Rev. Dr. Ross E. Whetstone

Rev. Dr. Ross E. Whetstone, Sr., 93 of Nashville, TN, died Sunday, November 4, 2012 at his home, after a brief illness.

He was born on May, 19, 1919, the son of the late Clarence Edward and Helen (Koontz) Whetstone.

He is survived by his wife, Rev. Elizabeth Kugel Whetstone, Nashville, TN; daughter, Judith Whetstone Douglas, Nashville, TN; four grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren; and brother, Clarence E. Whetstone, a speech and language pathologist; Bedford,

He was preceded in death by his wife of many years, Helen M. “Peg” Whetstone and sons Frederick L. Whetstone and Ross E. Whetstone, Jr.

Dr. Whetstone was a former Salvation Army Officer, serving in Pennsylvania at Pottsville, Berwick, Williamsport, East Stroudsburg, Scranton and Sayre, all in the Northeast Pennsylvania Division of the Salvation Army.

He graduated from Mansfield State University while serving as Methodist Pastor at Wellsburg in Lowman, NY.  After graduation from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in 1956, he served as Senior Pastor at Methodist (later United Methodist) Churches in Troy, PA, Canadiagua, NY  and North Syacuse, NY.  In 1967, he went to Nashville to serve as a staff member of the General Board of Evangelism and in 1968 became an Assistant General Brethren.  He continued these responsibilities at the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship.  In 1968, he was assigned the additional responsibility as Director of Telephone Ministries, with the protected name of CONTACT.  He established and Incorporated a national board of directors, which later became an independent ecumenical entity.  By 1971 CONTACT Crisis Intervention Telephone Centers had been established in 36 cities, some of which are still in operation and have served millions of people in need.

He was Vice President of Life Line International, based in Sydney, Australia.  In 1973, he led a major workshop at the International Council on World Evangelism in Lausanne, Switzerland.  In 1976, he was appointed Assistant Professor, heading the Department for the Master of Arts in Evangelism at Scarritt Graduate School, but continued to fulfill his filed work responsibilities.
In addition to workshops and speaking events in every state in the continental United States, he ministered in Costa Rica, Mexico, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  For a time he gave leadership to an organized program affiliate of The Upper Room, and continued to travel on a reduced schedule until 1996.  Since then, he has given his time to research and writing.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, November 10, 2012 at 1:30 PM at Bellevue United Methodist Church in Nashville with the Rev. Lora Jean Gowan, the Rev. David Rainey and the Rev. Gary Cornell officiating.

Friends are invited to call on Friday from 5:00-8:00 PM at the Harpeth Hills Funeral Home in Nashville and on Saturday at the Church from 12:00 -1:30PM.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at Friends Cove United Church of Christ Cemetery, Bedford with Rev. Jeff Welsh officiating.

Arrangements entrusted to Louis Geisel Funeral Home, Bedford.

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