The Memorial Service For Dr. James Montgomery Boice

The memorial service for James Montgomery Boice was a time of tears and celebration as more than 1,500 friends, co-workers and family members gathered at Tenth Presbyterian Church Friday, June 23, 2000. The service featured a sermon by the Rev. Eric J. Alexander of St. Andrews, Scotland, as well as several hymns which had been written by Dr. Boice prior to his death.

The Westminster Brass opened the service with selections from Sibelius, Dvorak and Strauss, accompanied by Dr. Paul S. Jones at the organ. The call to worship by Dr. Philip Ryken included a number of texts of comfort from the Psalms and the New Testament.

Congregational singing began with Luther's "A Mighty Fortress is our God," which has opened the Philadelphia Conference on Reformation Theology for over 25 years. Dr. Boice founded the conference for pastors, theologians, and Christian lay people and spoke at the most recent rendition whose theme was "Our Promise Keeping God: Four Thousand Years of the Covenant."

A testimony was offered by C. Everett Koop, M.D., former Surgeon General of the United States. Dr. Koop has served as an Elder at Tenth Church, President of the Board of Directors of Evangelical Foundation (which now is merged with and has become part of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals), and a friend of the Boice family for years. Dr. Koop recounted how Dr. Boice as a child had been brought by his parents to a Christmas party at Tenth Presbyterian Church and was shown the pulpit of the church by Donald Gray Barnhouse. Dr. Barnhouse promised him "if you parents raise you in the fear of the Lord maybe someday you will preach from that pulpit." Dr. Koop also told how the committee of the church seeking a new pastor had gone through 90 applicants before Dr. Boice's father suggested Jim as a possible candidate. At the time Dr. Boice was on the staff of Christianity Today and almost as soon as Dr. Koop, Mr. Fred Garibotti, and other members of the committee began to hear Him preach they were aware that God was calling that young man to the Tenth pulpit.

Dr. R.C.Sproul then reminded the congregation of the words of Melanchthon upon the unexpected death of Martin Luther in his birthplace of Eisleben. When news came to Wittenberg the protege was lecturing students and was handed a note with the unwelcome announcement. Melanchthon was visibly shaken and told the students, "The charioteer of Israel is fallen!" Dr. Sproul expressed his view that Dr. James Montgomery Boice was one of the giants of this generation in faithfully leading by example the Reformed church in its preaching ministry in the English-speaking world.

Rev. Carroll L.G. Wynne and Dr. Michael S. Horton read Scripture lessons from Psalm 116 and Romans 8:18-39, respectively. Dr. Philip Ryken led in prayer and Mr. Elmer Snethen, current president of the Board of Directors of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, gave his own testimony how his wife had come to faith under the ministry of Dr. Boice and how the Boices had become the closest of family friends through the years. The service was not without its light moments. Repeated references to Dr. Boice's outward formality included Mr. Snethen's account of how he once roomed with Dr. Boice at a church leadership retreat and looked to see if Jim actually slept in coat and tie!

Sheryl Woods Olson and Erin Holland offered vocal anthems of worship and the Tenth Church choir joined in bringing glory to God through music. The few touches to the service not specifically requested by Dr. Boice before his death included singing two of the hymns he had composed in the previous year, based upon Psalm 8 and Romans 11:33-36. "What can separate my soul from the God who made me whole, wrote my name in heaven's scroll? Nothing! Hallelujah!" and "Give praise to God who reigns above for perfect knowledge, wisdom, love; his judgments are divine, devout, his paths beyond all tracing out. Come lift your voice to heaven's high throne, And glory give to God alone!"

Rev. Eric Alexander's sermon was based upon an incident when in his study in Scotland several years ago Jim Boice came across a title page from an old volume and suggested the topic would make an appropriate funeral sermon. "For to me to live is Christ; and to die is gain!" wrote Paul in Philippians 1:21. Dr. Alexander explained how utterly unique such is to the Christian experience. In all ways we belong to Christ while we are alive, and our efforts, successes, and hopes are all bound closely to Him. In death, however, we have a prospect of a greater glory and a more complete happiness, for we shall see Him as He is!

Long-time church organist Robert J. Carwithen played a postlude and the close of the service was marked with silence and a piper playing on the church steps in the Scotch-Irish tradition.

"Come lift your voice to heaven's high throne, And glory give to God alone!"
-- James Montgomery Boice.

[An account by Tom Martin, a member of Tenth Presbyterian Church]