Charles Henry Mercer

" .... [A]nd what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8)

The Reverend Doctor Charles Henry Mercer, 102 years old, died on July 9, 2022. He was a resident of Croasdaile Village, Durham, North Carolina.

Reverend Mercer was guided by Micah 6:8, which resulted in his being a devoted husband, wonderful father, dedicated servant, trusted friend, and an exemplary leader in professional roles throughout his life.

Reverend Mercer was born on January 10, 1920 on a farm in the Regan Community in Robeson County, North Carolina. He was one of thirteen children of Nash Adams Mercer and Mary Young Mercer. He attended the Robeson County Schools, and in 1936, at the age of 16, graduated from Barker Ten Mile High School as valedictorian of his class.

Reverend Mercer graduated from Louisburg College, where he received his Associate of Arts degree in 1938; Wofford College, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1940; and Duke University Divinity School, where he received his Master of Divinity degree in 1943. He received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Methodist University in 1977 in appreciation for his exceptional leadership and service in the ministry and his work on behalf of Methodist University.

Louisburg College awarded Reverend Mercer its Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1981. Duke Divinity School recognized his ministerial and community service when he received the Duke Divinity School Alumni Association Alumnus Award in 2003.

While at Duke, Charles met Florrie Garrett Smythe of Fort Mill, South Carolina, a student at the Duke School of Nursing. They were married on August 27, 1943, and enjoyed a marriage of almost 71 years, with Florrie predeceasing Charles on May 13, 2014.

Reverend Mercer joined the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church and was ordained as a deacon in 1942 and as an elder in 1944. At the time of his death, he was the oldest serving elder in the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.

During the 58 years that he served as a United Methodist pastor, he served churches in Swansboro, Wilmington, Fairmont, Mebane, Smithfield, Laurinburg, and Roanoke Rapids. In addition, Reverend Mercer served as the District Superintendent of the New Bern District and later the Durham District, as well as the Executive Director of the United Methodist Church North Carolina Conference Council on Ministries. In 1988, Charles and Florrie moved to Lake Junaluska, where Charles served as pastor of two United Methodist churches in Haywood County. He fully retired from the ministry in 2001.

Throughout his life, Reverend Mercer served his church and community. He was a delegate to the World Methodist Council meetings in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Nairobi, Kenya; and was a delegate to four Methodist General Conferences and six Methodist Jurisdictional Conferences. Among other positions in the church, he served as a member of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for the United Methodist Church, as president of the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church Board of Trustees, and as president of the Pastors' Section of the Ministers' Conference for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church.

Reverend Mercer served as a member of the Board of Visitors for Duke Divinity School. He also was a trustee of Louisburg College and a trustee of Lake Junaluska Assembly.

In his various leadership roles, Reverend Mercer demonstrated a statesmanlike ability to build consensus among people and bring people together to meet challenges and achieve goals for the church and the community. In his steadfast and measured way, he led not only with his words but with his actions and with a joyful heart.

While serving Centenary United Methodist Church in Smithfield, where he and his family lived from 1960 to 1965, Reverend Mercer was chairperson of the Smithfield Human Relations Council, which was a local branch of the Good Neighbor Council, an organization created in 1963 by Governor Terry Sanford to promote race relations. He also was involved in other leadership roles in each of the communities in which he lived, including his time as president of the Fairmont Rotary Club, president of the Laurinburg Kiwanis Club, chairperson of the Johnston County Chapter of the American Red Cross, and a member of the executive committee of the Mental Health Association in Johnston and Scotland counties.

Following a wonderful ministry, in 2005 Charles and Florrie moved to Croasdaile Village Retirement Community, where they made many friends and were involved in numerous activities. On June 24, 2018, family and friends demonstrated their appreciation for Charles and Florrie and for Croasdaile Village by dedicating the Charles and Florrie Mercer Prayer Garden at Croasdaile.

Reverend Mercer was a man of prayer and a man of faith. He was guided by his faith throughout his entire life, and his decisions were informed by his faith. He truly had an open mind and an open heart for all people. He opened doors for people where otherwise the doors may have been closed. He was known for his genuine respect for all people and his kind and generous spirit. He was a cheerful giver.

Reverend Mercer's understanding of and appreciation for all people was demonstrated many times in many ways, including in his actions, his sermons, and in his gift of prayer. One such example is in the words he spoke in his opening prayer before the United States Senate on August 27, 1962: "Thou hast made Thy people to be persons, not puppets; Thou hast made us for a purpose; Thou hast made us strong; now direct our strength. Help us, lest in our plenty we neglect those in need. Give us wisdom, that even the good about us may not blind us to that which is better."

Even at the age of 102, he was strong mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He never lost his sense of place ... nor his sense of humor. He enjoyed living, and his optimism was infectious.

Charles, also known as Pop, is survived by his two children, Mary Smythe Mercer and Charles H. Mercer, Jr. (Alene); three grandchildren, Allison Mercer Maslow (Nick); Charles H. Mercer, III (Charlotte), and Daniel Lee Mercer; and great grandchildren, Charles Henry "Ford" Mercer, IV and Avery Michelle Mercer, all of Raleigh; and a brother, Eugene Mercer (Alese), of Matthews, North Carolina; as well as nieces and nephews.

The family thanks everyone at Croasdaile Village Retirement Community, including residents, staff, and volunteers, for their support and assistance. The family also expresses appreciation for everyone at Transitions Life Care in Raleigh.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, August 13th, at the William Preston Few Chapel, Croasdaile Village Retirement Community, 2600 Croasdaile Farm Parkway, Durham, North Carolina. Private interment for family members will be on Sunday, August 14th, at the Regan United Methodist Church cemetery, Lumberton, North Carolina.

In lieu of flowers, those who wish to do so may donate to the Charles and Florrie Mercer Endowed Scholarship Fund at Duke Divinity School, Alumni & Development Records, Duke University, Box 90581, Durham, NC 27708-0581, or The United Methodist Retirement Home Foundation, 2600 Croasdaile Farm Parkway, Suite A-500, Durham, NC 27705.