WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN (May 24, 2011) – Two services are planned for James R. Hawkinson who died this morning in a St. Paul hospital from complications following surgery on May 5.
Hawkinson served a number of Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) pastorates as well as numerous Covenant boards and commissions, but is perhaps best known for his 28 years serving as executive secretary of the former Covenant Publications department and as editor of The Covenant Companion.
Visitation will be observed this coming Sunday, May 29, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Salem Covenant Church, 2655 Fifth Street NW in New Brighton, Minnesota, with a funeral service scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Monday, May 30, at Salem Covenant Church.
A memorial service will be conducted at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1, at North Park Covenant Church, 5250 N. Christiana Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.
Hawkinson, who was named Executive Secretary Emeritus following his retirement in September 1994, died at 10:40 a.m. at United Hospital. “He was in perfect peace, knew that his whole family was there, singing and telling stories and reading scripture and praying and loving him,” reads an entry on his CaringBridge.org web page.
Responses began flowing within minutes of the news being posted on the ECC website earlier today.
“Jim, in his person, lived out the best of who we are, as someone deeply committed to God and to God’s mission in the world,” said ECC President Gary Walter when informed of Hawkinson’s passing. “In terms of transmitting the unique identity of the Evangelical Covenant Church, no one has been more influential than Jim. His work lives on through his writings and collections of Covenant wit and wisdom.”
A more complete story will be posted once family members have had time to compile biographical and related information. More immediate attention was paid to completing service arrangements so that individuals interested in attending one or both of the services could have time to complete travel arrangements.
Additional information will be published as it becomes available. To view a collection of Hawkinson videos from the ECC website library, click here. Three of the videos are presentations Hawkinson made during the historic 125th anniversary Annual Meeting in St. Paul last year around the theme of “Telling the Story.” Two additional videos are interviews that Hawkinson conducted with Efrem Smith and Bob Stromberg.
