Deacon | Class of 2026
Committee | Finance
Henry grew up in the Presbyterian Church (PCUS, the “Southern” PC), the grandson of a founding minister of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Samuel J. Allen. Through the influence of his grandmother (Rev. Allen died when Henry was a toddler), his Baptist father agreed to join the Presbyterian Church and raise his growing family there.
Though joining the church by affirmation of faith at 12 or 13 years old, it was later that he was convicted of the sin within his heart. He reaffirmed his faith at the age of 16, and soon afterwards felt he should follow in his grandfather’s shoes and become a pastor. The session of his church agreed, so he prepared by getting an undergraduate degree in the University of Georgia system.
While at Georgia, he found that the PCUS was becoming quite liberal and began to go to a Bible Study group founded by men from Bob Jones University. As a result of this influence, he decided to go to BJU for seminary. While in grad school, after trying a few of the recommended large churches, he joined Independent Bible Church in Greenville, near the campus of BJU, where he met his wife Deborah.
Providentially, the ordinarily Arminian leaning Fundamentalist university had professors in theology that were largely Calvinistic. As a result, the Baptist influence waned and Henry and Deborah joined Second Presbyterian Church in 1980 upon graduation. Their two sons doubled the size of the nursery, beginning a growing youth group that has continued to this day.
Though under care of the session and presbytery for about four years, Henry did not receive a particular call and elected upon counsel to not renew his licensure. After working for over twenty-three years in first healthcare and then security, he retired early and presently assists in the writing and upkeep of Bible.wikia.com (and associated Biblewiki.com), an online Bible encyclopedia.
