Fred Holper, influential figure in American liturgical theology, dies at age 77

Celebrated liturgics and homiletics professor at Austin, Union and McCormick seminaries was a noted authority on ordination and ministry

by Emily Enders Odom | Presbyterian News Service

Alongside his wife, the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Campbell, the Rev. Dr. Fred Holper speaks during a vigil in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo courtesy of Robyn Davis Sekula)

LOUISVILLE — In an article he published about ordination in Presbyterians Today, the Rev. Dr. J. Frederick Holper, the distinguished academic and preacher, invited his readers to “picture a child’s top.”

“When the top is not spinning, all sorts of clever lines and designs can be seen, but once it is set to spinning, we see something altogether different,” he wrote. “When we look only at what our confessional and governance documents say about ordination, we can see all kinds of logical connections and easy-to-understand categories. When all of these are put in motion by virtue of applying them to particular persons, with particular gifts, called by particular communities of God’s people to lead them at a particular time in history, the lines and the categories begin to blur.”

And so it was with Holper, who died on Sept. 16 at the age of 77.

Alternately and aptly characterized as a smart, funny, thoughtful, kind and extraordinary teacher, preacher, worship leader, husband, father and grandfather, Holper was all those things set to spinning in a pattern, design and rhythm uniquely his own.

And one that left its mark on a grateful denomination.

Born on April 23, 1947, in Wood River, Illinois, Holper received a B.A. in journalism from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and worked as a reporter for both the Chicago Tribune and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel before earning an M.Div. from McCormick Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. In a distinguished academic and church career, he taught preaching and worship for 25 years at three PC(USA)-related seminaries, Austin, Union (Richmond), and McCormick. “Among the many things I am grateful for is that Fred taught me, and so many others, the power of liturgy to transform lives,” said the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Campbell, his wife of 19 years, who survives him. “Bringing the richness of his early life in the Roman Catholic tradition, he helped so many of us discover the soul-nourishing practice of Daily Prayer. He loved watching people learn. That, and his deep kindness, made him a fine mentor and teacher.”

Often cited as a great encourager, Holper had a profound impact on several generations of prominent denominational leaders, including the Rev. Dr. Neal D. Presa, Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of San Jose and Moderator of the 220th General Assembly (2012).

“Fred Holper was a dear colleague, fellow scholar in liturgical studies, and a friend in ministry,” said Presa, who first came to know Holper through his doctoral dissertation on the history of Reformed ordination. Presa consulted with Holper about his work on the General Assembly Task Force on the Understanding and Practice of Ordination in the PC(USA), the subject on which Presa would write his own doctoral dissertation.

“When I would see him at North American Academy of Liturgy meetings, he was a pastoral and wise voice,” Presa said. “And then when I was Moderator of the General Assembly, he encouraged my ministry and service in that role. Fred’s baptism is complete. He feasts at the everlasting Table — that which he taught and wrote extensively about, he now delights in the reality.”

In addition to his work as a scholar, Holper also pastored PC(USA) congregations, including his first call as organizing pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Orland Park, Illinois, and served interim pastorates at two churches in South Bend, Indiana, while he was stated supply at Second Presbyterian Church in Chicago.

Among the many current PC(USA) ministers of Word and Sacrament impacted by Holper’s academic and pastoral gifts is the Rev. Dr. Christopher Q. James, pastor of the New Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Charles, Missouri, who enrolled in McCormick Seminary’s D.Min. program in 2005 specifically to work with Holper in the area of worship and liturgy.

“I found him to be a treasure trove of information and insight that fueled my interest in sacramental theology,” said James. “Conversations with him were wonderfully generative for me, not only in focusing my research but also in forming my pastoral identity. Fred encouraged me to submit my thesis article to the North American Academy of Liturgy, which continues to be a valuable source of fellowship, inspiration, and challenge. I thank God for the life and ministry of Fred Holper.”

The Rev. Dr. David B. Batchelder, an honorably retired member of Grace Presbytery, said that he first met Holper in the late 1980s when he began his D.Min. program at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

“Fred’s teaching opened me to a deeply layered liturgical world — historically, theologically, ritually, and culturally — that I didn’t know existed,” said Batchelder. “I soaked in Fred’s wisdom and insight like a sponge. Fred was both catechist and mystagogue in my personal conversion to worship rooted in the sacramental vision reawakened by the reformers and further nurtured by the ecumenical work of so many since Vatican II.”

In his retirement years, Holper participated in the life of Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville, which the Rev. Dr. David Gambrell, associate for Worship in the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s office of Theology and Worship, regularly attends.

In listing Holper’s many and profound contributions to the liturgical life of the PC(USA), Gambrell acknowledged his widely recognized status as an authority on ordination and ministry. Holper was a primary author of the denomination’s 1992 study on The Theology and Practice of Ordination, having served on the General Assembly task force charged with this work.

“His far-reaching insights continue to guide us as we face contemporary challenges in ministry,” Gambrell said.

In addition to the wisdom Holper provided at the national level, his work in local congregations was also considerable.

The Rev. Dr. Fred Holper is pictured alongside his wife of 19 years, the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Campbell. (Photo courtesy of Robyn Davis Sekula)

“I will cherish the memory of planning and leading Easter Vigils with Fred and Cynthia at Highland Presbyterian Church,” Gambrell said. “In the 1980s, they started the tradition of the Easter Vigil at Austin Seminary, where I encountered it the 1990s. To collaborate with them on this service several decades later — just as we were finalizing this liturgy for the 2018 Book of Common Worship — was a deep joy.”

During his storied career, Holper also authored many articles in such publications as Call to Worship, Reformed Liturgy and Music, Focus, Interpretation, As I See It Today and Insights, as well as contributing chapters to many published scholarly works. In November 1998, he presented a paper titled “Ordination as a Test Case for Denominational Identity” to the 1998 Conference of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians.

In addition to his wife Cynthia, president emerita of McCormick Theological Seminary, and pastor emerita, Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Holper is survived by two children, Lisel Loven (Erik) and Randy Trumbull-Holper (Alex); one grandson, Emerson; a brother, Mike Holper (Sandy), and a sister, Marybeth Kosiba (Larrie).

A Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held in the sanctuary of Highland Presbyterian Church, 1011 Cherokee Road in Louisville, Kentucky, at 11 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, Oct. 5, with a reception following.