Eric Sullivan, pastor of Liberty Baptist Church, Bessemer, died Feb. 25 at the age of 49.
Sullivan, who was born in South Carolina, called McCalla “home.”
After serving in the United States Air Force and earning his associates degree in business administration in 1987 from the Community College of the Air Force, Sullivan began serving as youth pastor of New Testament Baptist Church, Sumiton.
In 1994, he was licensed to preach by New Testament Baptist and began serving as bivocational pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church, Sumiton, in 1995. Sullivan served 12 years at Fellowship Baptist before becoming bivocational pastor of Liberty Baptist in Mud Creek Baptist Association in 2010. He worked as a senior operator at Energen Resources in Oak Grove since 1989.
James Copeland, who serves as the youth pastor of Liberty, said he “learned a lot” from Sullivan.
“He was incredibly passionate about making sure that the congregation was in the Word — that was his battle cry the entire time he was here. … His last sermon was a challenge to the church to love God more … and I think he leaves a legacy of that.”
Copeland also said as the church members met Feb. 27 for Wednesday night services they immediately noticed the absence of Sullivan’s servant-like heart. It was Sullivan’s custom to make plates of food at the fellowship dinner and deliver them to the senior adults.
Sullivan was recently elected president-elect of the Alabama Baptist Fellowship of Bivocational Ministers and served as vice moderator of Mud Creek Association, 2011–2012.
Sullivan is survived by his wife, Lori; nine children and one grandchild.
(Neisha Fuson)
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