On Thursday, Pastor Dr. Harry Reeder spoke to the Legislative prayer service in Montgomery. After worshipping and fellowshipping with legislators and policy influencers, he never returned home. The longtime pastor at Briarwood Presbyterian Church PCA died in an automobile crash on I-65.
State Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed announced the news on the Senate floor at the close of the legislative day.
“It has been a sad day,” said Reed. “It has been a difficult day.”
“He was a very close personal friend of one of our colleagues,” Reed said.
That colleague was State Senator Dan Roberts. Roberts had been in the midst of carrying legislation on the Senate floor when he received the news.
Congressman Gary Palmer said on Facebook, “I am heartbroken to hear the news my pastor, Harry Reeder, has passed away. Dr. Reeder was more than a pastor, he was a dear friend, mentor, and a man who understood and exemplified Godly leadership. Harry had an enormous impact on the lives of countless men and women. I will miss his teaching and his friendship, but I’m confident in knowing that one day I will see him again. Ann and I are praying for his family during this time.”
Former Alabama Republican Party Chairman and State Senator Bill Armistead said on Facebook, “Today, many in Birmingham and throughout the Christian community in America and the World are grieving the loss of Briarwood Presbyterian Church, PCA Senior Pastor Harry Reeder who was killed in a tragic automobile accident this morning. Pastor Reeder has been a dear friend of mine for 25 years and I was blessed to have lunch with him yesterday along with some other brothers in Christ. As a tribute to Pastor Reeder, I am attaching a link to his daily 10 minute radio program “Today In Perspective” that aired yesterday which provides a Biblical World and Life View analysis of current events and issues. May God bless Pastor Reeder’s family and his family in Christ.”
Alabama Citizens Action Program Director and radio host Greg Davis said on Facebook, “In January Dr. Harry Reeder pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian Church, PCA accepted my invitation to speak on May 18th to legislators at the ALCAP – Alabama Citizens Action Program prayer breakfast in Montgomery. He graciously accepted with nothing to gain for himself. He only came from a desire to impact legislators with the gospel and to be with Senator Dan Roberts for Alabama. He arrived last night and visited with me for about an hour. We met early this morning and he spoke to our group. Only God knew it would be his last message as he never made it home. Hear the entire story and my tribute. We hurt his family and the church but Harry is now truly home.”
Members of the Briarwood Congregation were informed in a statement from the Church on Facebook that read as follows:
“Dear Congregation,
It is with a deeply heavy heart that I communicate to you that our Lord has called Pastor Reeder home through a car accident. Please pray for Cindy, Jennifer, Ike, Abby, and their entire family as well as our staff and church family as we all grieve this tremendous loss together.
But we do not grieve without hope because we know our pastor is with His Savior and has been received by grace with – “Well done My good and faithful servant.”
In Christ our Lord!
Bruce Stallings”
Dr. Harry L. Reeder III has been the pastor of Briarwood since 1999. He and his wife, Cindy, are natives of Charlotte, North Carolina. They have three children: Jennifer Hay, Harry Reeder IV, and Abigail Leib. They have nine grandchildren. He studied at East Carolina University and finished his bachelor’s degree at Covenant College. After completing his B.A. Degree in History and Bible, he began to attend Tennessee Temple Seminary part-time while serving an Independent Bible Church as a student pastor. Reeder then went into a Pastorate of the Presbyterian Church in America in Miami, Florida—Pinelands Presbyterian Church—while completing a Master of Divinity degree with Westminster Seminary through the Florida Theological Center. Reeder has a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte, North Carolina.
After three years at Pinelands Presbyterian, Reeder became the founding pastor at Christ Covenant Presbyterian Church as their founding Pastor. The ministry began with 38 committed members, and in seventeen years, attendance grew to over 3,000 while planting a number of daughter churches. Reeder also hosted a Bible-teaching radio ministry entitled “In Perspective.” Reeder also hosted a podcast program called “Today in Perspective.” Reeder is the author of The Leadership Dynamic, From Embers to a Flame – How God Can Revitalize Your Church, and other published works,
Reeder served as an adjunct faculty member at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte while holding the same status at Birmingham Theological Seminary and Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia, where he also served on the Board of Trustees.
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