Rev. Benjamin Franklin Guinn, 79, died at Columbus, Mississippi, August 26. The funeral was held in Columbus.

He was ordained in 1911 by Hopewell Presbytery and served his 55-year ministry as a pastor. He received his education at Bethel College. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Pharye Mooney Guinn, and two daughters, Mrs. J. L. Freeman and Mrs. L. E. McRaney. During his ministry he had served pastorates in Mississippi, Iowa, Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

A resolution of respect was adopted by the session of the Fairview church in Columbus.

He was author of a book, Sparks from the Anvil of Truth, published in 1962, under the sponsorship of Fairview church.
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, September 13, 1966, page 4]

Benjamin F. Guinn was born in Meigs County, Georgetown, Tennessee, August 2, 1887; he was the seventh child in a family of fourteen. His parents were the late Mr. William Thomas Guinn and Effie Matilda Moon Guinn. His maternal grandfather was the Reverend Noah Moon, a Baptist minister.

Ben, as his family called him, was a sickly child. The family spent two summers in the mountains because of his health. Around the age of three, he became a rosy-cheeked, active boy. To quote, "Mama kept a switch in her hand 'till Ben went to bed; he was such a mischievous boy!"

About this time the family settled on their sizable farm in the Brittsville community, Georgetown, Tennessee. Here he played on the rocky hills, climbed Texas Knob, from which seven counties and three states could be seen, carried water from a beautiful stream, plowed "Ole Beck," went to school, and participated in the "community life."

His elementary schooling was in a building then used as a school--Cumberland Presbyterian and Missionary Baptist Church. His advanced schooling was in a private school in Birchwood, Tennessee, under a Professor Rutherford to whom he often referred as a very fine teacher and an upright gentleman.

While in his late teens, he professed faith in Christ. There was a neighbor living in the community who was an elder in the community Cumberland church. This man, Brother Shifflet, was a devout man who was well versed in the Scriptures and the doctrines of his beloved Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Ben spent several months, perhaps a year or two, with this man learning a great deal of the knowledge he had to share.

About 1906 he was received into the Brittsville congregation of the Cumberland church. Having had a Baptist background, nothing less than baptism by emersion would satisfy him. This incident he regretted all his life. After studying the scriptures, he often said he wold ask the minister who performed his emersion to re-baptize him if they ever met at the General Assembly.

Soon after church membership, he was received into the Chattanooga Presbytery and honored with the privilege of attending the General Assembly at Dickson, Tennessee, in 1907. At this time he took care of the Clerk's books while the Clerk went to lunch. Since this was a period after the attempted merger, and he was very young in the church, he always cherished this incident.

Soon after this Assembly, he entered Bethel College, and remained there until January, 1913. During this time, he moved his membership from Chattanooga Presbytery to Hopewell Presbytery. He served as supply minister in this area until his ordination, which took place at Martin, Tennessee, March 11, 1911. The Reverends S. H. Braly and A. I. Owens were the officiating ministers. He then became pastor supply for Henry, Huntington, and for Dr. P. F. Johnson, Dean of Ministers at Bethel College. It was while he was preaching at the Greenfield Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Greenfield, Tennessee, that he met Miss Pharye B. Mooney, who on September 4, 1912, became Mr. B. F. Guinn.

To their union were born two daughters, Pharye Pauline and Phelda Lorine. (Both daughters entered Bethel College after high school. On July 6, 1941, Pharye became Mrs. Jesse Lee Freeman of Columbus, Mississippi. On July 19, 1941, Phelda became Mrs. Louis Edward McRaney also of Columbus and Birmingham, Alabama.)

Benjamin Guinn's ministry in full time service ran as follows: Nevada, Missouri, 1913-1914; Shinar at New London, Iowa, 1914-1917; Pleasant Grove, Iowa, 1917-1918. He came to Brooksville and McLeod's Chapel churches in Mississippi in August, 1918, for three years. Beginning in the fall of 1921, he was in Nashville, Tennessee, where he served for six years at the Edgefield Church, which is now Brush Hill congregation. The next three and one half years, he was pastor of the Lewisburg, Tennessee, church group which included also Chapel Hill, Bethlehem, and Farmington--the latter two were afternoon appointments. The next pastorates included Alabama City--now Forrest Avenue Church--Alabama, Atwood, and Morning Sun in west Tennessee. The last three were during what is spoken of as "The Depression" times. From these pastorates he went to the First Church, Columbus, Mississippi. The next pastorate was at Clarksville, Tennessee, where he spent seven years; this period during World War II, was a time of intense activity. Camp Campbell, Kentucky, was opened, and he was guest minister at the dedication of the fort. As was typical of his ministry, he was most active in church and community affairs--holding offices in the Ministerial Association and the USO, as well as being active in the Rotary organization.

Other pastorates following this were a return to the Brooksville and McLeod's Chapel churches in Mississippi, where he served another three years. After that he serve the two churches in Booneville and Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He was happy when he later accepted a call to the church in Princeton, Kentucky, where the first Cumberland Presbyterian General Assembly met. After this pastorate, he then went to Greeneville, Tennessee, where he serve the Mt. Pleasant congregation. From this he officially retired Febrary, 1959, and returned to his home in Columbus, Mississippi, where he planned to spend some time writing and enjoying his family--including two grandchildren.

He had frequently written articles for the church paper in his earlier ministry and by request wrtoe sermonettes for a well-known newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee.

He was privileged to serve as moderator of many presbyteries and synods. He was among the early ministers in the organization in the '20's before the church boards took over the work. Later he was very active in the youth work in organized camps in the church usualy teaching "Cumberland Presbyterian Beliefs" and related subjects, as well as "Teaching in the Sunday Schools." These were very happy experiences and privileges. He served on the first Board of Tithing, on the Board of Ministerial Relief and the Children's Home at Denton, Texas.

In 1954, Dyersburg, Tennessee, at the General Assemnbly, he delivered a sermon by request on Infant Baptism. This was printed in pamphlet form at our denominational publishing house.

After retirement, the Board of Church Extension asked the Reverend Guinn to serve as Interium Pastor of mission churches. He spent some time in this capacity in the Alabama-Florida-Mississippi Synod. In the month of August, he went to serve the Faith congregation in Detroit, Michigan. These were ten happy and fruitful weeks for him and his wife. After this experience he came back to Columbus, Mississippi, to serve various churches in the New Hope Presbytery.

On December 8 of that same year the hand of fate struck. A stroke crippled him on the left side, but did not interfere with his determination to carry out his duties if the Lord willed. As retiring moderator of New Hope Presbytery in April, he sat in a chair and delivered the Moderator's sermon at Pleasnat Hill in Eutau, Alabama. Thus his official activities ended. He only conducted one funeral--"Miss Betty" Smith whom he had known since 1918. His last service was to baptize the infant son of Mrs. Rayburn D. Hitt--David. He had administered this rite for the child's mother when she was the infant Martha Iris Freeman.

About six weeks after the first stroke, members of the family helped him to his study where he prepared a booket, Sparks from the Anvil of Truth with the kind help of Reverend and Mrs. Robert Forester and the Fairview Church session. One thousand copies were placed in churches and homes throughout the Church.

On Sunday, August 8, 1963, the hand of age put him in the hospital for 43 days. The remaining time of his life was spent in his own home--able to use one hand and dependant on his loved ones for his comforts.

On August 26, 1966, the soul of a loving husband and father went to the home prepared for the Redeemed Souls and Faithful Servants of God, whom he had served in his ministry to others.
[This typed paper is in the Historical Foundation of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.]