Gardner-Webb University announces with great sadness the death of Professor Emeritus of Religion Dr. Jack Partain, who passed away on August 3 in Shelby, NC at the age of 77. Partain served at Gardner-Webb University as professor of religious studies from 1983-1998. He was also vice chair of the faculty from 1986-88, and in 1996 was awarded the Fleming-White Award for Excellence in Teaching. That same year Partain was honored with a national Templeton Foundation Award for his work in the academic course “Issues in Science and Religion.”
A native of Texas, Partain earned a B.A. in religion and history from Baylor University, a B. Div. degree with a focus in New Testament (Greek) and missions/world religions from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and his Th. D from Southwestern Theological Seminary, completing his dissertation on African theology.
Prior to his time at Gardner-Webb, Partain served a number of churches as pastor in North Carolina and Virginia. He also worked as a missionary with his wife, Ruth in Africa for 15 years and served on the faculty of the Baptist Theological Seminary of East Africa, teaching and preparing a generation of indigenous pastors. In 1980, Partain joined the faculty of religious studies at William Jewell College, Liberty, MO, as director of the Center for Christian Ministry.
He was also active in developing Swahili theological textbooks, and he wrote the commentary on Numbers for the Mercer Commentary of the Bible.
Partain was also active in NC Baptist life, serving two terms on the Convention’s Council of Christian Life and Public Affairs, and serving as an interim pastor. He was also an active member of Boiling Springs Baptist Church (N.C.), where he was a deacon, Sunday School teacher and member of various committees.
Dr. Randall Lolley, former Southeastern Seminary president, said: “His role as a professor and a colleague in Christian higher education was profound. He had both wisdom and knowledge. The former was God-given; the latter was earned the old fashioned way: he worked very hard and very long for it because he knew that the young minds he was molding deserved his very best disciplined scholarship.”
Partain was awarded professor emeritus status at Gardner-Webb in 1999.
A Visitation will be held on Friday, August 6 (6-8 pm) and a memorial service on Saturday at 2 pm (both at Boiling Spring Baptist -N.C.).
Gardner-Webb University Press Release
