The College of Bible

and Religion of

Harding University

seeks to lead all

students to know, live

and share God’s Word

and to understand,

love and serve God’s

world through and

beyond their chosen

Published by the Office of

Church Relations

Box 12280

Searcy, AR 72149-2280

501.279.4449

Bruce McLarty

VP for Spiritual Life

Monte Cox, Dean

College of Bible & Religion

Daniel Stockstill, Assoc. Dean

College of Bible & Religion

Scott Adair, Director

Center for Family Ministry

Andrew Baker, Director

Mitchell Center for Leadership

and Ministry

Shawn Daggett, Director

Center for World Missions

Lew Moore, Chair

Marriage & Family Therapy

Phil Thompson, Director

Center for Preaching

Bill Richardson, Director

Center for Advanced

Ministry Training

Tim Westbrook, Director

Distance Delivery Bible

Randy Willingham, Director

Center for Spiritual

Leadership

March 6, 2013

On the Thursday night before the start of the spring semester, the Harding community was shocked and saddened by the sudden death of our beloved and respected brother, friend, and co-worker, Ken Neller. Through his life, his spirit, his ser-vice, and his words, Ken made us all better people, and he is deeply missed. This edition of Salt, Leaven & Light is devoted to honoring the life and legacy of Ken and is written by his dear friend, Dan Stockstill. The following tribute was presented by Dan in the Harding University chapel on the first day of this semester.

Little did I realize… Way back when chapel was held in the Administration Auditorium around the lunch hour, when Harding was just a college, and when gas prices were below a dollar, I first met Ken Neller. He was a member of the club I wanted to join but he was only one of the more

than 70 guys in the club. He was a face in the crowd. We became casual friends during our time in Searcy. Barbara became his wife and our club queen and Ken would become president of the club. All due respect to Mattel, our Ken and Barbie could have been the real life counterparts to the dolls. Little did I realize how significant a person Ken would become in my life and the life of my family. Ken loved football and played nose guard for Harding. He had to work hard to bulk up to a playing weight of 205 pounds--imagine forcing yourself to eat to gain weight. He was affectionately referred to as ‘no-neck’ Neller because his dedication to the game meant bulking up. But he was just as disciplined in dropping the weight after he finished football. Ken was a seri-ous student receiving only one B in his entire under-

graduate career—in a physical education activity class. Our paths crossed immediately after college as we both attended the Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis (now Harding School of Theology). Both couples lived in West Memphis and three of us worked with West Memphis Christian Schools. It was dur-ing this time that our friendship grew and deepened. Little did I realize those long (and sometimes intense) discussions would forge a friendship that would last a lifetime. Ken and Barbara and Cindee and Dan were often paired for teaching, small groups, and minis-try. This past Christmas day we shared dinner together and remembered the birth of those friendships that have spanned the decades. The rides into Memphis and the discussions around one of our kitchen tables over a meal or playing cards deepened the connections. Whether it was the ‘Waiting for Snow’ party for a snow that never arrived, the working and studying together, or the roles of King, Handsome Duke (Ken), and Beautiful Princess (Barbara). Our friendships blossomed and grew.

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Dr. Ken Neller

Ken and Barbara

Little did I realize as Ken and Barbara left for Scotland and doctoral studies that our friendship would continue to grow. We eventually ended up about 90 minutes from one another as ministers in smaller, local congregations. Here we leaned on one another and encouraged one anoth-er in our ministries and in our child rear-ing. Eventually Ken was hired as the min-ister in Lexington and a couple of years later I joined the ministry team as the Youth Development minister. Lexington became a very special time in all of our lives. A group of young families bonded together and became known as The Family Ties. Since few of us had ex-tended family nearby, we became aunts and uncles to one another’s children and broth-ers and sisters to one another. We cannot stop or slow time but for all of us who were part of that time in Lexington, it remains as a golden moment of God-Blessed ministry and Ken and Barbara as primary in the leadership and practice of that ministry. Ken would join the Harding faculty in the fall of 1992 (I had come in 1990). It wasn’t easy for Ken to make the decision to leave the ministry in Lexington. Ken came not only for the opportunity of teaching and training others but because he could continue ministry at Downtown. His life was spent in faithful obedience to our Lord. He served people and sought to love them as Christ loves them. Ken would want us to focus on the Lord he served. When I sat in Chapel all that long time ago…

Little did I realize that one of my club brothers would become for me closer than a brother, a model of the man of God I would wish to be and the servant of God I tried to be.

Little did I realize that Ken would officiate at the weddings of both my daughters. Their ‘Uncle’ Ken was the one they chose because they knew he would do it with love and to absolute perfection. He did.

Little did I realize that we would one day be ministers together, faculty colleagues, or shepherds together.

Little did I realize that Ken would preach the funeral of Cindee’s mother or that I would be speaking these words now.

Little did I realize that there would be a day in my life that Ken would not be a phone call away.

Little did I realize that this talented teacher, loving husband, intentional father, caring friend, capable scholar, and beloved minister would be taken from us so soon.

Ken expressed his love through serving. Many of you may have experienced his service and I want you to know that his service to you was his saying ‘I love you.’ In his teaching, in his prayers, in his ministering, in his personal life, in his marriage, even in moments of correcting, Ken’s desire was that you experi-ence the love of God delivered through his life. Ken focused on living his life in service to God. It was God he served, God he loved. And through his service, Ken sought to say I love you the way he knew that God had, and was still, saying love to him. It is difficult for me to realize that Ken’s direct influence can now only be reflected in the many lives he touched. But he touched our lives not so that we would know Ken but that we would know his Savior and ours ,his Lord and ours. May you be blessed to have such a friend, colleague, and faithful servant of God join

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Fall 2012 Bible Faculty Retreat

Fall 2012 Bible Majors’ Retreat

Dr. Ken Neller Scholarship for Ministry A scholarship fund has been established by the Neller family in con-junction with the Harding University College of Bible & Ministry.

Because Dr. Neller had such a heart for ministry, the recipients of the

scholarship will be students who are training for ministry.

Anyone wishing to contribute may use the contact information below.

Gifts may be made by:

Mail Harding University Box 12238 Searcy, AR 72149

Online www.harding.edu/advancement/giving.html

For more information contact: Office of Advancement at 1.800.477.4312 or advancement@harding.edu

“...he touched our lives not so that we would know Ken but that we would know his Savior and ours ,his Lord and ours.”