Lamar Duke, former director of missions for the Baptist Association of Southwestern Pennsylvania, died Feb. 11 after a brief illness. He was 69.
While serving in Pittsburgh, Duke and his wife Dolly, natives of Alabama, were featured missionaries in the 2009 Annie Armstrong Easter Week of Prayer and Offering, with the theme, “Live with Urgency: Sowing Together for Harvest.”
A former pastor for 25 years, Duke was known for his sense of urgency and passion for the gospel. He was known to weep about the profound lostness across the greater Pittsburgh and southwest Pennsylvania area. At the time, only an estimated five percent of the metro Pittsburgh population claimed to be evangelical Christians.
“Lamar’s ministry in PA/SJ, particularly in southwest Pennsylvania, will be remembered for his energy and passion to see the gospel spread throughout the region through new church plants and churches,” shared Barry Whitworth, executive director of the Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania/South Jersey.
“Lamar was a trusted and loyal friend to many pastors. The ‘joy of the Lord’ was ‘truly his strength,’” he added. “We are most grateful to God that our BRN family had the wonderful joy and privilege of working alongside of Lamar and Dolly Duke.”
James Hogan, pastor of Faithbridge Community Church in McKees Rocks, outside of Pittsburgh, honored Duke in a Facebook post: “Lamar’s eyes are fixed upon his Lord, in person now. Thanks for lending him to us for a while, Lord. Please let him be a part of the great cloud of witnesses and let him peer into the life of Faithbridge… some of that pile of stored treasure came from investing here.”
Peter Yanes, executive director of Asian American relations and mobilization for the SBC Executive Committee, said he still remembers Duke’s “same big smile every time we met.” Offering prayers for his family, Yanes said Duke is “a blessing” and “well loved by many ethnic pastors.”
Duke most recently served as a church planting strategist for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, since 2013.
There, “Lamar Duke was a treasured friend and missions colleague,” Rick Lance, SBOM’s executive director told The Alabama Baptist. “His positive spirit was contagious and appreciated by so many who knew him.”
Duke “brought Alabama Baptist church planting strategy to a new level of effectiveness for the Kingdom,” Lance said.
Before that, he served the Baptist Convention of New York, as state director of missions, guiding their church planting ministry efforts.
Before coming to Pittsburgh, Duke was the founding pastor of South Effingham Community Church in Guyton, Georgia, serving there from 1996-2002. He previously held pastorates in Alabama, Louisiana, New Jersey and Alabama.
He and his wife Dolly have been married 48 years. They have two grown children, Cheri D. Witmer and Thomas L. Duke.
For those who are interested, the family will hold two different memorial services to celebrate his life and legacy, one in New Jersey and another in Alabama.
The first service will be this Saturday, February 15, 2020, at Trinity Alliance Church located at 101 South Cologne Avenue, Egg Harbor City, NJ 08215. Visitation will begin at 1:00 pm, with the service to begin at 2:00 pm.
The second service information is currently being finalized, but it will take place in Montgomery, Alabama. Date and details will be announced soon.
