In Memory of William R. Murchison (October 7, 1930 – August 21, 2021)
Rev. William “Bill” R. Murchison died on August 1, 2021, at the age of 90.
Bill was born on October 7, 1930, in Crockett, TX. While in high school, he participated in the school band and newspaper and made a valiant effort to play football. He was deeply involved in the local Presbyterian Church. The ministers of his church were the most learned intelligent people that he had ever encountered. He had a great admiration for them and wanted to be deeply involved in his religion.
During the first 20 years of his life, Bill lived, worked, and studied within a 60-mile radius of his place of birth. He received his Bachelor of Science from Stephen F. Austin State College, TX (1954). Following graduation, he attended Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and earned his E.D. in Theology. He served as a pastor for two Presbyterian churches for a total of eight years and as a medical chaplain for a year. It was during this time he began to doubt the tenets of the Christian faith and the teachings of the Presbyterian Church. His theological concerns caused him to wonder what path to take. He obtained his Master of Science in photography from the Illinois Institute of Technology (1972) and began a career as a college teacher of photography. Over years he had the opportunity to grow in the liberal tradition and be a part of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Odessa, TX, (1974) and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Midland, TX. Now, with the confirmed belief that the liberal religion has much to offer humankind, Bill once again wanted to engage in activities of ministry as a parish minister to the people of the Unitarian Universalist church.
In 1995, Rev. Murchison was offered a one-year position as an interim minister at the Dallas North Unitarian Church in Plano, TX. He helped the board address organizational issues and organized a Spiritual Listening workshop to address the desire for increased attention to spirituality in the congregation. After that he served as an interim minister at the UU Fellowship of Waco, TX (1997); the UU Fellowship of Galveston County, TX (1997-1998); the UU Church of Lexington, KY (1999); and the UU Congregation of Tahlequah, OK (1999-2000). His guidance and enthusiasm made it easy to establish the “Wayside Pulpit” project for the UU Church of Springfield, MO where he served from 2000 to 2001. Subsequently, Rev. Murchison served his interim ministry at the Community Church UU, New Orleans, LA (2001-2002) and the UU Fellowship of Northern Nevada, Reno, NV (2002-2003). The Nevada congregation had never had a settled minister, and he defined the ministerial position and assisted the congregation in learning to work with a minister.
At the UU Fellowship of Gainesville, FL (2003-2004), Rev. Murchison built confidence and skills amongst Governing Board members. He helped promote better interaction with the District and the UUA and provided insights on how to deal with dissident factions and disruptive behavior. From 2005 to 2006, he carried out his duty of interim ministry at the UU Church of Tallahassee, FL (2005-2006). Thereafter, he served the North Shore UU Society of Louisiana, Lacombe, LA (2006-2007) where he led Heart to Heart sessions with a group of members and insisted on reestablishing proper boundaries and relationships between the minister and congregants. In 2008, he served the First UU Church of Wichita Kansas, KS.
Rev. Murchison provided utmost leadership and the greatest influence while serving in the capacity of an ordained UU minister. He made suggestions to the congregations on how to proceed into the future and was readily available to anyone who needed him. For the First Unitarian Church of Dallas, TX, Rev. Murchison served on the Denominational Affairs Committee which led him to become the Liaison for Church Groups on the Church Council. He also was a coordinator of the First Church’s Grocery Certificate Program and their Befriender program. Additionally, he served as a Chaplain at the Southwest Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute.
Rev. Murchison marched in the Martin Luther King, Jr. parade in Covington and attended a program on King’s life following the parade. In his spare time, he enjoyed reading, travel, camping, and photography. He also had his photography books published.
Bill is survived by his sons: Adlai Rucker Murchison and William Vincent Murchison; and grandsons Mac Thompson Murchison and Smith William Murchison. The last of his generation, he enjoyed the love and adoration of countless nieces, nephews, cousins, second cousins, and all the descendants of his siblings, along with their loved ones. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Linda Lee Murchison.
His graveside service was held in Crockett, Texas on August 7, 2021.
In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions to the charity of one’s own choosing.