through their website: www.shepherdspurse.org or by mail at Shepherd’s Purse, P.O. Box 1291, East Lansing, MI 48826.
www.mccarthyfuneralhomeinc.com
