- Date Of Death: February 6, 2022
- State: New York
ARTHUR BARNES HOUK
The world first laid eyes on Arthur Barnes Houk on July 24, 1929. Born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, he grew to adulthood there. In the summer of 1946 as a Merchant Marine seaman, he signed on with the crew of the Villanova Victory to deliver cattle to Greece for Hefer International. Because of the danger of mines in the Mediterranean Sea left from World War II, he was considered a veteran of the war. After graduating from Doylestown High School in 1947, he enrolled in the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now Biola University) at the behest of his cousin Chuck. Bible was not his real interest; it was the allure of Southern California. However, shortly after becoming a student he put his faith in Jesus Christ for his eternal salvation. Several years later he graduated with a Bachelors degree and a new wife. On December 22, 1950 Arthur married Shirley Chambers, a Biola graduate from Ohio. They were a couple until she passed away November, 2016. After graduation in 1952 he became the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Clarkston, Washington. For more than six decades he pastored churches from Southern California to Alaska and from Miami to New York City, and points in between.
After serving for almost fifteen years as the pastor of Arden Faith Baptist Church in Colville, he retired at the age of 91, and moved to Brooklyn to live with one of his daughters. In addition to his regular church ministries, he preached in the Stevens County jail several times a week, gave a five-minute Gospel message Monday through Saturday on Radio Station WCZL, and sent frequent letters-to-the-editor of local newspapers.
Arthur is survived by his five children: Ruth Christopher, Brooklyn (Stephen); David Houk (Cathy), Tempe, AZ; Deborah Clary (Glenn), Lynchburg, VA; Daniel Houk, Palos Verdes Estates, CA, and Jonathan Houk (Christine), Marietta, GA. In addition, he has twelve grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.
Memorial Baptist Church: 1506 8th Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11215 (on 2/12/22)
Religious service: 5PM-6PM
