Rev. J. Barry Owens Dies
Beloved Hazlehurst Pastor the Rev. J. Barry Owens died last week at the age of 89.
The Brunswick native spent 71 years in the ministry after being ordained at Norwich Street Baptist Church in Brunswick in 1950.
He graduated from Brewton-Parker College as Valedictorian of the class of 1952 and from Georgia Teachers College (now Georgia Southern University), and received his Bachelor’s and Master’s of Divinity Degrees from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Georgia Southwestern University.
In addition to serving as pastor of a number of Baptist Churches in southeast Georgia, including Hazlehurst First Baptist Church and First Alliance Church in Hazlehurst and Fishing Creek Baptist Church in Telfair County, he taught school, earning his Educational Specialist Degree and Certification in Gifted Education from Valdosta University.
Mr. Owens also taught Bible Classes at Brewton-Parker College for 38 years. He was a former president of the Hazlehurst Rotary Club and a member of the Golden Isles Shag Club.
Mr. Owens was preceded in death by his wife Sylvia, his daughter Lee Ila Owens, his grandsons Stephen Barry and Adam Spencer. He is survived by sons John (Debbie), Christopher (Bonnie), Mercer, and Patrick (Tish).
For more information, see the obituary page.
Sorry to learn of the passing of my friend & colleague.
We pastored together in Hazlehurst, GA. He at the First Baptist and I at the Church of God in the 70’s.
On more than one occasion we swapped pulpits on a Sunday morning. The most memorable for us both was the Sunday I received members into his fellowship and he preached live & on radio for me. Looking back, we hope it was a refreshing break for both our churches
Barry, was a highly respected pastor in our city & community. He earned that honor by being a genuine Christian.
Thanks Barry for sowing into my life & ministry.
Rest In Peace. See you soon
Your friend, Bob