In Memory of Father Gordon Walker

July 30, 2015

Very Reverend Father Gordon Thomas Walker, who reposed on July 23, 2015, is remembered fondly by those who knew him and whose lives he touched. The staff at Orthodox Christian Laity remembers him as a gentle, humble, and Christ-centered priest who served on their advisory board for many years and offered words of wisdom at several of their Annual Meetings and Open Forums. Fr. Gordon served as the senior priest from 1987 to 1996 at St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, TN, which he, with his wife Khouria Mary Sue, helped to found. It was their vision for the purchase of the land that blossomed into a lively community centered around the Church.

Fr. Gordon was a leader in the group that became known as the Evangelical Orthodox Church, of which thousands joined the true Orthodox Church in 1987. He was ordained to the priesthood by His Eminence Metropolitan Philip and became a father to his community at the St. Ignatius Church. In 1996 he began to labor in the archdiocesan Department of Mission and Evangelism for several years. Together with Fr. Peter Gillguist, with whom he had discovered the Orthodox Church, he served on the advisory board of Orthodox Christian Laity and helped them to grow in their own mission by sharing his story of finding the Orthodox Church. Fr. Gordon was also known for supporting missionaries around the world, and especially Fr. Daniel Byantoro of the Indonesian Orthodox Church.

George Matsoukas, Executive Director of Orthodox Christian Laity remembers of him: “Fr. Gordon always spoke in a soft tone and in a deliberate way. We always knew we were in the presence of a holy and exemplary churchman when we had fellowship with him. We knew that these last few years were difficult for him health-wise. But Father Gordon embraced his suffering and trusted in the Lord. He was positive and faithful in life and in accepting what the will of the Lord was for him.”

Fr. Gordon has left behind many loved ones and a rich legacy of laboring in the vineyard of Christ. May his memory be eternal!

7/31/2015

See also
"I Believe in the Future of Orthodoxy in Indonesia"
A Conversation with Archimandrite Daniel (Byantoro) "I Believe in the Future of Orthodoxy in Indonesia"
A Conversation with Archimandrite Daniel (Byantoro)
Archimandrite Daniel Byantoro
Fr. Daniel is the first Indonesian convert to Orthodoxy and the founder and heart of the struggling Orthodox Church there. Archpriest Peter Gillquist reposes in the Lord Archpriest Peter Gillquist reposes in the Lord Archpriest Peter Gillquist reposes in the Lord Archpriest Peter Gillquist reposes in the Lord
Archpriest Peter E. Gillquist, retired chairman of the archdiocese's department of missions and evangelism, chairman of Conciliar Press, speaker, and the author of numerous books including Becoming Orthodox, reposed on Sunday evening July 1, surrounded by his family. From Becoming Orthodox to Being Orthodox: AGAIN Interviews Fr. Peter Gillquist From Becoming Orthodox to Being Orthodox: AGAIN Interviews Fr. Peter Gillquist From Becoming Orthodox to Being Orthodox: AGAIN Interviews Fr. Peter Gillquist From Becoming Orthodox to Being Orthodox: AGAIN Interviews Fr. Peter Gillquist
Secondly, I remember when we first discovered the Orthodox Church, before we were even in, and all six of my kids were at home, we’d go on family vacations—we’d drive, maybe on a two-lane highway, through several small towns, and then we’d get back on the freeway. We’d pull through a town and my kids would say, “Dad, there’s the Catholic church, there’s the Lutheran church, there’s the Methodist church, the Baptist, where on earth is the Orthodox church?” And I’d have to say, “Kids, we’re just starting out on the job of evangelizing here in America.”
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