Thursday, November 12, 2009

Obituary

Bryan R. Pollock went home to be with the Lord Monday, November 9, 2009 following a long, courageous battle with cancer.
He was born November 21, 1951 in Albuquerque, NM, the second son of Ralph B. Pollock and Lucie L. (Nunns) Pollock. At an early age, his family moved to the Northwest where he attended schools in Washington and Oregon. He graduated from Sunset High School, Beaverton, in 1970. While a student at Portland State University, he came to the Lord through the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. Following graduation in 1974, he worked a short time for General Foods then joined Campus Crusade as a journalist for Worldwide Challenge magazine. This work gave him opportunities to minister in California and Mexico. While in Mexico, the Lord called him to full time pulpit ministry. He left Crusade to attend Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. It was during this time he met Susan Lyn Phillips, whom he married May 16, 1987. Their first year together was spent in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada as an intern at Circle Drive Alliance Church. Upon completion of the internship they returned to the U.S. where he began his first pastorate at Bethesda Baptist Church in Tacoma, WA. In 1999, he left Bethesda to plant a new work, Pilgrim Bible Church, where he remained as pastor until his death. He is survived by his wife, Susan, and children: Sarah, Jonathan, David, Josiah, Esther, Daniel, Hannah, Grace and James, all of Tacoma; as well as his mother, Lucie and brother, Jeffrey of Sumner,WA; and father and mother- in-law Gerald and Joleen Phillips of Beaverton, OR and brother and sister-in-law, Jeffrey and Irma Phillips of Mission Viejo, CA and their children Brandon and Alexa; and many cousins, aunts and uncles.
A devoted father, Bryan, was committed to all aspects of his children’s lives especially their home education, which led him to serve on the board of Christian Heritage Home Educators of Washington. But, most importantly, he shared his faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Bryan’s life will continue to stand as a powerful testimony to all who knew him. Stalwart faithfulness, holy affection for God, passion for the truth of God’s Word, loving father, husband, & pastor—these are just a few of the qualities that shone from his life.
A memorial service will be at 11:00AM, on Saturday, November 14, 2009 at Life Center, 1717 S. Union Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98405. A fund has been established for the ongoing support of his family. Checks made out to Pilgrim Bible Church can be sent to 14207 81st Ave. E., Puyallup, WA 98373 designated for the Bryan Pollock Memorial Fund. For more information, please go to www.bryanpollock.blogspot.com.

Arrangements by Mountain View Funeral Home. 253-584-0252 Please sign the online guestbook at www.mountainviewtacoma.com.

2 comments:

Mrs. Theresa Frees said...

Thank you so much all of your posts - It means so much to those of us who can't be present at this time.
With love and prayers Mrs.Frees

Anonymous said...

May the Lord keep you always………
Love,
McDivitts

In Memory of Pastor Pollock
By Sean McDivitt, November 13, 2009

Our hearts were lifted to God with words we strongly pressed,
And earnest pleas, our petitions, soon flitted to His breast.
We pled for health and quickened strength to raise him to his feet,
For healing pow’r on him to descend and illness to retreat.

In bleakest moments, days, and hours, in faith we trusted God—
Oh, we asked for healing, yes, but for His will was our great prod.
Submission was our utmost need for we knew not the path ahead,
For giving or taking, we wanted to partake of Life-giving Bread.

In frailest health, in his final days, our pastor strove long
To carry the burden God gave him—to it he belonged.
Applying all strength, the strength he received in those hardest days,
In simple clear thought he preached the Lord’s Word, in effulgent praise.

With reverence for Christ’s holy name, he sat, could not stand,
But solely from Scripture he proclaimed the Holy Command.
And afterwards, exhausted from his task, he praised the Lord
For giving him the power to continue in grace so freely outpoured.

In days gone by, we’ve felt his absence deep within a weeping heart,
But we have hope, our surest confidence, that Life has made a start
Where there up above he feels neither his sickness nor pain
But stands in the presence of the Savior Redeemer to his greatest gain.

Our lives are but a vapor, that from earth shall soon fade.
Pastor Pollock, our model, encouraged and bade
To press on in our faith in the true Sovereign God
Though we may not know, though our vision be flawed.

“God worketh in us” and we must hold fast to remain
Looking to Jesus and bursting forth in joyous clear strain
Our thanksgiving to Him in our darkest night’s trial
For though we may stumble, He’s there every mile.

All praises to Glory, to the Creator of earth,
For His will and His pleasure gives all things their worth
And under His gaze, we run with delight,
‘Til heaven doth open, us safe in His might!