Earle William Fike
Reverend Earle William Fike Jr, 95, of Bridgewater, VA passed away on Friday, May 30, 2025 at the Bridgewater Home. He was born in Harrisonburg, VA on
January 28, 1930, the son of Earle William and Hannah Myers Fike. Earle graduated from Bridgewater College in 1951and received both his Bachelors of
Divinity and Masters of Theology from Bethany Seminary. He was ordained to the ministry in 1952. Throughout his career, Earle served as a pastor, a teacher, an
administrator and an author. He was married to the late Jean Kiser Fike for 62 years and is survived by his three children; Dwynn Fike Helms of Valencia CA,
Joseph Fike of Forest VA and Jon Fike of Lancaster PA. He has 5 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. Earle is preceded in death by his sister Elizabeth Fike
Myers. There will be a Celebration of Life at the Bridgewater Church of the Brethren in July.Arrangements are by Johnson Funeral & Cremation Service in Bridgewater.
Online condolences to the family may be shared at www.johnsonfs.com.
Remembrance: Earle W. Fike Jr., 95, a former moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference and a former executive on the denominational staff, among other church leadership roles, died on May 30 at the Bridgewater (Va.) Retirement Community. He was born in Harrisonburg, Va., on Jan. 28, 1930, to Earle W. and Hannah Myers Fike. Following his mother’s death, he was raised in the home of his uncle and aunt, Jos. W. and Dove Fike Miller. He married Jean F. Kiser of Dayton, Va., in 1949, and they had three children: daughter Dwynn Jeannette and sons Joseph Earle and Jon Paul. He was ordained to the ministry in the Church of the Brethren in 1952 and ordained to the eldership in 1955. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Bridgewater (Va.) College in 1951, and was awarded an honorary doctorate by Bridgewater in 1972. He earned a bachelor of divinity from Bethany Theological Seminary in 1954, as well as a master of theology in 1964, and taught at Bethany as assistant professor of Homiletics and director of Field Ministries from 1964 to 1969. He also did post-graduate studies at Garrett Theological Seminary and Northwestern University. He filled several pastorates including at Meyersdale (Pa.) Church of the Brethren from 1954 to 1957; Chicago (Ill.) First Church of the Brethren from 1957 to 1963, followed by work as chaplain and director of Development for the nearby Bethany Hospital; Elizabethtown (Pa.) Church of the Brethren from 1978 to 1987; and Stone Church of the Brethren in Huntingdon, Pa., from 1987 to 1992, when he retired. He was on the denominational staff from 1969 to 1978 as executive of Parish Ministries and associate general secretary. He was moderator of the 1982 Annual Conference held on the theme, “Would that You Knew the Things that Make for Peace.” He was a preacher for Annual Conference as well, most recently in 2010. His volunteer service to the church included terms on the former General Board from 1960 to 1969; moderator of Illinois and Wisconsin District and a member the district board; a board member of Bethany Hospital; president of the Brethren Journal Association; service on the Higher Education Committee of the Church of the Brethren; a trustee for Juniata College; and a trustee of Bethany Seminary, during which time he was vice chair of the board. A notable volunteer ministry during his time at Elizabethtown was the Brethren Broadcast Ministries radio show “Think About It,” which he worked on with his wife, Jean, as a production of the General Board’s Salvation and Justice Project. His ecumenical involvements included membership in the Association of Seminary Professors in the Practical Field; the executive committee of the Division of Education and Ministry of the National Council of Churches; and the Chicago Communications Center Committee of the Church Federation of Greater Chicago. He was a prolific writer and contributed to many church publications including Messenger, Pulpit, Brethren Life and Thought, Leader, and Horizons. He was an editor for the Pastor’s Manual of 1977 and chaired committees for Book of Worship of 1964 and For All Who Minister of 1992. His Brethren Press books include A Raspberry Seed Under God’s Denture and Please Pray with Me. He also wrote A Month of Sundays, published by Herald Press, and The Something Else Lady, a children’s book about Anna Mow illustrated by Yolanda Wegner and published by Bethany Seminary as part of its centennial celebration in 2005. Information about a memorial service and recipients for memorial gifts will be shared at a later date.
