Rev. William Hemphill Jr.

The Rev. William Hemphill Jr. passed on to be with his Lord on January 10th. Born on June 16, 1925 in West Philadelphia, PA, he was the first of four children to William Hemphill and Edith Gulick Hemphill.

When he was 3 years old the family moved to Havertown, PA where he graduated from Haverford Township High School in January 1943. He enlisted in the US Navy V12 program and upon successful completion was commissioned Ensign in the US Navy and was ordered to the USS Charles J. Kimmel (DE 584) in the Pacific.

Released from active duty, he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania and completed his A.B. degree in January 1948. Two weeks later on February 14th, he and Sarah Francis Foster were married at Grace Chapel in Havertown. The following May the newly-weds journeyed to East New Market on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to begin his life's work as a Methodist Pastor.

As a Student Pastor serving three churches - Trinity, Brookview and Wesley - he also travelled to Temple University Conwell School of Theology in Philadelphia for classes. He received his Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree and was ordained in 1951. That was followed by a Master of Sacred Theology degree.

In 1953 he was appointed to Calvary-Asbury Church in Sudlersville, MD. In 1957 the Bishop appointed him to St. Paul's Church in Cambridge, MD, where his five year tenure was caught up in the emotional issues of the civil rights struggles. Also at this time the Vietnam War was intensifying and he was challenged to become a Chaplain in the Maryland Army National Guard. Many of his church members urged him to do this part-time work because so many farm boys were enlisting in the guard rather than being drafted.

His next appointment was to Wesley Church in Dover, DE. His National Guard Chaplaincy was transferred to the Delaware Army National Guard, where he served until he was retired in 1979. It was during his service at Wesley church that the predominately white Peninsula Conference merged with the historically African-American Delaware Conference in 1964 to become the Peninsula Delaware Annual Conference, the first such merger in the nation.

In 1970 he was appointed Senior Pastor of St.Paul's Church in Wilmington. In 1977 he was named Superintendent of the Wilmington District, which includes all the United Methodist Churches in New Castle County Delaware and Cecil County Maryland.

In 1983 he was appointed pastor of the Hockessin United Methodist Church. After retiring in 1989, he continued to work part-time as Associate Pastor of the Elkton United Methodist Church and lived on the Chesapeake Bay at West View Shores.

In 2001 he and Sarah became residents of the Willow Valley Retirement Community near Lancaster, PA.

During his 41 years of pastoring churches, Rev. Hemphill also served on many of the Boards and Agencies of the conference, including 25 years as Trustee of the Peninsula United Methodist Homes, Inc. He was elected delegate to seven Northeast Jurisdictional Conferences and as delegate to four General Conferences of the denomination. He was also elected to two four-year terms of the General Board of Global Ministries for which he made three mission trips to Africa.

Rev. Hemphill is survived by his son William Bruce Hemphill and his wife Dorothy of Earlville, MD; by his son Robert Mark Hemphill and his spouse Scott Shrader of West Hollywood, CA; by his brother Robert Benjamin Hemphill and his wife Patricia of Newtown Square, PA; by his grandson Dr. Richard Harrison, Jr. and his wife Xiomara of Indian Harbor Beach, FL; by his granddaughter Katherine Harrison Betterly and her husband Luke; by several nephews and nieces and by three very active great-grandsons - Will Grayson and Xavier. He was predeceased by his wife Sarah, his sister Ruth and his brother Franklin.

A private funeral will be held for the immediate family and a memorial is being planned for June and details will be available from the DeBord Snyder funeral home. In lieu of flowers the family suggests that memorial gifts could be made to the United Methodist Committee on Relief 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115 or the Bill & Sarah Hemphill Memorial at the Cecilton UMC, PO Box 326, Cecilton, MD 21913. Condolences may be offered at www.debordsnyder.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Cecil Whig on Jan. 14, 2021.

Memories and Condolences
for William Hemphill

Sponsored by DeBord Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. - Orange Street Location.

6 Entries

Rev. Derrick Porter

January 21, 2021

May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.

JW/JKH

January 18, 2021

My deepest sympathy to the Hemphill Family for the loss of your loved one, William, Jr., and pray God gives you comfort, peace and strength.

Billie Carroll

January 16, 2021

I was honored to meet and see Rev and Mrs Hemphill at Annual Conference each year in Princess Anne, and Rev Hemphill in Wilmington after the passing of Mrs. Hemphill. They faithfully served the Lord for many years together, including my home church in Sudlersville MD(but before my time). They made an impact on so many lives here on Earth and I am sure they were richly rewarded in Heaven. Rest in peace, good and faithful servant.

Rick Ceresini

January 16, 2021

I am sad to hear that Bill's ministry has come to an end. We worked closely on may projects at Elkton UMC. Bill was a leader, a trailblazer, a teacher and one of the finest Christian men I have had to honor to know. Heaven is celebrating his homecoming!

Bruce

January 15, 2021

Bill Hemphill was a wonderful Christian friend and colleague of many years. He and my father, the Rev. Dr. Jervis Cooke, we're contemporaries and shared leadership in the church. Well done good and faithful servant,!

Jeannie Moore

January 15, 2021

I first met Bill and his lovely wife Sarah in 1989 when my husband Gary and Bill were appointed to work for the Lord at Elkton UMC. What a gift I received from this friendship.
While taking Disciple 1 I really came to know the Bill we all love. He was so kind to me that even when my interpretation of the lesson was way off the wall he’d look at me and say “ What a unique way of looking at it.”
I learned about the Hutus and the Tutsis when Bill brought them up at almost every Disciple class. His pain and concern for that situation was evident to all of us. He awakened my desire to work on his Mission Committee because of his never ending determination to improve the conditions of less fortunate people.
While discussing the Bible passages of the loss of Abrahams wife Sarah, he leaned over and held his wife’s hand and said “I can’t imagine losing my Sarah.” It was so genuinely sweet and loving.
But as all good things must come to an end, in 1999 we were assigned to another church in Easton. It was one of the saddest days in my life. But Bill, in his way to make things better, placed his hand on my husband’s shoulder and said “ We did good work here didn’t we?”
It was a privilege to call Bill my friend. My life was the better for having experienced the joy of both Bill and Sarah. He will be missed but never forgotten.

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