Church elder, Chick-fil-A exec was ‘a kingdom man,’ minister says
Donald A. Perry in a publicity photo for Chick-fil-A. (Photo via the Associated Press)
On The Christian Chronicle’s website, find an online-exclusive story about Chick-fil-A executive Donald Perry. The longtime elder of the Hillcrest Church of Christ in Decatur, Ga., died of a heart attack July 27.
The church’s minister, Richard Barclay, called the elder “a visionary man, a dedicated man, … a kingdom man.”
Perry’s death received national media attention due to the public relations firestorm surrounding comments by Chick-fil-A’s president, Dan Cathy.
Cathy, the son of the company’s founder, S. Truett Cathy, told a Baptist newspaper that he backs “the biblical definition of a family.” Gay rights groups called for a boycott of Chick-fil-A. Politicians in cities including Boston and Chicago told the chain it is not welcome there.
About a week before his death, Perry issued a statement that the restaurant chain intended “to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena,” according to the Los Angeles Times .
As the Hillcrest church makes plans for Donald Perry’s memorial service, Barclay said he’s struggling with the decision of whether or not to allow media to attend.
“He didn’t bring his work over here,” Barclay said of the church elder. In his job, “he didn’t speak for the kingdom. He spoke for Chick-fil-A.”
Read the full story.
How should Christians respond to the ongoing controversy involving Chick-fil-A? Read our recent blog post about the controversy and leave a comment.
