Virtual Service for Rev. Richard Avery

We are sharing this message from longtime Ghost Ranch friend, Cindy Piatt.

The time has come for honoring the Rev. Richard Avery for his service to the Presbyterian church through his many years of life here on Earth. An online service will be live on Sunday, August 30th at 5:00 p.m. MST. It will be a YouTube video that has been put together with much love and care by a number of friends. Without the technical help of Rev. Seth Finch, Jeff Jolly (Seth's musical director at Covenant Presbyterian in Albuquerque) and Thomas Loyd, this would never have happened. Thank you so much Seth, Jeff and Thomas. Also the technical expertise for the slide show and music to go with it is thanks to his nephew Brad Wilcox (the son of the infamous Myron the juggler!) and the Parkinson's Choir director, Angela Gabriel. I do hope that you are able to join us on the 30th. However, if for some reason that conflicts with other plans, you can click on the link at any time after that time and date and see the service in your own time frame. There is no limit as to how many people can log on. All you will have to do is click on the link below from Seth. Please feel free to share this link with other friends of yours who knew Dick and Don. Peace and blessings, Cindy Piatt CLICK TO JOIN ONLINE SERVICE

We have also just recently learned about the passing of two other long-time Ghost Ranch friends that some of you may remember. Christine Rogge worked in the fund development office. Edgar Davy worked as the Ghost Ranch librarian for many years. The two became lifelong partners during their time together at Ghost Ranch. Edgar passed away in the fall of 2019 and Chris passed away early in 2020. Condolences to their families.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Presbyterian pastor, songwriter Richard Avery dies

He formed half of Avery and Marsh, which produced more than 150 ‘hymns hot and carols cool’

June 23, 2020

The Rev. Richard Avery

The Rev. Richard Avery, half of the Avery and Marsh songwriting duo along with his longtime collaborator Don Marsh, died March 15 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 85.

Marsh, a longtime church musician and arts director, died on April 10, 2010.

For more than four decades, Avery was pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Port Jervis New York, about 80 miles northwest of Manhattan. Marsh served the same church. Together they composed more than 150 published hymns, carols and anthems.

“I know how many lives (Avery) touched while he was your pastor,” the Rev. Ann Akers, the current pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Port Jervis, said in a Facebook post.

“Although he has been gone from Port Jervis for many years, his impact on your lives and your connection to him has not wavered.”

“He was the consummate pastor,” she told the congregation, “and helped you grow as persons and in faith.”

According to Avery’s obituary, he’d been a resident of Santa Fe since his retirement in 2000.

The two began their collaboration with a small songbook called “Hymns Hot and Carols Cool,” published in 1967 — the same year they founded the publishing company Proclamation Productions. Hope Publishing Company took over the sales of their works in later years. Among their most well-known are “We Are the Church” and “Every Morning is Easter Morning.”

At the Port Jervis church, Avery founded a ministry to poor people called Hope Center. Decades later, in 2003, he founded a small magazine, Santa Fe Theologians, and was editor and later manager of Santa Fe Theologian Institutes, public forums on contemporary issues.

Avery was born in California’s Central Valley in 1934, the son of Chester and Rose Bradford Avery. He attended schools in Exeter, California, where he and his family were active at First Presbyterian Church. He was a graduate of the University of Redlands in California and Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

During the late 1960s and over the ensuing decades, Avery and Marsh began sharing their music and creative ideas for worship at church conferences and regional and national assemblies, including 30 summers leading contemporary religious music seminars at Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center in Abiquiu, New Mexico.

He is survived by close friends Clyde Tomlin, Cindy Piatt, Betty Collins and other friends and neighbors in Santa Fe and Port Jervis; his nephew Brad Wilcox and wife Tricia and their son Sam Wilcox of Fresno, California, and son Kevin Dunn, his wife Taylor and daughter Kendahl of Woodland, California; and his niece Carol Wilcox Bazemore and her husband Ed Bazemore of Raleigh, North Carolina.

In his memory, contributions were made to Ghost Ranch Education and Retreat Center in Abiquiu, New Mexico; to the First Presbyterian Church of Port Jervis, New York; to Westminster Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and to Amnesty International.

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Let us join in prayer for: 

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Magdy Girgis, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Tammy Gish, Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray:

God of Grace, you are the Tree of Life. Gather your people from all lands to sit in your refreshing shade and learn together how to be co-laborers with you, enabling all to enjoy the fullness of life promised in Christ Jesus. Amen.