Remembering Allen Harrison
Allen and I (ca. 2002)
The following is a ‘short list’ of those things I appreciated about Allen:
• He served the Lord faithfully in pastoral ministry for over 50 years.
• He provided an example of patient pastoral leadership.
• He understood the value of lengthy pastorates over the typical short-term pastorates.
• He was thoroughly convinced of Calvinism and equally convinced of evangelism.
• He graciously ‘mixed’ with pastors who were less convinced concerning Calvinism.
• He was a committed expositor of Scripture.
• He had absolute confidence in the power and sufficiency of Scripture.
• He was a true gentleman.
• He remained active and productive in his ministry even into the latter days of his cancer.
• He took a genuine interest in you, especially if you were a young pastor.
• He understood the limitation of denominational activity.
• He stood against the pitfalls of ‘success’ oriented mindsets and measurements in ministry.
• He remained a student of the Word, reading and attending conferences to stay sharp.
• He showed me what it looks like to die well in Christ.
I have in my study a copy of his hand-written sermon notes taken from Mark 1 & 2, along with his Parker Jotter, both of which serve as reminders of a true friend – friend that embodied a modern day Puritan. God blessed my life and ministry through His servant Allen Harrison.
(Here are links to articles that Allen wrote for the Founders Journal: http://www.founders.org/journal/fj56/article4.html http://www.founders.org/journal/fj51/article1.html)
(Here is a link to sermons Allen preached while at Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, FL http://www.truegraceofgod.org/media/audio/227)