V Alexander J. McKelway

1932 - 2024

Alexander J McKelway

December 8, 1932 - December 9, 2024

Irvington, Virginia - Alexander J. McKelway died on December 9, 2024. He was born in Durham, NC on December 8, 1932, the son of Alexander and Alice Gibbon McKelway. He attended public schools in Pinehurst, Davidson, and Charlotte, NC, and in Washington, DC. He graduated from Davidson College in 1954 and received Bachelor of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1957. That same year he was ordained by the Presbyter of Hanover in Richmond, VA and began studies under the direction of Karl Barth at the University of Basel, where he received the degree of Doctor of Theology in 1963.

During his time in Basel he took two years leave to serve as the first pastor of the Vienna Community Church, an English-speaking congregation of Protestants in that city. While there he strengthened the ties between the Community Church and the Austrian Reformed Church, negotiated his church's status with the Austrian government and established forms of governance and mission which continue to define the life and role of that congregation. While in Vienna he also served as a member of the US Fulbright Commission for Austria. It was in Vienna that he met Adelaide Bullard of San Francisco. After their marriage in 1960 they returned together to Basel, where he finished his degree in 1963. Upon their return to the United States, he taught for two years in the Great Issues Program at Dartmouth College and prepared his dissertation on the theology of Paul Tillich for publication. In 1965 he joined the Religion Department of Davidson College. There he taught a variety of courses in systematic and historic theology, chaired many of the faculty's committees, served as Faculty Vice Chairman Pro-Tem, and retired in 1998 as Paul B. Freeland Professor of Religion.

During his time at Davidson, he became a member of Mecklenburg Presbytery, often with responsibility for the preparation of candidates for the ministry and the interpretation of General Assembly actions. He served on Assembly committees dealing with the restructuring of its Boards and Agencies, the production of annual tests for ministerial candidates and other matters of theological significance to the Church.

In his career as a college professor, he published several books and a number of chapters in others and contributed many articles and reviews in theological journals. He gave a number of named lectures, including the Warfield lectures at Princeton Seminary, later published as The Freedom of God and Human Liberation. He was a member of the American Academy of Religion, the John Calvin Studies Society and an invited member of the American and Duodecim Theological Societies, serving for many years the executive secretary of the latter. He was from time to time a visiting professor of theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and Duke Divinity School. He was a Fellow of the Center for Theological Inquiry in Princeton and after retirement continued to serve as a theological consultant in its national Pastor-Theologian Program.

Upon his retirement from Davidson College, he and Adelaide (Babs) moved to Carters Creek off the Rappahannock River, where they had summered with their family for many years. There he had more time for sailing, golf, and woodworking but continued to travel for the Center, preach occasionally, participate in seminars with fellow clergy, and write on topics both theological and political, including The Present Crisis blog along with his college roommate, Philip Lee.

He is survived by his wife Adelaide; sons Alexander of Falls Church, VA, Daniel of Cleveland OH, and Matthew of New York, NY; daughter-in-law Lembi Veskimets (Daniel) and grandchildren Rein, Kaja, and Kiili, and son-in-law Toru Hayashi (Matthew); sister Margaret Van Riper of Pinehurst, NC; sisters-in-law Margaret Garland of Honolulu, and Jackie Baker of Medford, OR.

A memorial service will be held later, likely closer to the time when sails are being pulled out of storage and boats readied for a new season on the water.