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Our Pastor

Kerby Lauderdale was born in Inglewood, California, raised in Los Angeles, and attended an American Baptist church. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1961, with a B.S. degree in Forestry, and from Purdue University in 1963 with an M.S. in Forest Economics. In 1962 he was married to Linda Mikesell, also a graduate student at Purdue, and a graduate of Manchester College, in Indiana.

Kerby and Linda moved to Salt Lake City in the Spring of 1963 to begin a PhD program, but due to the demands of Selective Service, he joined the Utah National Guard and served two years. This military experience solidified his pacifist inclinations, and when he chose to pursue seminary education, he chose the Church of the Brethren (an historic peace church) seminary. He graduated from Bethany Theological Seminary in the class of 1968. He was ordained in the Oakland (California) Church of the Brethren in September, 1968, and was pastor there until August, 1972. He then became pastor at Eel River Church of the Brethren, near North Manchester, Indiana. During his years as a pastor, Kerby and Linda adopted four infant children: Thomas, Aaron, Jesse, and Jenny.

In that same year he and Linda started Lauderdale Nursery, on 5 acres they owned adjacent to the Eel River Church. At the end of 1981 they sold the business and returned to the west coast. During the previous year they had re-defined their family life, within the context of their mutual love and commitment, and in light of Kerby publicly identifying as gay. Kerby started a landscape business in Portland, in 1982, and continues the business, though much reduced, because of his part-time pastorate at Peace Church.

Within weeks of moving to Portland, Kerby joined the Gay Men's Chorus, and soon met Jeff Devore, who became his partner for the next fourteen years. Jeff had joined Kerby at Peace Church on several occasions over their years together, and was always warmly welcomed. He died of AIDS in 1996.

In calling Kerby to the pastorate, Peace Church became, perhaps the first Church of the Brethren congregation to intentionally call an openly gay person to a pastoral position- not because he was gay, but everyone knowing he was. Kerby had joined Peace Church immediately upon moving to Portland and he and his family were active throughout most of the 1980's. He had been invited to speak during worship many times throughout the 1990's.

Kerby's son, Thomas, has also been active in the life of Peace Church. He was the pianist for worship for nearly a year upon his return to Portland after graduation from Harvard. He continues to play for worship on occasion.

From the Bulletin.