Retired Pickens Association DOM dies on Valentine’s Day at 83

Retired Pickens Association DOM dies on Valentine’s Day at 83

Gary Farley, retired director of missions for Pickens Baptist Association, died Feb. 14. He was 83.

Farley first came to Pickens Association in 1997, and during his two decades of service there, he made an impact in a variety of ways. He nurtured greater cooperation between white and African-American churches, started a thriving ministry in the new federal women’s prison in Aliceville and helped churches rebuild after a rash of church arsons in 2006.

Farley also served as a commissioner on the board for the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission. He was a specialist in the sociology of rural and small churches and wrote hundreds of articles and book chapters addressing topics from Baptist theology to help for bivocational pastors. He retired from Pickens Association in 2017 but continued to be involved in ministry.

Farley is survived by his wife of 58 years, Jacque; four children, five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.