On Saturday, March 21st, missionary Mickey Parrish was put to rest at Oaklawn Cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida. His service was held at The First Baptist Church- Hobson Auditorium, a fitting place for celebrating a life lived for Christ. It was he and his wife of 63 years, home church for many years.
Mickey had served in the Army in several capacities, one being the 11th Airborne Division, also known as the “Angels”, also fitting for a man whose mission would be to share the Gospel of Christ to the masses.
He served also in the 82nd Airborne Division of the Army, with the motto being “All The Way” , a behavior lived out by this man.
According to his friend Jimmy, who spoke at his home going, he was one who had a passion for sharing Christ to those who did not know Him. Early in their friendship, he and others in the early 1970’s worked tirelessly at Parkwood Baptist Church using Campus Crusade For Christ programs to bring neighborhoods to faith in the Lord. In time, they added a prison ministry to their fellowship routes and instituted a “Pass It On Library” of Christians tapes that could be given for people to listen to the Gospel.
They joined in with the famous Cleveland Brown football player, Bill Glass, to share the Gospel to those in prison and met every Tuesday with follow ups and the tape ministry. By 1976, they were passing out tracts and spreading the Gospel of Christ. According to Jimmy, Mickey helped begin the Baymeadows Baptist Church of Jacksonville and began going overseas to share Christ with the lost. From Uganda to Russia, Rawanda to East Africa, Mickey had a passion to share Christ. Over the years, he and Jack Cummings became the founders of The Christian Light Foundation which helped finance trips to counties and missionary work.
Singer John Nill sang “Until Then” at his memorial service and reminded the congregation that John had spent at least 10 missionary trips with Mickey seeing people gloriously saved.
Until the Day God Calls Me Home
My heart can sing when I pause to remember a heartache here is but a stepping stone along a path that’s winding always upward This troubled world is not my final home
But until then my heart will go on singing Until then with joy I’ll carry on Until the day my eyes behold my Saviour Until the day God calls me home [ strings ] The things of earth will dim and lose their value If we recall they’re borrowed for a while And things of earth that cause this heart to tremble Remember there will only bring a smile
But until then my heart will go on singing…
Songwriters- Stuart Hamblen
Steve McCollum, from the pastoral ministry at The First Baptist Church of Jacksonville spoke at Mickey’s service and shared the scripture “Revelation 14:13 King James Version (KJV) And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord” So we know that based on Mickey’s testimony, he is “blessed”.
His service ended appropriately with this song:
Finally Home
When engulfed by the terror of the tempestuous sea,
Unknown waves before you roll;
At the end of doubt and peril is eternity,
Though fear and conflict seize your soul.
But just think of stepping on shore-And finding it Heaven!
Of touching a hand-And finding it God’s!
Of breathing new air-And finding it celestial!
Of waking up in glory-And finding it home!
When surrounded by the blackness of the darkest night,
O how lonely death can be;
At the end of this long tunnel is a shining light,
For death is swallowed up in victory!
But just think of stepping on shore-And finding it Heaven!
Of touching a hand-And finding it God’s!
Of breathing new air-And finding it celestial!
Of waking up in glory-And finding it home!
Don Wyrtzen
While Mickey had awards and honors in the Army, his real reward will be the souls of those saved under his fellowship and ministry. To God be the glory.Each of us should live our lives for Christ such that great things are done in the name of Jesus.
Forward
Josie
