Clyde C. Flannery

Clyde Cecil Flannery

93, of Indianapolis, minister, church leader, and worker for social justice, died on October 25, 2013, after a long illness, with his daughters by his side.

Clyde C. Flannery was born on June 14, 1920 to Robert and Goldia Flannery in Cromona, Kentucky. Ordained in the Free Will Baptist Church at 16, his horizon greatly expanded during his education at Berea College and Yale Divinity School.

After pastorates in Kentucky and Alabama, he became president of Southern Union College in Wadley Alabama in 1951. While at Southern Union, he expanded the college curriculum to include courses in theology and church history for untrained ministers in the area. He became minister of Brookmeade Congregational Church in Nashville Tennessee in 1956. There he served on the adjunct faculty of Vanderbilt Divinity School and was active in the civil rights movement.

In 1964, he was called to the staff of the newly-organized Indiana-Kentucky Conference of the United Church of Christ where he served until he retired in 1985. During these years, he received a D.Min. from Christian Theological Seminary and an honorary doctorate from Defiance College. After retirement, he served as interim minister for a number of congregations, including St. Peter's United Church of Christ in Carmel IN and First Congregational Church in Indianapolis IN.

He married Virginia Mitchener on June 26, 1945. Active members of First Congregational Church since 1964, in retirement they volunteered with organizations which served homeless and immigrant families and rocked babies together at Riley Hospital for Children.

He is survived by his daughters, Maureen Flannery (Northampton MA), Jennifer Dier (North Hills CA) and Madeline Flannery (Whitesburg KY); sister, Loretta Vanover (Potters Fork KY); grandsons, Kerry (Westport CT), Patrick (Nashville TN) and Paul (North Hills CA); and three great-grandchildren. His wife, Virginia died in March 2010 and his parents; brother, John (Junior); and sister, Sharlene Hall also preceded him in death.

Memorial service will be at First Congregational Church, 7171 North Pennsylvania on Saturday November 9 at 2 p.m. with reception following. Ashes will be interred in the First Congregational Church memorial garden. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome to First Congregational Church, (http://www.fcindy.org, 7171 North Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis IN 46240 and Exodus (http://www.exodusrefugee.org, 1125 Brookside Ave, Suite C9, Indianapolis, IN 46202). Arrangements by Flanner and Buchanan - Carmel .