Obituaries

Julian H Brackman Sr passed away peacefully in his sleep during the early morning hours of March 10, 2026, in Woodstock, Georgia. He was 91 years old. Julian was born in Maysville, Georgia on August 23, 1934, to William (Bill) Lee Brackman Sr. (born 1899 in Louisiana) and Nannie Lois Hearn (born 1903 in Roopville, Georgia). Bill was an ordained Methodist minister, and Julian was raised with his older brothers, Emory, John, and Bill, Jr. They moved around North Georgia as Bill, Sr. accepted appointments as a Methodist preacher. They lived in the following towns during their formative years: Bremen, Chicopee, Hogansville, Atlanta (Sylvan Hills), Cornelia, Augusta (Mann Memorial), and Augusta again (St Luke). Julian attended Brown High School in Atlanta before the family moved to Augusta where he graduated in 1951 from the Academy of Richmond County (ARC), the oldest high school in Georgia. Though he had a plan to go to college, by his senior year of high school, he had already decided what his life's profession was going to be: ministry. He accepted the call to preach as a 16-year-old (December of 1950), when he got a local license to preach from Methodist Bishop Arthur J Moore. While attending the Junior College of Augusta (now Augusta University), which was then housed in the basement of his high school, Julian began preaching in country churches before he was 20 years old. He served the Boneville, Appling, and Dearing churches outside Augusta beginning in 1952 before he left to finish college at Asbury College (now University) in Wilmore, Kentucky in the fall of 1953. After earning a Bachelor's Degree from Asbury in 1955, Julian attended Asbury Theological Seminary for 1 year before transferring to the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta. Julian graduated with a MDiv from Candler in 1958, the same year he became an elder in the North Georgia Conference of the Methodist (later United Methodist) church. Julian preached in many churches as a young single man, including Tate, Ball Ground, Nelson, New Echota, and Mizpah Rush. In 1963, he was asked to start a church, Cokesbury, in south Augusta. After getting that church off the ground, Julian moved to Smyrna Methodist Church as the assistant pastor in 1965. This is where he met his bride, Jackie (Reaves) Brackman. After a 2-year courtship, Julian and Jackie were married on April 5, 1968, and stayed married for 55 years until Jackie's passing in November of 2023. Julian and Jackie had 2 sons, Jay in 1970 and Joe in 1972. Julian continued to pastor churches throughout his career in towns like Commerce, Augusta (Aldersgate), Milledgeville, Conyers, Dunwoody (Kingswood), Douglasville, and Tucker (Embry Hills). Julian retired from the ministry in 1998 at the age of 64. Once retired, Julian and Jackie enjoyed traveling. Julian (like his brother Emory had been) was a Protestant minister on Holland America Cruise Lines, and he and Jackie visited over 75 countries, including seeing all 7 continents while cruising. They also visited every state at least 3 times and cruised the great rivers of the world (Amazon, Yangtze, Nile, Mississippi, and most of the main rivers of Europe). Julian and Jackie also enjoyed visiting their grandchildren in Arizona and spent time out there each year until they couldn't travel by plane anymore. Julian enjoyed hunting, fishing, and playing golf most of his life. He enjoyed bird hunting the most and hunted ducks, quail, and doves well into his 60s. Julian also enjoyed both freshwater and saltwater fishing throughout his life. He also enjoyed playing and watching the game of golf. He attended The Masters tournament for over 60 years and played the Augusta National course 7 times. If you ever watched the tournament with him, you would know that he could remember where he hit every one of his shots during those seven rounds. Because of his friendship with the Club's manager in the 1970s, Phil Wahl, Julian performed Clifford Roberts' (co-founder of Augusta National Golf Club and The Masters) memorial service in 1977, which was held by Ike's Pond at the club. Julian and Jackie enjoyed the last years of their lives in Woodstock, Georgia, first living in Claremore Lake (charter owners), then Holbrook Woodstock (independent living), before Julian moved to Brickmont Assisted Living in 2026. The family is indebted to the staff and facilities of Holbrook Woodstock, Brickmont Assisted Living, and Spirit Hospice for their care of him during the final period of his life. Julian always enjoyed a good meal, a funny story, and a good college football game. Though he used to be a season ticket holder at Grant Field for Georgia Tech's teams, Julian became a Georgia fan during the Mark Richt era and continued his allegiance through Kirby Smart's tenure in Athens. He kept up with Georgia football recruiting very closely and always knew who UGA was targeting at each position. Most of all, Julian was a committed Christian who read his Bible each morning and read it completely through each year ever since he was a teenager. He faithfully prayed for his wife, children, and grandchildren daily. He could not eat any meal or even an appetizer without praying for the food and thanking God for His providence in his life. The stories he had about how God had blessed his family, himself, and other Christians he knew were immense, and those intensified both his faith and the faith stories he shared with others. Julian was predeceased by his parents, his oldest brother, Bill (Doris), his middle brother, John (Jayne), and his wife, Jackie. He is survived by his brother, Emory (Elise); his sons: Julian, Jr (Jay) and Joseph Emory (Joe) (Jenny); 4 grandchildren- Clarissa, Mikayla, Elliot, and Aiden, and many nephews and nieces and other extended family members and friends.

Pastor Charles “Bill” William Kidwell, II, age 78, passed away at his home in Enterprise, Alabama, on Friday, February 20th, after a five year battle with cancer. Born November 14, 1947, to Martha (Allen) Kidwell, of Odon, formerly of Shoals, and the late Charles Kidwell. He married Nancy (Brooks) Kidwell, of Loogootee, celebrating 56 years of marriage. He was, first and foremost, a servant of Jesus Christ who loved and honored his parents and cherished his wife, three children, Billy, Sarah, and David; six grandchildren, Ariel, Grace, Hunter, Elizabeth, Michael, and Katherine. Bill graduated from Shoals High School in 1965, attended Vincennes University, joined the Air Force, and trained as a Russian linguist at Syracuse University and then was assigned to Germany. He transitioned out of the Air Force in 1974, joined the United Methodist Church which began 30 years of ministry. He graduated from Indiana University and Asbury Theological Seminary earning a Master of Divinity. Bill and Nancy, in 1992, joined One Mission Society where they served as missionaries in Moscow, Russia, until 1999. In 2016, they were appointed as Church Multiplication Facilitators and leadership trainers to the Slavic Peoples of Europe and the Middle East, as well as many parishioners in Indiana, Kentucky, Alabama, and West Florida United Methodist Churches. His gentle spirit and kind heart has drawn many to Christ.

Our institution mourns the passing of Mrs. Janet McKenna, former First Lady of Asbury Theological Seminary and beloved wife of Dr. David McKenna. For 75 years, Janet was a loving and devoted wife to Dr. McKenna, who served as president of Asbury Theological Seminary from 1983 to 1994.

Mrs. McKenna faithfully shared in a lifetime of Christian leadership and service, offering steadfast encouragement, gracious hospitality, and a prayerful presence to the communities they served. Her deep faith and genuine care for others were a blessing to countless students, colleagues, and friends who experienced her warmth and kindness. Mrs. McKenna’s influence extended well beyond the Seminary during Dr. McKenna’s leadership, as she embodied faithful discipleship through humility, generosity, and unwavering devotion to Christ and family.

Reflecting on her legacy, Asbury Theological Seminary President Dr. David F. Watson shared, “Janet McKenna lived a life marked by Christlike grace, humility, and faithful service. Her hospitality and joyful devotion enriched this Seminary and strengthened all who had the privilege of knowing her. We give thanks to God for her enduring witness and pray for God’s comfort and peace to surround Dr. McKenna and the entire McKenna family.”

Dr. David Gyertson, former interim president of Asbury Theological Seminary, also reflected on Mrs. McKenna’s lasting impact:

“My wife Nancy and I were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mrs. McKenna. From our days as students under the McKennas’ leadership at Spring Arbor College to being mentored by David and Janet in our calling to Christian higher education—and then once again serving alongside them here at Asbury Theological Seminary—Janet was consistently known for her grace, joy, and deep commitment to her family. She was the consummate first lady, setting a beautiful and enduring example for us. Together, we were richly blessed by her guidance, her spirit, and the gift of her friendship.”

We give thanks to God for Mrs. McKenna’s life and witness. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dr. McKenna and the entire McKenna family during this time of loss. May the hope of the resurrection and the comfort of God’s abiding presence bring peace to all who mourn.

Dr. Dale F. Walker was born on July 27, 1938 and died on December 13, 2025. Dale was born in Lincoln, IL. He attended grammar and high school in St. Elmo, IL and graduated from the University of Southern Illinois, from Drew Theological Seminary in New Jersey and from Cornell University where he studied Indonesian and linguistics. Dale and Alice lived in Indonesia for 30 years and in Poland. In Indonesia, Dale made a Concordance from the Indonesian Bible and taught at several theological schools. Dale was also an adjunct professor at Asbury Seminary for 15 years. He loved singing, working crossword puzzles, collecting books and memorizing Bible verses in Hebrew and English. He is survived by his wife, Alice; his sons, Phillip (Jacqueline), Andrew (Darlene) and Brian; his daughters, Rohani (Hans) and Michelle; his granddaughters, Anastasia and Sophia; his grandsons, Phil, Jr., Joshua and Jeremiah; his step granddaughter, Jennifer; seven step great grandchildren; his sisters, Marcia (Ed) and Elaine; and nephews, Bruce (Dana) and Doug (Dawn). Dale was preceded in death by his brother, Alan, and a nephew, Mark (Dolores).