Gene Matlock

Gene Matlock was born on November 20, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois as the 11th of 13 children in his family. Gene lived in various places during his lifetime of Christian ministry. He was living in Woodstock, Georgia, when he went to be with the Lord on October 7, 2014. He was 61 years old.

Gene is survived by his wife, Judy, and seven siblings: James Edward, Donna Maxine, William Earl, Roger Dale, Dorthy Dolores (Susie), Diana Kay, and Nathaniel Richard.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Truman Malcolm and Juanita Lear Taylor, as well as by five siblings: Robert Louis, Betty Jo, Gerald Wayne, Martha Jeanette, and Kenneth Lee.

Gene’s life is a testament to the grace of God, Who took a kid from the South side of Chicago and used him in effective Christian ministries for more than 35 years.

His parents were hardworking people who sometimes held two jobs to provide for their large family. Gene was only 15 years old when his father died of a heart attack in the fall of 1967. His mother passed away three months later. Six children were still living at home when his parents died, so the children went to live with their married brothers and sisters.

In God’s good plan for Gene, he went to live with his brother James and his wife who lived in Romeoville, Illinois, and who attended Bible Baptist Church in Romeoville. There Gene heard the gospel and received Christ as his Savior. He became involved in Sunday School, the music program, youth work, and the camping ministries at the church.

Upon high school graduation, some members of Bible Baptist Church encouraged him to attend Bible college, and he chose to attend Faith Baptist Bible College. He graduated from Faith in 1977 with a degree in Christian Education.

During his years at Faith, he met Judy Fuller who was an administrative assistant at the college. They were married in March of 1973.

Gene and Judy then began a lifetime of ministry in several different churches. For seven years after his graduation, they served at Ankeny Baptist Church in a lay capacity where he served as a Sunday School superintendent and teacher, deacon, youth leader, VBS worker, and trainer of teachers.

During the summers of 1976 and 1977, Gene and Judy worked as the summer camp director at Beechwood Lake Camp in Bloomington, Indiana.

In 1984 the Lord led Gene to First Baptist Church in Faribault, Minnesota, where he served as the associate pastor under Harold Constant. This church took on the responsibility of planting a church in Burnsville, Minnesota, a city in the southern Twin Cities area, and called Gene and Judy to plant that church, which came to be known as Suburban Regular Baptist Church. He pastored that church from 1987 to 1994.

In 1989 he began to work part-time as a Christian Education Consultant for Regular Baptist Press. In 1994 he left the church and began serving full-time for Regular Baptist Press. In that role he traveled the United States, as well as in Australia and Canada, meeting with pastors and Sunday School leaders and conducting training conferences. Regular Baptist Press later moved Gene and Judy to the Atlanta, Georgia, area where he concentrated his ministry on the southeastern part of the United States.

In 1996 Gene was asked to join the Advisory Board at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary. He later was selected to the Board of Directors where he served with distinction for many years as the chairman of the Advancement Committee. He faithfully attended the Board meetings though he lived nearly a thousand miles away.

In 2007 the Lord led Gene to accept the ministry of Associate Pastor of Christian Education and Outreach at Lebanon Baptist Church in Roswell, Georgia, where he served under Pastor Paul Mann. In 2009, due to his outstanding work as an assistant pastor, Gene was recognized as the Alumnus of the Year from his alma mater, Faith Baptist Bible College.

Gene served faithfully at Lebanon Baptist Church for 5 years. Through his work on the Faith Board he became aware of the need for someone to lead the Advancement Department. In 2012 the Lord led Gene to take the position of vice president for advancement and church relations at Faith, where he served until his Homegoing. Gene tirelessly traveled for the school he loved, making friends and raising money. People who knew Gene well knew that often he used his own money to pay for his travel as the school’s advancement officer. Even in the past few months Gene tried to focus his attention on his ministry at Faith and do what he could to advance the school.

Gene Matlock spent more than 35 years in ministry as a pastor, associate pastor, Regular Baptist Press representative, and Bible college administrator. He distinguished himself as a hardworking, capable servant of the Lord. He was a godly husband who loved his wife and cared deeply for her needs. He was a loyal supporter of Faith Baptist Bible College.

When I think of Gene, I think of the words to the song Another Soldier’s Coming Home by Janet Paschal.

His back is bent and weary

His voice is tired and low

His sword is worn from battle

And his steps have gotten slow

But he used to walk on water

Or it seemed that way to me

I know he moved some mountains

And never left his knees

He faced the winds of sorrow

But his heart knew no retreat

He walked in narrow places

Knowing Christ knew no defeat

But now his steps turn homeward

So much closer to the prize

He's sounding kind of homesick

And there's a longing in his eyes.

Strike up the band

Assemble the choir

Another soldier's coming home

Another warrior hears the call he's waited for so long

He'll battle no more

But he's won his wars

Make sure Heaven's table has room for at least one more

Sing a welcome song

Another soldier's coming home

“Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

A Celebration of Gene’s will be held Saturday, October 11, 2014 at 11:00 am at Shiloh Hills Baptist Church 75 Hawkins Store Road Kennesaw, Georgia. Dr. Vic Bledsoe, Pastor Norm Hoag, Don Anderson and Tony Woolford will officiate. There will be a luncheon served at the church following the service. The interment will be at Green Lawn Cemetery in Roswell, Georgia at 3:00 pm. The family will receive friends Friday, October 10, 2014 from 4 until 8 pm at the funeral home.