wfn.org | Frank Harrington, Pastor of PCUSA's Largest Church, Dies

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

Reply-To: wfn-news list <wfn-news@wfn.org>
3-March-1999 
99089 
 
    Frank Harrington, Pastor of PCUSA's Largest Church, Dies 
 
    by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-The Rev. W. Frank Harrington, pastor of Peachtree 
Presbyterian Church in Atlanta - the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s largest 
congregation, died March 3 in an Atlanta hospital.  Harrington had been 
hospitalized since mid-January with a severe respiratory infection. 
 
    Harrington, 63, had been pastor of the 11,000-member Peachtree Church 
since 1971.  During his 27 year pastorate, the church received almost 
20,000 new members.  Its weekly services were telecast regionally and the 
annual Christmas Eve service was shown nationally. 
 
    Harrington was born May 13, 1935 and reared near Kingstree, S.C.  He 
graduated from Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C. in 1957 and from 
Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., in 1960.  In 1964 he 
received a Masters of Theology from Columbia. 
 
    Ordained by Savannah Presbytery, Harrington began his pastoral career 
by serving First Presbyterian Church of Hinesville, Ga.  From 1965-71 he 
was pastor of Fairview Presbyterian Church in North Augusta, S.C.  He began 
his pastorate at Peachtree in October of 1971. 
 
    Harrington has served the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) at all levels, 
though in 1992 he stood for moderator of the 204th General Assembly in 
Milwaukee and lost to the Rev. John Fife.  In addition, Harrington has 
served on countless civic and church boards, including the boards of 
directors of Columbia Seminary, Presbyterian College, Queens College in 
Charlotte and Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. 
 
    In 1989, Columbia dedicated the W. Frank Harrington Center for 
Continuing Education and Church Growth - the first building erected on the 
Columbia campus in 25 years. 
 
    Harrington was a preacher on the Protestant Hour radio program in 1979 
and published two books - "The Seasons of Life" in 1985 (Ruralist Press) 
and "Seeking a Living Faith" in 1988 (C.S.S. Publishing Company). 
 
    Funeral arrangements are pending. 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  This note sent by PCUSA NEWS
  to the wfn-news list <wfn-news@wfn.org>.
  Send unsubscribe requests to wfn-news-request@wfn.org