Professor Ray
King
Erskine
Seminary Professor Makes Retirement Plans
What does retiring Erskine Theological Seminary
Professor Ray King have in common with a tiger and a
shark? Just one thing... a determination to play
golf. Although King doesn't have any aspirations to
be like professional golfers Tiger Woods or Greg
"The Shark" Norman, now that King is no
longer spending most of his days in the seminary
classroom teaching his students the finer points of
church history, he is committed to spending a great
deal of his time perfecting his golf techniques.
He hopes to use his free time to work on his golf
game, spend more time with his family, and explore a
newly developed fascination with the Great Smoky
Mountains. This free time might be limited, however,
by his plans to tutor elementary students in
Highlands, N.C., where he has his retirement cabin.
He also plans to be an English tutor to some of the
Mexican immigrants who are living in Highlands as
well.
King says, " I thought that tutoring would be
a good way to make a contribution that feeds off the
many opportunities I have had. I went with (Erskine
Chaplain) Jay West to China with the ELIC (English
Language Institute China) during the summer of 1997.
That was a wonderful opportunity and I saw the
opportunity to connect as a Christian, without being
obtrusive, with people in areas that need help."
King would also like to continue his work at his
church and around his community during his
retirement. He hopes that he might have a chance to
experience some newer aspects of church life. "I
would like to continue be involved in the church life
of my community... just not as a professional."
King's call to ministry originally came under the
ministry of Tom McDill of the First Atlanta
Presbyterian Church. McDill's wife was a Bonner, a
family that had deep Erskine connections. It was
through this family that King was first introduced to
Erskine Seminary, from which he graduated in 1958.
"I came to Erskine sight unseen. You can imagine
the difference between Due West and Atlanta!”
In January of 1959, King was approached by a
trustee of the seminary who asked him if he would be
interested in teaching church history. After his
interest was sparked, King was elected by the Synod
to become a professor at Erskine Theological Seminary
in 1962. King has since then devoted most of his
energy to what he describes as "a call to
teach". According to King, " I came to
teach at Erskine because I believed that God was
calling me here. There were times when I really felt
like where I would have most liked to be is in a
pastorate... but I could never shake the sense that
God was calling me to be at Erskine."
King doesn't feel, however, that he has missed
anything by spending his time at Erskine. In fact, he
feels exactly the opposite. Working at Erskine has
given him opportunities that pastors might miss.
"I feel that I connected with people here at
Erskine at the very core... in some ways I feel more
blessed than a pastor. Sometimes pastors can miss out
on the eminent support group that I have had here at
Erskine."
Asked about the lasting impact that he hopes he
has had on his students, King replied, "Teaching
has a way of confronting people and is often thought
of as an intrusion in the lives of others. It is also
a way to grow. Sometimes we come into knowledge like
babies... kicking and squalling. To understand the
church, it is necessary to have an understanding of
the faith that must finally become your own. One of
the things I always like to do in my teaching and in
my own investment of myself is to keep touch with my
denomination."
King has also always been an advocate in his
classroom of heritage and tradition in the church.
"I think what I advocated in teaching is that
heritage is very valuable... what was noble and
worthy should by all means be preserved. People who
hold tight to traditions should not be discounted in
the life of the church."
During his time at Erskine, Dr. King has always
been a strong supporter of the institution and all
that the college and seminary has stood for. "As
a student I was under the administration of R.C
.Greer and taught by J.M. Lesesne. He was also the
president when I started teaching. He was followed by
Joe Wightman, Stan Bell, Bruce Ezell, Jim Strobel and
then John Carson. I have been involved and sought to
be a loyal supporter of all of the presidents and the
leadership they were trying to give to Erskine, not
only to the seminary but to the college as
well."
One of the things that Dr. King will miss most
about his teaching at Erskine is the diversity of the
feedback he received from his students. "The
kind of feedback and affirmation that you get from
students and former students was always a very
welcome thing. The diversity of the student body in
terms of ethnicity and denomination at Erskine meant
that there was always a rich environment."
With all that King has on his retirement agenda,
it might be hard for him to find time to perfect his
golf game. In addition to the volunteer work he plans
to do, he has also agreed to stay on as an adjunct
professor at the seminary for as long as he is
needed. He also has plans to write a book and is
working on a couple of ideas related to the ARP
church.
It is safe to say, however, that whatever King
sets his mind on, whether it is golf or tutoring, he
will do it with all the enthusiasm and dedication
that he has shown his students and colleagues during
his 38 years at Erskine Theological Seminary.
According to Dr. Randy Ruble, Dean Emeritus of the
seminary, "he was a friend to the students and
professors alike. Ray had the God-given ability to
bring people together around a solution everyone
could live with."
