Charles Benz

Family-Placed Death Notice

Charles, 79, Presbyterian Minister-Charles Benz moved from his birthplace in Pittsburgh, PA, at eight years old, during the height of the Depression, as his father sought work. The family slept in their car as they struggled to start a new life in Orlando, FL, eventually settling there where he grew up and excelled in school and extracurricular activities. Graduated from high school at 16, from Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC, at 19, he continued his training for the ministry at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. He served as youth director at Decatur Presbyterian Church during an interim year where he met Peggy Norris, whom he married in 1949. Charles excelled in debate in high school and brought his oratorical skill into the ministry. He and his young bride moved to Jacksonville, FL, in 1950 where he served as assistant pastor of the South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church for just over a year. The South Jacksonville church soon organized the Lakewood Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, and Charles was called to be the organizing pastor at the tender age of 24. The Lakewood church grew into one of the largest churches in the old Suwanee Presbytery under his leadership, which covered 21 years. During those years, he served his church in many capacities at every level of the denomination, finally serving on the General Council of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.), the former Southern stream of the current Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Charles long advocated for the reunion of the church, split during the Civil War, and celebrated that reunion in Atlanta in 1983. He also served on the Board of Directors of Columbia Seminary in Decatur. After graduating from Columbia in 1950, Charles and Peggy planned to continue his education at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, but those plans had to be put on hold as the Korean War broke out. During the next 20 years, as many of his classmates received honorary degrees, the passion for further education burned in his soul. In 1969, Columbia Seminary offered for the first time an advanced degree, the Doctor of Sacred Theology, and he enrolled in the first group of students. He was one of the first two ministers in the PCUS to attain that degree four years later. In 1973, the Benz family moved back to Atlanta so that Charles could serve as pastor and head of staff of the Morningside Presbyterian Church. After six years in that pastorate and six more at the Bethany church in College Park, he moved to the north Georgia Mountains where he has served several churches in his retirement. He was the organizing pastor of churches in Blairsville, GA (the Mountain Presbyterian Church) and Cleveland, GA and was honored by Northeast Georgia Presbytery for 50 years of active ministry in 2000. The Reverend Dr. C. Charles Benz, 79, died on Friday evening, the 8th of December after a short illness related to his continuing battle with heart disease. A memorial service will be held on Monday, December 11, at 2:00 p.m., in the chapel of the First Baptist Church of Gainesville, GA; The Rev. Dr. Bill Coates and the Rev. Cindy Benz officiating. Interment of cremains in the Decatur Cemetery will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be sent to Columbia Theological Seminary, P.O. Box 520, Decatur, GA 30031, or to the Good News Clinic, 810 Pine St., Gainesville, GA 30501.Dr. Benz is survived by his wife of 57 years, Peggy, of Lula; son Steve and his wife Cindy Benz of Knoxville, TN; daughter Kathy and husband David Vollaro of Cleveland, GA; son John and his wife Donna Benz, of Lula; daughter Becky Benz of Lula; and son Joshua Benz of Gainesville; granddaughter and her husband Julie Benz Pottie and David Pottie of Decatur; and granddaughter Bethany Benz of Smyrna. A.S. Turner & Sons.