Professor K.C. Ptomey Dies

AUSTIN, Texas (May 10, 2013)—The Reverend Dr. Kyser Cowart (K.C.) Ptomey Jr., the Zbinden Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Leadership, died on May 9, 2013, at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, after a battle with cancer. A service in Witness to the Resurrection will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville on Saturday, May 18 at 11 a.m. The Austin Seminary community will hold a memorial service in the fall (date to be determined).

Ptomey was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on January 31, 1942. He received a BA from Rhodes College, a Master of Divinity degree from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Ministry degree from McCormick Theological Seminary, and an honorary doctorate from Rhodes.

Prior to joining the faculty at Austin Seminary, K.C. served as pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville, from 1981 to 2008. He also served churches in Collierville, Tennessee, and Henderson and Arlington, Texas.

He also has served on the Board of Trustees of Schreiner College in Kerrville, Texas, the Board of Trustees of Rhodes College, and as Chair of the Examinations Committee, Commission on the Minister, Grace Presbytery.  He has also served on the alumni board of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, as moderator and chair of several committees of the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee, and currently serves as a member of the Committee on Theological Education. He was a founding member of The Moveable Feast, a lectionary-based cohort of pastors who have gathered annually around issues related to biblical study, homiletics, and church leadership for 31 years.

Ptomey is survived by his wife, Carol Tate, and his children Christopher and Patricia.

“All of us who have known and loved K.C. are deeply sad at the news of his passing. K.C. was one of the most inspiring and formative models in my own life—a steadfast friend, counselor, and mentor—and I know that my own testimony to his impact is multiplied many times over,” Seminary President Theodore J. Wardlaw said. “He was a fierce, steadfast, compassionate, and joyful believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ. His impact on the Church which he loved with every fiber of his being cannot be measured. I grieve this day with Carol and his family and other loved ones, and am just so thankful that so many of our students had the privilege of knowing and loving him as a cherished teacher.”

Founded in 1902, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is an institution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership. For more information and ways to support Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, visit www.austinseminary.edu.

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