Timothy Frederick Simpson

1963 - 2015

SIMPSON The Rev. Dr. Timothy Frederick Simpson was devoted to his family, a beloved pastor of the Lake Shore Presbyterian Church, a respected teacher and public theologian, a seeker of peace and justice and friend to all -died on Tuesday, April 7th 2015 at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Jacksonville, FL due to complications associated with a recent battle with cancer. Dr. Simpson was born on July 18, 1963 to Rev. Dr. Jerry Randolph Simpson and Wenda Sue Simpson (Zimmerman) in Owatonna, Minnesota. He attended schools in MN, MI and CA, returning to Jacksonville, FL in his senior year. He is a graduate of Liberty University (B.A., M.A.), Columbia Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M.), the University of Florida (M.A.), Union Theological Seminary-Presbyterian School of Christian Education (now Union Presbyterian Seminary) (Th.M.) and Florida State University (Ph.D.). In 1988, he married Sherri L. Patray and they had three children: Stephen Frederick Simpson, Caitlin Elizabeth Simpson, and Jacob Carter Simpson. He was ordained in the Baptist church in April 1984 and transferred his ordination to the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1994. In 2008 in Jacksonville, FL he married the Rev. Kathryn Ann McLean, with whom he shared a pastorate at Lake Shore PC. He served churches in FL, VA, AL, IL, GA and IN. As graduate assistant, he taught at Candler School of Theology, and Florida State University and was an adjunct professor at Scott Community College and St. Ambrose University in Davenport, IA, and online at Saint Leo University. He was an adjunct professor at the Florida Community College at Jacksonville, FL and the University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, and an instructor in the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary's online Commissioned Lay Pastor program. In 1995, Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann, Tim's mentor asked him to construct the indices for his Theology of the Old Testament. This began a decade-long association working with Dr. Brueggemann, editing and indexing his many book projects. Tim was named an editor of the international journal Political Theology. In addition to active service in the Presbytery of St. Augustine, Tim served the larger church as a volunteer itinerate mission co-worker of the Office of Peacemaking of the General Assembly going around the country lecturing on nonviolence in early Christianity. In 2009/10 he was editor of the PC(USA) Bible Content Exam given to ordination candidates. He co-authored an overture to the 2010 General Assembly, which directed the denomination to engage in a six-year study on what the church's stance ought to be on the issue of war in contemporary times. He was elected and served as a Commissioner to the General Assembly of the PC (USA) in 2014. Since 2005, Tim was significantly involved in political activism, and was the spokesperson for the progressive advocacy organization the Christian Alliance for Progress on justice and peace issues. Tim's blog, Public Theologian, which ran from 2004-2007, was mentioned in the New York Times in 2007 as one of the most influential progressive Christian blogs of the period. Under the auspices of Political Theology, in 2010 he established a new online presence called There Is Power in the Blog. In 2006, he co-founded the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq (now simply Christian Peace Witness), a consortium of peace groups from denominations across the United States. He was elected to the board of directors of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. On September 16, 2011, Tim joyfully became a grandfather with the birth of his grandson, Alexander Frederick Simpson, child of his son, Stephen, and Krystal Rutten, and preached his last sermon on Easter Sunday, April 5th with passion about being an Eastering presence to one another, until the world is made whole. Tim is survived by his father Rev. Dr. Jerry Simpson (Stacey), his mother Wenda Zimmerman-Nelson (Randy), his brothers Jon Marc, Jeff and Josh Simpson, his sisters Jennifer Kyser (Jeff) and Rebecca Simpson; as well as his three children Stephen F. Simpson, (Nicole) Jacob C. Simpson and Caitlin E. Simpson, his former wife and in in-laws Sherri, Bobbie and Ron Patray, many aunts, uncles, cousins from the family of his maternal grandparents Virginia and the Rev. Wendall Zimmerman, stepson 2nd Lieutenant Aaron M.R. Flodin, US Air Force (Samantha) and Tims wife Rev. Kathryn A. McLean. A Service of Witness to the Resurrection with Communion will be held on Friday April 17th at 11:00 AM at Riverside Presbyterian Church, 849 Park Street, Jacksonville, FL 32204, Rev. Dr. John Ragsdale and Rev. Gwin Pratt officiating; Celebrant Rev. Kathryn McLean. Memorial donations are respectfully requested to be sent to: The Lake Shore Presbyterian Church 2270 Blanding Blvd, Jacksonville Florida 32210 or The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, 17 Cricketown Road, Stony Point, NY 10980 Please Sign the Guestbook @ Jacksonville.com