Retired Alabama Baptist pastor William Allan “Brother Allan” Murphy died June 13. He was 69.
Murphy was pastor of North Shelby Baptist Church, Birmingham, from 1995 to 2018.
Murphy’s death was first announced in a Facebook post by the church:
“We are deeply saddened to report that Bro. Allan Murphy longtime pastor and friend suddenly and unexpectedly passed away this morning. … Please be in prayer for (his wife) Mary and the family at this time. … Brother Allan was dearly loved by all and will be deeply missed.”
‘Big shoes’
Michael Meadows, pastor of North Shelby Baptist, posted on Facebook: “I have thought long and hard about what to say and words fail me at this time. … When I came here 3 months ago I knew I had big shoes to fill, but as I have gotten to know Bro. Allan, and the many great folks of North Shelby Baptist Church and the surrounding community, I have come to realize just how big those shoes really were.
“But with that being said I couldn’t have hoped for a better predecessor. His humble heart and care for me was truly a new pastor’s greatest hopes when coming to a new place. Truth is I can only hope to be half the pastor that he was,” Meadows said. “We here at NSBC know we stand on his shoulders, and any success God might allow us to have will have only been possible because his faithfulness to this place and these people.”
Lifetime of Christian service
Murphy grew up in Greenville, Alabama, where he graduated as valedictorian from Greenville High School in 1969. He came to know the Lord at the age of 17 and immediately began his preaching ministry. He attended Samford University in Birmingham, where he met and fell in love with Mary Love, marrying her just after he graduated magna cum laude in 1973. While in college, Allan served at Shady Grove Baptist in Selma, Bethel Baptist in Georgiana, and Sardis Baptist in Greenville.
He completed his master of divinity degree in 1977 at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he served on staff at Lyndon Baptist Church, before returning to Birmingham to serve on staff at Philadelphia Baptist Church in Cahaba Heights.
In 1986, the Murphys answered the call to serve in the missions field. Allan and Mary attended a year of Spanish language training in Costa Rica before moving to the Caribbean island of Curacao and learned the language of Papiamentu for their work as church planters.
In 1995, Murphy moved his family back to Alabama, where he served as the first full-time pastor of the newly formed North Shelby Baptist Church until his retirement from full-time ministry in 2018. He then served as the interim pastor at Indian Springs First Baptist Church until March of 2020.
‘Sharing Jesus with the world’
“[Allan Murphy] loved God and others by sharing Jesus with the world,” an obituary posted on the North Shelby Baptist Church website noted.
Murphy served in many other roles during his life, including as a member of several Alabama Baptist entity boards.
Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, said, “I grieve for the family of my longtime friend, Allan Murphy. I have known him since our college days. Allan was an excellent pastor and a genuine friend.”
Murphy was preceded in death by a daughter, Joy Love Murphy. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Mary Love Murphy; sons, Joshua Allan Murphy and John William Murphy; daughter Jane Murphy Draper; and five grandchildren.
In his own words
Brother Allan’s last post on Facebook was Friday, June 12, at 10:11 a.m.:
“It takes time to gain perspective. What we are living today is still too new, too strange. We remember ‘normal’ and we long for its return. We old folks are worse. We remember ‘the good ole days’ better than what happened yesterday.
“For me, June was wedding month. I averaged hitching 12 couples a year, but June’s quota made up for the slow winters. My own generation waited until after May graduation and then wed in June. Many/most of us celebrate anniversaries (for the first marriage, at least) this month. Now, funerals outnumber weddings. I have had eight weddings since retiring, but some 30 funerals, with three this weekend.
“I continue to pray for the pandemic to end and the days of unmasked smiles, loving hugs, and warm handshakes to return. I pray for full churches and spirited ‘sanging.’
“I also pray for new and true respect for every man, for peace, joy, and prosperity for all. I pray too for the current political cycle to end soon and sanely. God is being asked for a great deal, but He can handle it; after all, He is God!”
Memorial service
A memorial service for Murphy will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2020, at North Shelby Baptist Church (4100 Belcher Dr, Birmingham, AL 35242). Doors will open at 9:45 AM for pre-service worship at 10:00 AM with the memorial service to follow at 10:30 AM. The service will be livestreamed at NorthShelbyBaptist.org and on the North Shelby Baptist Facebook page.
The church notes that attendees are encouraged to wear face coverings. In lieu of flowers, Allan’s family asks those interested to consider donating to the missions fund at North Shelby Baptist Church.
For more information, visit www.northshelbybaptist.org.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This post was updated on June 17, 2020.
Share with others: