Malcolm Kenneth Phillips

Malcolm "Misha" Phillips, beloved brother, pastor, and friend, passed away on May 25, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of compassion, ministry, and global fellowship. Born on December 17, 1958, at the Mercer Cottage Hospital in Mercer, Pennsylvania, to Henry Kenneth Phillips and Mae Curtis Phillips, Malcolm was shaped by a strong family tradition of faith and service. He idolized his grandfather, a devoted minister who mentored Malcolm and nurtured in him a deep and enduring call to ministry.

From an early age, Malcolm was drawn to the world beyond his doorstep. He pursued his passion for international understanding through his education, studying Soviet and East European Studies at the University of Oklahoma and Columbia Pacific University, and earning a degree in Political Science from Rose State College in 1977. His academic path reflected his growing dedication to the people of Ukraine, a country he came to love deeply and serve faithfully through years of missionary work.

Malcolm's professional life was equally defined by his call to serve. He spent nearly two decades at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), where he built lifelong friendships and was honored to minister to coworkers through weddings, memorials, and pastoral care. Upon retiring in 2020, he embraced his long-awaited vocation in full-time cross-cultural ministry. As the International Ministry Pastor at Mok Yang Presbyterian Church in Fairfax Station, Virginia, he devoted himself to a diverse global congregation with joy, humility, and unwavering dedication.

Malcolm was also a civic leader, serving as Chairman of the Arlington Sister City Association from 2013 to 2018, helping foster international exchange and understanding.

To know Malcolm was to be seen, remembered, and cherished. He had an extraordinary gift for staying connected. For Malcolm, the world was his family, and he loved everyone in it. Whether through a late-night phone call, a handwritten note, or a prayer offered across time zones, he made people feel valued and never alone. He built bridges, not boundaries.

Malcolm is lovingly remembered by his brothers Vincent and Keith Phillips, his uncle David C. Phillips, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, godchildren, and cherished friends across the globe, especially in Ukraine. His kindness, humor, wisdom, and faithful presence remain etched in the hearts of all who knew him.

Malcolm "Misha" Phillips answered a higher call-in life, and now, he has answered the final call home. He leaves behind a radiant legacy of faith, service, and love without borders.

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