Beloved pastor and LPU alumna Rev. Mary Kathrynn Bennett ’72 entered her heavenly reward on Saturday, July 14, 2024. She was 82.

LPU President Dr. Angie Richey comments, “Mary was a treasure, a mother in the faith, and a woman who served Jesus with all that she was. Her kingdom-minded spirit and faith-filled life distinguishes her as one of the most highly regarded women in our movement. We honor her legacy and are exhorted to follow her example of love, generosity, and faith.”

Known as a “Mom to the Motherless” at The SonshineChildren’s Center deep in the Appalachian Mountains of Linefork, Ky., Rev. Bennett served as pastor of the Linefork Foursquare Church for more than 40 years. Having grown up nearby, this was the same church where Mary accepted Christ as Savior when she was a child.

Following her career as a non-commissioned officer in the United States Air Force, Rev. Bennett received the Standard Ministerial Diploma (’72) and the B.Th. (’73) from LPU (then L.I.F.E. Bible College). She worked bi-vocationally as both a minister and a young executive at AT&T in Los Angeles. Although at first resisting the return to Linefork, the call of God and the needs of Rev. Bennett’s mother’s health brought her back home. After her mother passed, Mary took charge of caring for the ten children that then resided in their home.

Former Foursquare Mid-Atlantic District supervisor Dr. Bill Mouer describes Rev. Bennett’s courageous choice to serve the children of Linefork: “Most people would not have been able to make the choice that Mary did. She wanted to build a home for these children, but she no longer had her corporate job. But she was willing to trust God. And God said, ‘I’ll flow all of the resources through your hands that you’ll ever need, as long as you don’t let one penny stick to your fingers.’ And so she trusted Him. And God did what He said He would do” (Video cred. 2011, The Foursquare Church). Rev. Harriett Mouer, who served in the Mid-Atlantic District alongside her husband Bill, refers to Rev. Bennett as the “Mother Teresa of Foursquare.”

Now decades after that first bold choice, over 140 children call Rev. Bennett “Mom.” Not only did she take these precious children into her home and care for their practical and spiritual needs, but many of them remained with her until they became adults and started families of their own.Several have graduated from college because of her influence in their lives.

Many young men and women have since been inspired by the passion and faith of Rev. Mary Bennett. LPU President Emeritus Jim J. Adams, Ed.D. (’77) met Mary 50 years ago as a sophomore at LIFE when she spoke in chapel and led a discussion in his class. A few years later, he was among the first Foursquare youth pastors to lead youth mission teams to the Sonshine Children’s Center during the summers of 1985 and 1987. He recalls the “deep and abiding work of the Holy Spirit in my youth group members as they helped construct buildings, led church services, played with Mary’s kids, and conducted Vacation Bible School for thechildren in the community.”

Dr. Adams remembers in vivid detail this formative experience. “The culture and environment of the hollows of Appalachia were as exotic and mysterious to us as any remote mission field. Yet, Mary’s constant coaching,mentoring, and leadership left a mark that the young people in my care – now adults in their 40s and beyond – have never forgotten.” Dr. Adams later presided over the LPU Commencement Ceremony in May 2018 whereupon Rev. Mary Bennett received an Honorary Doctorate Degree, in addition to being the keynote speaker for the ceremony.

Rev. Bennet summarized her “why” in her own words, in “The Greatest of These Is Love,” an article published in the Nov/Dec1989 issue of the Foursquare Advance magazine: “The next generation, the children of today, must be touched with the Word of God. They need to be the light to their generation and to their own families – mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles. They deserve to be given every opportunity of allowing their God-given talents to be developed to the fullest extent. This will only become a reality if we reach them with God’s love early in their lives.”

Mary’s lifetime of selflessness will carry on through the work of the Dr. Mary Bennett Foundation with five ministries. The Building Hope initiative serves foster and adoptive families through coaching, mentoring, resourcing, and prayer. The Food Distribution Center delivers food, clothing, household goods, new appliances, and furniture to serve the poor in the Appalachian community. The work of the Linefork Foursquare Gospel Church continues on as a lighthouse of hope – an integral part of the foundation’s campus following Mary’s service of over 50 years as pastor. In the Missions Teams program, thousands of teenagers and outreach groups continue to stay at a home base for local mission teams to serve. Finally, the SonshineChildren’s Center, a cornerstone to this Appalachian community, continues to partner with local authorities as they advocate for children in need.

Reflecting on Rev. Bennett’s life, former Foursquare president Dr. Glenn Burris, Jr (’76). sums it up: “She’s a legend. Her work among the Appalachian’s poorest and most needy will never be forgotten. She often took the ‘least of these’ and gave them love and dignity. She was an amazing human and displayed the love of God to people that reverberated throughout the region. I honor the legacy of Mary Bennett. We need more like her.”

Rev. Bennett is survived by her sisters Delois Middlebrooks and Mabeline Sizemore; her daughters Mary Louise, Miranda, Andrea, Carmel, Sharon, Theresa, Joanna, and Elizabeth; and her sons Big Chris, Little Chris, Joey, Howard, Calvin, Justin, BJ, Jonathon, and Aiden.Also mourning her passing are numerous other relatives and friends.

Memorial services for Rev. Bennett were held atLinefork Foursquare Gospel Church, beginning at 10:00am on Friday, July 19.

In lieu of flowers, donations are welcomed to the Dr. Mary Bennett Foundation at https://drmarybennettfoundation.org

*Excerpts of this article were borrowed from a previous LPU publication as well as other sources.