Rev. Baldwin J. “Strib” Stribling

Rev. Baldwin J. “Strib” Stribling died Friday, November 24, 2006, in Amarillo at age 83.

Memorial Services were held at 4 p.m. on Monday, November 27, 2006, at the First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Don Stribling, First Presbyterian Church of Lamesa, and Rev. Pat Kennedy, St. Luke Presbyterian Church in Amarillo, officiating. Burial was at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, November 27, 2006, at Dreamland Cemetery. Services were under the direction of Brooks Funeral Directors.

Rev. Stribling was born March 28, 1923, in Lawton, Oklahoma to Warren Webb and Elizabeth Baldwin Stribling. Following graduation from Abilene High School, he attended McMurry College for two years and North Texas A&M at Arlington for a year, where he majored in pre-engineering before being drafted. Each day in his ROTC uniform, he would hitchhike the thirteen miles to class in Arlington; he was never late.

During his service in the military, Strib served in the Army Engineering School—radar and was sent to Naples, Italy, where he was assigned to the 79th Fighting Groups. He was first a Chaplain’s Assistant, then became Chaplain until his discharge from the service. While in Italy, he studied Greek at a local university with an Italian professor, speaking with poor English, using a Spanish text. Before returning to the States, he traveled around Israel by jeep.

After the war, he returned to school and later graduated from Oklahoma City University with a degree in philosophy. Strib worked for several years with his father, selling dairy equipment and occasionally filling vacant pulpits. With four couples he started a church in Midwest City, Oklahoma. They met in one couple’s home until a building was constructed. Here he met his wife, Kay, who played the piano and helped lead singing. He finally recognized the call the ministry, and with wife and daughter went to McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. In August 1954, he was ordained by Oklahoma City Presbytery.

He was called by Central Presbyterian Church in McKinney, Texas, and served that congregation six years before moving to Amarillo and Northminster Presbyterian Church, which he pastored for two years. In 1960 he moved his family to Clarendon, Texas. During his stint there, he organized a yoked ministry between First Presbyterian Church, Clarendon, and First Presbyterian Church, Memphis. In 1967, he again received a call to move, this time to Canyon, Texas, a church looking for healing and reconciliation. After almost 18 months of study by church members and a decision not to cut mission spending, the congregation instituted a building program for its current structure.

Committed to the connectional church, he attended General Assembly as a commissioner, served as a member of Regional Synod Design Committee and Presbyteries Boundaries Committee as the church resolved to reunite its north and south divisions. In Plains Presbytery, predecessor to the current Palo Duro Presbytery, he was a member of General Council. He served many times on the presbytery Commission on Ministerial Care, a term on the Finance Task Group, and as moderator in 1980. He was also instrumental in the implementation of the Presbytery Lay Preaching Workshops. Officer training and preparation of laypersons to better equip church leaders for ministry became a passion for him. He co-authored A Manual for Church Officer Development and wrote A Guide to Excellence: A Manual for Congregational Committees. In addition, he penned A Process for Dialogue Preaching, designed a confirmation-commissioning curriculum for youth communicants, and drafted A Manual for Congregational Nominating Committees.

He was co-founder and board member of many agencies, including United Campus Ministry at WTSU, Amarillo Presbyterian Community, and Reformed Center of the Southwest. He also served on the boards of Amarillo Presbyterian Children’s Home, Samaritan Pastoral Counseling Center, and Amarillo Habitat for Humanity.

He believed that ministry was not contained within the walls of a church building, so he participated in the community on the Panhandle Regional Planning Health Services committee, the Canyon Family Services Board, the Salvation Army Board, and in the Kiwanis Club. He also provided counseling to recovering alcoholics.

As a single parent with some help from Lizzie Maw Evans, he raised four successful children. In 1979, he married Pamela Price Jaggers, and they celebrated their 27th anniversary in September 2006.

In 1988 after 35 years in the ministry, he retired and was named Pastor Emeritus of First Presbyterian Church, Canyon. In retirement, he found more time for puttering in his shop creating many items for family members, tending his yard and gardens, reading and studying, and working crossword puzzles.

He was preceded in death by grandchildren David Stribling and Melanie Metzger.

He is survived by his wife; daughters Lee E. Stribling of Canyon, Sheri Wilcox and husband Kevin of Canyon, Pam Metzger-Vorwald and husband Mel of Pueblo, Colorado; son the Rev. Don E. Stribling and wife Denise of Lamesa; stepsons Brian McMinn and wife Sandi of Austin; and Steve McMinn of Houston; granddaughters Shannon, Kelsey, and Jessica McMinn of Austin; and sister Mary E. Gassaway of Chickasha, Oklahoma.

  The family suggests memorials be made to First Presbyterian Church Choir Scholarship Fund, 1904 19th Street, Canyon, Texas 79015; or Baldwin J. Stribling Scholarship at McCormick Theological Seminary, 5460 S. University Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615-5108.