Lewis Alan Stout

Lewis Alan Stout was born in Washington DC on May 27, 1930 and died June 30, 2018 in Upland, California. He is survived by 2 children (Dr.Alan Stout and wife, Julie and Sandra Stout Wang and husband, Dr. Nan Wang), a brother (Dr. John Stout and wife Helena), 4 grandchildren (Jennifer Stout Smith and husband Pastor Matt Smith, Trevor Stout and wife Wyntre, James and Michael Stout), and 2 great-grandchildren (Caffrey and Canaan Smith). His wife Betty preceded him in death in 2015 after 65 years of marriage.

He attended Washington Missionary College in Takoma Park, MD and graduated college with a degree in Theology in 1953. His first job was as a pastor/teacher in Konnarock, Virginia. He later became an ordained minister of the Seventh-Day-Adventist church. He attended seminary in preparation for his subsequent 4 year mission service in Peru. He pastored churches in Virginia and Mississippi, served as an academy principal and was the Secretary of the SDA Gulf State's Conference. His final position prior to retirement was as the Religious Liberty Director of the Southern Union office of SDA's in Norcross, GA.

Under his leadership and vision, the Southern Union PARL department re-configured the way religious liberty was done in the territory. By moving the main work of religious liberty out of the conference and into the union. The hope was to offer a higher, more knowledgeable and consistent source of assistance with church members who had issues with their employers forcing them to work on Sabbath. In the mid 1990's he also started the current governmental watchdog program that is still in place in each state overseeing legislative activity affecting the church. While director, his dream to start a newsletter for members was realized. He continued as the editor of "Waymarks" until his death.

Lewis was not content to rest in retirement. He and his wife Betty searched to find the perfect place to retire. In their search, they visited the Fannin SDA Church in Blue Ridge and fell in love with the church family right away. They decided this would be their home church. So, in 1995 they moved into the home that Lewis designed and built for Betty. She was delighted, as she had wanted a quiet mountain home all of her life. He designed their home around her "special needs" as she recently had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

His vision for the Fannin County SDA Church was to build a "Better Living Center" that would be open to the community for health seminars, community service and church activities. He was very involved in the planning and building of the center and was so pleased when his vision became a reality. He continued to preach, teach Sabbath School and Bible studies there in the Fannin church. He began to see another need, and that was in Blairsville. They had a small fellowship that met at a member's home each Sabbath. They were in need of a pastor/leader.
He spent 3 years in Blairsville being an unofficial pastor … preaching, teaching and designing & building a church for them in which to worship. He was at the job site everyday overseeing the building plan. His last and final project along with the members and donors at the Fannin Church was the expansion of the main sanctuary prior to he and Betty moving to California in 2010. It is a lovely sanctuary.

He was devoted to his God, his church, his loving wife Betty and family. We will see him again.

Contributions to the "Lewis and Betty Stout Memorial Fund" can be made to Fannin County SDA Church 527 Forge Mill Rd, Morganton, GA 30560-3230 (706) 686-4788.