J. Andrew (Andy) Lipscomb

J. Andrew (Andy) Lipscomb of Jasper, Georgia died on Monday, April 21, 2014, at home with his family at his side. Andy was born on September 24, 1939, in Pensacola, Florida. He attended local schools and graduated from Pensacola High School in 1957. He graduated from Birmingham Southern College and from Vanderbilt Divinity School. While in seminary, he served as the pastor of several churches in Tennessee and North Alabama.



In 1962, he married the love of his life, Jane Kelso, in Birmingham, AL. After leaving seminary in 1965, he was appointed as the organizing Director of Mobile, Alabama's Inner City Project by the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He left that appointment in the midst of the civil rights era to join the staff of the Committee of Southern Churchmen in Nashville, Tennessee. During this time, he and Jane also helped found the Southern Student Organizing Committee, an effort to encourage white students to participate in the ongoing civil rights struggle. In the early 1970s he moved to Atlanta to serve on the staff of the Southern Field Office of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He was the executive director of the Georgia Council on Human Relations, and subsequently the director of the Georgia Coalition on Jails and Prisons and the Georgia Citizens' Coalition on Hunger.




In 1973 he became a general contractor, specializing in home renovations in Atlanta. In1980 he moved with his family to a small farm in Talbot County Georgia, where he continued his contracting business and grew Christmas trees. This farm, Flint Hill, was always open to guests and those in need of refuge.




At this time he surrendered his credentials to the United Methodist Church and had his clerical orders accepted on transfer as a minister of the Lazar Creek Congregation, in Talbot County, Georgia. With these credentials he performed many weddings and other sacraments for those that needed them.




In 1989 he was hired as the director of the Woodland Housing Authority. He eventually became the director of the Talbotton Housing Authority, the Talbot County Housing Authority, and the Woodbury Housing Authority. He retired from this work in 2001, and in 2005, he and Jane moved to Pickens County, Georgia.




Since retirement, he worked as a volunteer in political campaigns, was active in the local Democratic Party and held membership in a number of human rights organizations. His passion was his volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity. Most recently he was instrumental in starting a home repair ministry with the Pickens County Habitat organization.




He was preceded in death by his parents, John H. and Clelia P. Lipscomb, of Pensacola, Florida, and his brother Jerald T. Lipscomb of Zebulon, North Carolina. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Jane Kelso Lipscomb, his three sons and their wives, Scott A. and Lea Cherie Lipscomb of Portland, Oregon; Adam C. and Melissa Grimes Lipscomb of Austin, Texas; and Micah S. and Suzannah Burton Lipscomb of Decatur, Georgia. His grandchildren are Brittany, Andrew, Francesca, Alexander, Lillie, Rush and Owen. He is also survived by his brother John P. and Martha Meek Lipscomb of Brookeville, Maryland, by his brother Jerry's widow, Diane Turner Lipscomb of Zebulon, North Carolina and many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews.




Instead of flowers, contributions may be made to the Democratic National Committee, Pickens County Habitat for Humanity or to any human rights organization of the donor's wish.




A service to celebrate Andy's life and work will be held at a later date.





Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory, Cumming, Georgia is in charge of arrangements.

Condolences may be made at www.ingramfuneralhome.com.