Rev. Emery L. Barnett
The Rev. Emery L. Barnett, 65, of Mercer Road, Greenville, Hempfield Township, Pa., passed away Monday while waiting for a liver transplant at UPMC Montefiore in Pittsburgh.
He was born Feb. 23, 1950, in Greenville to the late Willis Reed and Beatrice Naomi (Fritz) Barnett.
He was a 1968 graduate of Greenville High School and a 1972 graduate of Youngstown State University, where he received a bachelor of science degree.
During his college years, he was employed at George Junior Republic, which led God to call him into the ministry.
Rev. Barnett completed his clinical pastoral education program at Lititz Nursing Home and Lancaster General Hospital, where he had the opportunity to train with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross on death and dying.
In 1974, he did his internship at the First Lutheran Church in Barberton, Ohio, and went on to graduate from the Gettysburg Theological Seminary in 1976 with a master of divinity degree. He then was ordained June 15, 1976, while the Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Synod was in convention at Thiel College in Greenville.
Rev. Barnett was called to serve at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Coudersport and Galeton, Pa., for 10 years while also serving as vice pastor of St. Matthaeus Lutheran Church in Germania, Pa.
He was then called upon to organize and chair a committee to serve Lyman Run, Ole Bull, Patterson and Cherry Springs State Parks by making a chaplain available.
He went on to represent the Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia synod of the Lutheran Church of America, serving on the Leisure Ministry Committee of Pennsylvania Council of Churches in Harrisburg. He served for six years as secretary of the board as well as serving on the training committee, responsible for training the chaplains serving the state parks.
For the first 10 years of his ordained ministry, he was blessed in serving on the stewardship and congregational support committees.
He was then called to serve St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sarver, where he served for 26 years. He participated in various synodical ministries of Southwestern Pennsylvania and held many offices in the Sarver and Saxonburg ministerium.
Rev. Barnett was actively involved in the Butler Lutheran Cluster and led mission trips to Etna, Millvale, and Mississippi. He also helped develop and organize “Winning the Race,” which helped grieving people following the 9/11 terrorists attacks.
He was an active member of the Lutheran CORE, which was seminal in establishing the North American Lutheran Church.
Emery is survived by his wife at home, Linda S. (Stubert) Barnett. They were married Dec. 19, 1971.
Also surviving are two daughters, Allison C. Barnett of Greenville and Rachel L. Trudgen and her husband, Josh, of Kittanning; three grandchildren, Dakota Gannon of Greenville, and Riley and Evan Trudgen of Kittanning; two sisters, Darlene Ferguson and her husband, John, of Greenville and Anita Gallo and her husband, Dr. Paul, of Darien, Conn.; two brothers, his twin, Elton Barnett and his wife, Meryl, and James Barnett, both of Greenville.
BARNETT — Visitation for The Rev. Emery L. Barnett, who died Monday, Nov. 15, 2015, will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday and from 1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Osborne-Williams Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 73-75 Columbia Ave., Greenville.Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 819 Columbia Ave., Grove City, with the Rev. Daniel J. Grimminger, pastor, officiating. There also will be an hour of visitation from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the church.A procession will leave the church in Grove City for Delaware Township Cemetery, where graveside committal services and burial will be conducted.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, c/o the pipe organ fund, 819 Columbia Ave., Grove City, PA 16127 or to St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, c/o the building fund, 409 Sarver Road, Sarver, PA 16055.Messages of sympathy, stories, and photos can be shared at www.osborne-williams.com.
