Bro. Kenneth Wayne Pickens, 86, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016 at the Sanctuary Hospice House. He was born in Lee County on Jan.3, 1930, the son of William and Annie Duke Pickens. Bro. Ken graduated from East Tupelo High School in 1947 before earning his B.A. degree from Mississippi College in 1962. He then earned his Masters of Theology degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1969. A true servant to his calling as a minister, Bro. Ken pastored churches all over Mississippi including Siloam Baptist in Magee, Mount Zion Baptist in Florence, Cato Baptist in Mendenhall, First Baptist Church of Vardaman, Richmond Baptist in Tupelo, Grace Baptist in Vicksburg, and Palmetto Baptist in Lee County. He and his wife Martha also served two mission churches in South Dakota for 9 years where Ken pastored Sturgis Baptist Church and Miller Baptist Church. Active in the Southern Baptist Denomination, Bro. Ken served as Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Church Training Leader on the Associational and State levels, Missions Development Chairman, President of the Pastor’s Conference, and also served as a member of the joint committee of North and South Dakota to prepare for the formation of a separate State Convention. After Bro. Ken’s retirement from the full time pastorate, he remained committed to ministry. He was greatly involved in volunteer missions, helping to build churches, wheelchair ramps and other construction projects. He was a faithful member of Harrisburg Baptist Church where Bro. Ken was active in the Men’s Ministry, teaching, served as a Deacon, and worked as a volunteer chaplain for the North MS Medical Center.
Services will be 4 PM Friday at the Harrisburg Baptist Church with Dr. Chuck Hampton and Dr. Marc Howard officiating. Private burial will follow at Lee Memorial Park. Lee Memorial Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements. Visitation will follow the service at the church.
Bro. Ken leaves behind is wife of 66 ½ years, Martha Atkinson Pickens of Tupelo; 3 daughters, Deborah Castles (David) of Tupelo, Shirley Edmondson of Calhoun County, and Connie Johnson of Jacksonville, FL; 7 grandchildren, Shawn Edmondson (Phadrah), Bethany Busby (Jared), Heather Edmondson, Melissa Whitten (Troy), Rebecca Newman (Danny), Aja Pratt (Antonio), and Jermaine Johnson; 14 great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews and extended family members.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Trudie Hollis; a sister, Martha Ann Christian and husband, O.J.; his sister-in-law, Janet White and her husband, Hubert; and a brother-in-law, Herbert Atkinson; and 2 sons-in-law, Dewey Johnson and Bill Edmondson.
Pallbearers will be Blue Logan, Ross Lofton, John Smith, Max Sturdivant, Rick Morgan, Darwin Cozart, Bob Baugh, and Tim Roberts. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Harrisburg Baptist Church Men’s Ministry.
The family would like to thank the members of Harrisburg Baptist Church for ministering to the family during Ken’s illness and passing. They also extend a special thank you to Sanctuary Home Hospice nurses and staff as well as those at the Sanctuary Hospice House.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Men’s Ministry of Harrisburg Baptist Church.
