Charles Porter Shields

Charles Porter Shields was born on June 27, 1930, in Ohio County, Kentucky, and passed away on September 13, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas, after a long and abundant life. Charles is survived by his daughter Rachel Heymans, son Brant (Amy) Shields, sister Betty (Richard) Phillips, Leonard (Marie) Shields, James (Linda) Shields, John (Kathy) Shields, grandchildren Jordan (Hunter) Duplessis, Shannon Shields, Tate Shields, Jillian Heymans, Lauren Shields, Joslyn Heymans, and great-grandson Baylen Duplessis. He was preceded in death by his wife Barbara Conrad Shields, parents Vonley and Lula Shields, sister Violet (Roy) Drake, and brother William (Ruth) Shields. Charles had strong family and friendship bonds. He was proud of his rural Kentucky heritage, often sharing stories of life on the farm as a youth, and all the adventures he and his siblings got into. As a young man he was a skillful farmer and enjoyed a particularly enriching experience through 4H as an exchange student in England where he fostered a life-long habit of establishing durable friendships. He felt called to the ministry as a teenager and was a graduate of Western Kentucky University, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Virginia Theological Seminary. He served as a pastor at Garfield Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, Maple Grove Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and Culbertson Baptist Church in New Albany, Indiana. Charles loved to converse and write about his personal reflections on theology, biblical language, and textual criticisms. He was an avid fisherman, hunter, outdoorsman, and a good athlete- playing high school basketball, running track at Western, and later taking on tennis as a hobby. He loved his bird dogs, quail hunting, canoeing, camping, traveling, gardening, and reading a folded-over magazine or a Louis L'Amour western paperback in his rocking chair next to the fireplace. He was a courageous investor while embracing frugal living. He was an active grandfather, always looking to get his grandkids into some kind of fun with bikes, basketball, BB guns, fishing, or a tree swing. He put great energy and care into looking after his family, working to foster their safety and ensure higher education opportunities for his grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 8, 2025, 11 AM at Mission Park Funeral Chapel Cherry Ridge. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Culbertson Baptist Church, New Albany.