Bishop Ward gives thanks for the life and ministry of Gary Wayne Locklear.
Grace and peace to you my friends in the name of Jesus Christ.
Together, we give thanks to God for the life and ministry of Gary Wayne Locklear. Gary was our Conference Lay Leader. He stood among us tall as a Christ-follower. He served beautifully and wonderfully in his local church, in his district, in our Annual Conference, in the Southeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church, and in our global church. He embodied Matthew 28, “Go and make disciples of Jesus Christ. Baptize them, teach them, and remember I am with you to the end of the age.”
Gary was all about discipleship, his own discipleship, and encouraging the discipleship of others. As leader of the laity in the North Carolina Annual Conference, he was continually helping to create opportunities for laypeople to grow in Christ and to reach out faithfully and fruitfully in the world.Panthia Locklear, Gary’s wife, and his family have designated the Mission Endowment for memorial gifts. How appropriate. Gary was one of the visionaries who dreamed that a mission endowment might be established in order to have funds available to meet human needs in eastern North Carolina across the years ahead.
We will gather virtually on Oct. 4 to give thanks for his good life and to hold in our midst his example. We pray that the good that we saw in Gary takes root in us as well, as we serve Christ faithfully in our churches, in our communities, and in all the world.