**The Rev. Michael Emerson “Corky” Carlisle
A Life Formed by Faith, Fed by Community, and Led by Love**
The Rev. Michael Emerson “Corky” Carlisle lived his life as though God had handed him a map of many roads—and the courage to walk every one of them. For more than three decades, Corky hitched his wagon to the sacred mystery of the Church, serving communities of twelve and communities of fifteen hundred, preaching to one troubled soul and preaching to five thousand seeking hearts. He baptized a single child in a quiet year and, once, one hundred and twenty-nine in one extraordinary service. His ministry was both vast and intimate, never defined by numbers, but by the humanity and holiness of the people before him.
Though his journey wound through eight states and four foreign countries, Corky’s story began—and was always somehow rooted—in Kentucky, a place whose rhythm shaped his own. Raised among the limestone hills and long-shaded roads of the Bluegrass, he carried with him a Kentuckian’s blend of warmth, wit, hospitality, and fierce loyalty. He was shaped by the traditions of his home: the earnestness of small communities, the particular music of Kentucky storytelling, the deep regional pride that can encourage a person to go far but never forget where they come from. That sense of place stayed with him, steady as breath, wherever God’s call led.
And through every season, he joked—only half in jest—that he had been blessed by the joy of serving the Church and yet, on certain days, sorely tempted to quit it all and sell shoes. But he never did. Through lightning-bolt clarity and through periods of fog and clouded mirrors, Corky remained faithful to the calling he believed God had placed before him.
A Ministry of Immense Breadth
His early service in the Diocese of Mississippi awakened his love for young people, music, and communal worship. He served on the Music Commission, chaired youth programs, and directed camps that shaped the lives and faith of countless teenagers.
He continued his ministry in the Diocese of Texas, co-directing youth camps, preparing diocesan liturgies, and guiding Cursillo weekends with the depth of a spiritual companion and the levity of a natural storyteller.
In the Diocese of Atlanta, his leadership deepened as he chaired the Liturgy & Music Commission, served on the Executive Committee, and helped strengthen diocesan ministries during years of vibrant growth and meaningful transition.
Then came one of the most transformative chapters of his life: his service in the Diocese of Maseno North and the Church of the Province of Kenya. His ministry reached its fullest depth during those years—years he described as the time when “God cracked my heart open so that I might serve Him more fully.”
There he offered his gifts to the Standing Committee, the Board of Examining Chaplains, the Board of Theological Education, and the Eucharistic Committee, while teaching at St. Philip’s Bible College. He helped shape the Kenyan Prayer Book and walked humbly beside Christians whose courage, faith, and joyful resilience transformed him forever.
Returning to the United States, he continued decades of service in the Diocese of Lexington, chairing liturgical commissions, supporting stewardship work, serving on Executive Council, leading Residents Encounter Christ, engaging in prison ministry, and shaping diocesan worship and leadership through times of challenge and renewal.
His influence extended churchwide: through national conferences, Kanuga gatherings, more than one hundred stewardship consultations, and his leadership as a trustee of the University of the South.
A Heart for Community
Corky’s commitment was never confined to the sanctuary.
He served on boards for Mental Health Associations, the United Way, the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, ministerial associations from Georgia to Kentucky, and ecumenical initiatives across the Southeast.
He chaired the Martin Luther King Day Celebration in Cartersville, believing firmly that racism in all its forms was one of the great social sins of our time. He never hesitated to proclaim the Gospel’s cost and promise—even when it carried a measure of risk.
A Pastor Who Knew Himself—and Shared That Knowledge
Corky often said the Church taught him more about himself than any classroom ever could. Over thirty-seven years he learned:
· He thrived where there was a challenge.
· He cherished those who questioned and tested their faith.
· He was most content when surrounded by new opportunities and new faces.
· He was unafraid of change—yet wary of changes he could not help guide.
· He believed God is always making things new, and resisting that newness is resisting God.
· He was a gifted preacher, teacher, counselor, and administrator—but never a meticulous organizer of desks or schedules.
· He believed money was the greatest spiritual struggle in American life.
· He loved including new people, meeting all people, and “doing lunch.”
· He believed a clergy home should be a place of joy and delighted in hospitality.
· He trusted ministry that springs forth from the life of a congregation.
· He agreed wholeheartedly with the bishop who said, “God so loved the world that He did not send a committee.”
· And above all, he believed that if love did not animate the work, then the work—however well intended—was in vain.
He loved to laugh. He took his mission seriously, but never himself.
A Family Anchored in Love
Corky was married to a woman he often called his “personal prophet,” the one who summoned him to a holier, truer version of himself. She was his confidante, friend, and the great love of his life. Together they raised a son, Absalom.
A Hopeful Witness
Despite the challenges the Church faces, Corky never believed it was dying.
He insisted the Episcopal Church would not only survive—it would prevail. But to do so, he believed it must take seriously its responsibility to welcome young and old, rich and poor, Black and white, strong and weak. Rejecting even one of God’s children, he often said, diminishes the life of Christ in all of us.
He believed the Church is at its truest when it mirrors the Kingdom of God—full of “all sorts and conditions” of humanity.
A Life Grounded in Incarnation
Above all, Corky believed that ministry—like life—is incarnational. You cannot understand another person until you sit with them, see them, speak with them, break bread with them, and walk beside them through sunshine and shadow.
This was the guiding truth of his years of service: that God becomes known through people, and Corky never tired of meeting those people wherever God sent him.
His was a life lived widely, deeply, joyfully, and imperfectly, filled with love, conviction, laughter, curiosity, challenge, and grace.
A life of a man who knew who he was, who he belonged to, and who believed—always— that God was not finished making all things new.
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A Final Word of Origin, Family, Gratitude, and Peace
Michael Emerson Carlisle was born in Lexington, Kentucky on August 7, 1947, to the late Ralph Emerson Carlisle and the late Thelma Willoughby Carlisle.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Doris Bentley Carlisle; his son, Absalom Oketch Carlisle; and his cherished grandson, Michael Emerson Carlisle.
He is also survived by his surrogate grandchildren—Brarian Namonywa, Jean Bentley Namonywa, and Cliff Namonywa—each of whom he loved with deep and joyful devotion.
He died peacefully in his home in Sewanee, Tennessee, after courageously battling Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for seven years.
His family offers profound gratitude to Tennessee Oncology and especially Dr. Bertrand Anz III, whose exceptional care and compassion gave the gift of more time—more laughter, more stories, and more love—with him.
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Donations in Memory of Corky
In lieu of flowers, the family invites memorial gifts to the following organizations that reflect Corky’s lifelong commitments to faith, justice, education, and compassionate service:
· Community Action Committee (CAC), Sewanee
· Episcopal Relief & Development
· Southern Poverty Law Center
· University of the South – School of Theology Designate gifts to “Student Support”
· St. Mark and St. Paul, Sewanee
Your gifts honor Corky’s legacy of generosity, justice, and love for God’s people.
A Memorial Service will be held on December 9, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Central Time at All Saints’ Chapel in Sewanee, Tennessee, followed by a reception at Convocation Hall.
Moore-Cortner Funeral Home, 300 First Ave NW, Winchester, TN 37398, (931)-967-2222
