Dr. Kerry G. Powell, age 90, of Newport, TN passed from this life into the Presence of God on Sunday night, August 10th, 2025 immediately after hearing his son sing his favorite song: “O, What a Savior!”
Kerry received Christ as a young Navy sailor at the Downtown Baptist Church of Corpus Chistie, TX.
He was born at Marsden, AR in South Bradley County on December 1st, 1934 to Robert Buford Powell & Blanche Sharp Powell.
Upon graduation from Warren High School in1952, he joined the US Navy during the Korean War & served aboard two historic aircraft carriers, the USS Intrepid & the Valley Forge.
Kerry was called into the ministry while on leave back home and attended a youth revival at First Baptist, Warren under the preaching of a young Dr. Roy Fish of Star City who later became a beloved professor at Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth.
Kerry followed his call from God on his life, first as a youth Evangelist, then as a Pastor in Tennessee & Texas, then as a Chaplain for 3 branches of the military, the Navy & Marines, and later in the Air Force Reserve while pastoring again in Virginia & Arkansas, plus as an Evangelist again & interim pastorates in two states during retirement for a total of more than 60 years in the ministry! This he did with his bride of 67 years, Glenda Carolyn Bickers of Warren.
Kerry & Carolyn were married at First Baptist Church, Warren on July 6th, 1958. By this time, he was a junior at Carson- Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee. They made their first home in Newport, TN while pastoring in Parrottsville & commuting to College. Twenty-two years ago, they returned to Newport & built their retirement home in the Smoky Mountains.
After graduation in 1959, they headed off to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth where Kerry would receive his BD degree & later the MDiv. degree. On the way, they stopped in Warren where their oldest of 4 boys was to be born. The other 3 were born in Knoxville, Johnson City & Memphis, TN, respectively.
After graduation from SWBTS in 1963 & pastoring in N. Texas, they returned to pastorates in Knoxville & Erwin, TN before re-entering the Navy as Chaplain during Vietnam & serving with the Marines at Camp Lejeune & Guantanamo Bay, Cuba & then aboard the USS Concord, Navy Combat Supply Ship. After that 2nd tour of duty he pastored the Temple Baptist Church in Norfolk, VA. In 1974, he was the Pastor’s Conference Chrm. for the Metro Billy Graham Crusade. While there he continued in the Reserve at the Little Creek Navy Amphibious Base in Virginia Beach.
Coming to FBC, Forrest City, AR in 1974 began his longest tenured senior pastorate & the longest in the 150 year history of the church, thus naming Bro. Kerry, Pastor Emertis in 2016. In 1976 he was Chrm. of the Forrest City Area Bicentennial Crusade which did a lot to foster Christian Brotherhood across racial lines in a very tense
period of time, as well as seeing hundreds come to faith in Christ! While there, over 30 young people were called into ministry by the grace of God & through the human efforts of Bro. Kerry & his staff pastors! While at Forrest City, Bro. Kerry continued as a Reserve Chaplain at Memphis NAS at the rank of Lt. Commander.
Then switching to the USAF, he was assigned to the Eaker Strategic Air Command AFB in Blytheville, AR during the Cold War days.
After going to FBC, Little Rock as the Sr. Associate Pastor & Representative of the First Baptist Foundation, he was transferred to the Little Rock AFB where he later retired in January 1991 as a Lt. Colonel at the start of the Gulf I War.
His last full time pastorate was at FBC, McGehee for 9 years. While there, he received his DMin. degree from Trinity Seminary. He also was elected to preach the Convention Sermon at the 1996 AR Bapt. State Mtg. in Little Rock right after his 4 sons sang to the convention.
Bro. Kerry was a designer & builder of church buildings, including ones at Calvary, Erwin, TN; FBC, Forrest City; FBC, McGehee & at Hermitage BC which the Powell family helped start in 1849, 150 years before Bro. Kerry was Interim pastor there.
Bro. Kerry was active in Baptist life, serving as President of the AR Baptist Conference of Evangelists, VP of the AR Bapt. Pastor’s Conference, Chrm. of the ABSC Operating/ Exec. Search Cmte., Mbr.- SBC Nominations Cmte. (twice), V. Chrm. of the Midwestern Seminary Board in Kansas City, Mbr. of the Williams Baptist Univ. Board (twice), Named Distinguished Baptist Minister by WBU, 1982.
Even with all of that, he was by God’s grace & with a devoted wife, able to raise a family that loves & serves the Lord Jesus, “telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord” Psalm 78:4.
Dr. Powell was proceded in death by his parents, an infant brother Larry, Sister Gerri Sparks (& husband Oscar Sparks, Jr. of Pine Bluff), & brother Bill Powell, all of Warren.
He was survived by his wife of 67 years, Carolyn Bickers Powell by just 10 days. He is also survived by a sister-in-law, Gaylia Powell of Fayetteville (formerly of Warren), and brother-in-law, Jerry Bickers of Wilmar.
Four sons: Rev. Brent Powell (Linda) of Powhatan, Rev. Jamie Powell (Traci) of Lawton, OK, Rev. Gary Powell (Norma) of South Carolina, & Kerry Christopher Powell of Maumelle. Eight grandchildren: Rev. Craig Powell of Powhatan, Justin Powell (Anna) of Jonesboro, Janai Powell Rindels (Dr. Ryan Rindels) of CA, Kati Powell Cannon (Rev. Andrew Cannon) of OK, Caleb Powell (Rhyanne) of UT, Emily Carolyn Powell of Little Rock, Grace Powell Cervantes (Pedro Cervantes) of SC, & Bethany Joy Powell of CO. Two step- grandchildren: Abby & Natalie Moore of N. Little Rock. Eleven great- grandchildren: Micah & Briella Powell; Josiah, Stella, Sophia, Scarlett & Augie Rindels; Elijah Cannon; Aleo, Adrian & Lina Cervantes, and a host of nephews, nieces & friends!
Funeral services with full military honors was held 2:00 p.m. Saturday, September 13, 2025 at First Baptist Church in Warren, AR with Rev. Jesse Bickers, Rev. Johnny Ross, and Dr. Carlos Peterson officiating. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery by Frazer’s Funeral Home. Active pallbearers were the United States Air Force Honor Guard. Honorary pallbearers were Craig Powell, Justin Powell, Caleb Powell, Anderw Cannon, Pedro Cervantes, Ryan Rindels, Jesse Bickers, Richard Bickers, Ronnie Sparks, Steve Powell, Scott Powell, and Kolby Reep.
