Charles A. Siburt

Dr. Charles A. Siburt Jr., 65, scholar, professor and innovative leader for peace and reconciliation among the Churches of Christ for more than two decades, died Thursday morning in Abilene of complications from a nearly three-year battle with IgM Multiple Myeloma.

A private family graveside service will precede the memorial service honoring Charles’ life at 1 p.m. Saturday, at University Church of Christ under the direction of Piersall Funeral Directors. At its conclusion the family will welcome friends at a visitation in the Ministry Activity Center at the church. Additionally, a visitation and viewing at Piersall Funeral Home is planned Friday evening from 5-7 p.m. at 733 Butternut St.

Born Nov. 27, 1946, in Denison, Charlie grew up a preacher’s kid as his father served congregations of the Church of Christ across Texas and New Mexico. He was the youngest of three children and the only son of Austin and Imogene Siburt.

He graduated from Midland High School in 1964, earned an associate’s degree from Lubbock Christian University in 1966 and a bachelor’s degree from Abilene Christian University in 1968. He earned a M.Div. degree at ACU in 1971 and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 1978. He did post-graduate studies at Colorado State University, The University of Texas at Tyler and The Menninger Foundation, and was a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

While a student at LCU, he met Judy Bailey of San Diego, Calif. They married Dec. 28, 1967, and had two sons who continue the Siburt tradition of ministry into its third generation.

Siburt served as a minister to Churches of Christ in Imperial, Lingleville, Austin (University Avenue), and Tyler (Glenwood), Texas; and Fort Collins, Colo. (Meadow-Lark). He also served as interim preaching minister for Abilene’s Highland Church of Christ from 1990-91 and Lubbock’s Broadway Church of Christ in 1989.

He joined the ACU faculty as an adjunct professor in 1986 and as full-time professor of ministry in 1988. He directed the doctor of ministry program, served as O.L. and Irene Frazer Professor of Church Enrichment, director of the Center for Church Enrichment and from 2003-2010 as vice president for church relations. He founded ACU’s ElderLink Forum in November 2000 and the Ministers’ Support Network, participating with Judy and others in sabbatical retreats for more than 400 ministers and spouses over the past 15 years.

Siburt was a respected churchman who committed his personal and professional life to understanding the complex needs of congregations struggling with communication, conflict resolution, administration and leadership training. He was a beloved mentor and father figure to countless numbers of students providing encouragement and counsel long after they transitioned into ministry.

Even after his diagnosis in August 2009, Siburt continued to teach in ACU’s Graduate School of Theology and continued his ministry spending 30-40 weekends per year working with churches in crisis to achieve resolution and reconciliation. Siburt was known as a “church doctor” because as he told a reporter for the Optimist, the university newspaper, in October 2000, “People don’t call me unless they know something is wrong or until something hurts.” His rigorous travel schedule was all the more remarkable because a rare eye condition left him legally blind for the last 20 years of his life.

Siburt underwent a bone-marrow transplant in March 2010 but had a relapse in January 2011. Despite declining health at the beginning of the year, he recovered well enough to return for the first week of class in May 2012. The first day of class he introduced students to his family and to his beloved oncologist who all came with him to celebrate the achievement. He also surprised students and colleagues by participating in Commencement earlier that month.

Siburt served on the boards of the Center for Parish Development, Texas Commission for the Blind, Hospice of Abilene and Christian Village of Abilene, on Hendrick Hospice Care’s Community Council, and on Abilene High School’s Campus Consultation Committee. Siburt also was on national steering committees for the Association for Doctor of Ministry Education and on many other boards and leadership roles. He was a frequent speaker at lectureships, retreats and conferences and wrote frequently for scholarly and popular Christian journals and periodicals.

He is survived by his wife, Judy; two sons, Dr. John Siburt and his wife, Sarah of Garland, and Ben Siburt and his wife Emme of Abilene; two sisters, Elva Devers of Canyon and Myra Holmans and her husband, Jim, of Abilene; mother-in-law, Mable Bailey of Abilene; sister-in-law, Tecia Southwood and her husband, Mike, of Crystal Lake, Illinois; four grandchildren, Katie and David Siburt of Garland, and Caroline and Mary Claire Siburt of Abilene; and numerous nieces and nephews.


In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Dr. Charles and Judy Siburt Endowed Fund for Church Enrichment, the Dr. Charles and Judy Siburt Endowed Scholarship Fund for GST Student Assistance, or the Charles and Judy Siburt Endowed Scholarship, c/o Abilene Christian University (ACU Box 29132, Abilene, TX 79699) and to the Charles Siburt Clinical Pastoral Education Study Center at Hendrick Medical Center Foundation, 1900 Pine Street, Abilene, Texas, 79601. Condolences may be offered to the family online at www.pbfuneraldirectors.com.

The family wishes to express appreciation to the nurses and staff at Hendrick Parker 7 and to Dr. Larry Anderson from UTSW Cancer center and his assistant Christen Bennett. Words cannot express the gratitude we feel towards Dr. Jose Vega, his nurse, Jan Newman, and countless others at the Hendrick Cancer Center for the excellent medical treatment and compassionate ministry of care and healing we received. We offer our deepest thanks to the nurses at Hendrick Hospice Care who ensured we experienced a death as beautiful as Charles' life.