Expressions of support, sympathy and prayer by pastors and ministry leaders from across Baptist life and beyond have poured in for North Carolina pastor Clint Pressley and his family following the unexpected death of one of his adult sons.
Pressley, pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church of Charlotte, announced through a social media on Sunday (Aug. 20), that his youngest son, Nate, had died. He was 24. Pressley said he and his wife, Connie, received the news Saturday night.
“The Lord is good and kind,” Pressley wrote in a post on Facebook. “Last night Connie and I got a call that our youngest son Nate died in his apartment from a probable drug overdose. We have very few details otherwise. Nate has been in the far country for a couple years now and we have prayed for him everyday. We trust the Lord in this hard Providence and are so thankful for a great church and wonderful family. Please continue to pray for us.”
Clint Pressley has served as Hickory Grove’s senior pastor since January 2010. His bio on the church’s website says he and his wife, Connie, have two sons, Mack and Nate.
As news of the incident spread, outpourings of support for the Pressleys came quickly from people around the country. Pressley’s initial social media post drew more than 500 comments on Facebook and more than 200 on Twitter in the two hours after it was first posted.
Prayers for grieving family
“If you are a believer, God has called you to love Clint, Connie and Nate,” Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber wrote on Twitter. “Loving them today means interceding for this grieving family. Southern Baptists, let’s come together for these members of our family.”
Todd Unzicker, executive director-treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, tweeted: “Praying Romans 8:28 for you, Connie, and your family during this tragic time. Your @ncbaptist family loves you.”
In a statement to the Biblical Recorder, Unzicker encouraged fellow Baptists to join him in praying for the Pressleys and Hickory Grove Baptist Church.
“I encourage all N.C. Baptists to join me in praying for Clint, Connie, their family and Hickory Grove Baptist Church during this time,” Unzicker said. “As we pray, we believe, trust and hold to what God’s Word says in Romans 8:28 that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him.”
Pressley was recently appointed to fill an unexpired term on the North Carolina Baptist board of directors, and he preached during the state convention’s regularly scheduled board meeting in May.
Last year, Pressley completed a two-year term serving as chairman of the board of trustees at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Pressley also served as first vice president of the SBC from 2014 to 2015. He also served as vice president of the SBC Pastors Conference in 2013.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Chad Austin and originally published by Biblical Recorder.
