Reverend Ronald Eugene Presley, age 65 of Pullman, Michigan died on Monday, May 24, 2021, at Metro Health Hospital in Wyoming, Michigan of injuries received in a motor vehicle accident. He was born on November 26, 1956, to Eugene Houston and Wanda Juanita (Troutman) Presley in Kankakee, Illinois. He attended Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School in Bourbonnais, Illinois. In his youth, he attended Immanuel Baptist Church in Kankakee, thanks to their bus ministry. He trusted in Jesus Christ as his savior as a teenager and lived the rest of his life as a follower of Christ.
He was a graduate of Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois (1977) where he was one of the founding members of the Knox College Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) Chapter. He met his future wife Susan Lee (Neubert) Presley at an IVCF event in her hometown of Peoria, Illinois. They were married in Peoria on December 18, 1976. After graduating from Knox, he served as youth pastor at Bethel Baptist Church in Galesburg, Illinois. During this time he felt the call to full-time ministry and decided to attend seminary instead of law school.
He received his Master of Divinity in 1988 from Denver Baptist Theological Seminary after serving as an officer for the Wheat Ridge Police Department in Wheat Ridge, Colorado for seven years. During his career, he ministered as senior pastor to three congregations in Flower Mound, Texas, Burlington, Iowa, and Streator, Illinois. In Flower Mound, he also served as a reserve officer and chaplain for the Flower Mound Police Department. In Burlington, he was instrumental in beginning the chaplain corps of the Burlington Police Department.
In 1996, he participated in a prayer walk in Cameroon, West Africa which included meeting the chaplain corps of the country’s Baptist hospitals. This began a life-long ministry which resulted in multiple trips, often with members of his family, to provide training and support to the hospital chaplains and establish a Cameroonian police chaplaincy. Ron began Living Vine Mental Health Ministries, Inc a non-profit dedicated to founding, building, and supporting the Living Vine Mental Health Clinic, the first mental health clinic in Cameroon with Hedwick Fonbeh Chia, a chaplain and trained mental health professional Ron met on his first trip to Cameroon.
Ron was always eager to lend a helping hand and share his faith with others. In retirement, he enjoyed gardening, home improvements, car repairs, finding deals on Craigslist, and playing with his grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law David Sabin. He is survived by his wife Susan; siblings Sandra J. (Presley) Sabin (David) of Bentonville, AR, Jacquelin J. (Presley) Riggs (Dennis) of Converse, IN, and Terry L. Presley, of Hartselle, AL; children, Elizabeth Lee (Presley) Bazan (Thomas) of Springfield, IL and Jennifer Michelle (Presley) Trocke (John) of Holland, MI; grandchildren, Lillian Grace Trocke, Abigail Joy Trocke, Henry Stephen Trocke, and Jack Frederick Trocke; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews.
A visitation is scheduled for Saturday, June 5 at 10:00 a.m. with a service to follow at 12:00 pm at Woodland Baptist Church, 6915 North Allen Rd in Peoria, Illinois.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Living Vine Mental Health Ministries, Inc. through PayPal Giving Fund at https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1410444 or by sending checks made out to Living Vine Mental Health Ministries to Dykstra Funeral Home at 188 West 32nd Street, Holland, MI 49423.
Professional service entrusted to the Mulder Chapel.
Comments