Howard Surface Left A Legacy Of Pastoral Care.

Howard Surface left a legacy of pastoral care
By The Daily News

Early in his adulthood, the Rev. H. Howard Surface Jr. had to make a choice between a medical career or becoming a minister.

He chose the latter course and served faithfully and productively as rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Bowling Green for almost four decades until his retirement in 1992.

On Wednesday, Howard departed from our midst and went to be with his Lord in whose service he had labored so long.

During his tenure, Christ Church’s membership grew even as the national Episcopal Church’s membership declined. This could fairly be attributed to his leadership and his personality.

It was said there were two types of Episcopalians in Christ Church: cradle Episcopalians, who were born into the church and Howard Episcopalians, those who were attracted into the church by Howard Surface.

To accommodate this growth, the Rev. Surface led two major capital campaigns during the ministry here. The first one addressed the need for a larger parish hall, which the congregation named Surface Hall in his honor. The second one resulted in an enlarged sanctuary along with new Sunday school rooms and church offices.

The Rev. Surface served as chaplain at Western Kentucky University and founded St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Glasgow.

He was a seven-time deputy to the national General Convention of the Episcopal Church and also served on the Diocese of Kentucky Standing Committee and General Council.

He was a former president of the Ministerial Association and served on innumerable civic, welfare and character building boards in the community.

Following his retirement, he was frequently at ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings in his role as Chamber of Commerce Ambassador.

Howard Surface will be remembered in many different ways by members of his congregation. We believe his greatest legacy will be his pastoral role. In times of illness or crisis, he was always there for his parishioners.

One member of his parish recalls having surgery in a far away city in another state.

It was too far for Howard to be there in person, but he made arrangements for a priest he had attended seminary with to drop by to visit and pray prior to surgery. This was Howard at his best.

To his wife, Linda Anderson Smith Surface, his son, David Howard Surface, and his daughter, Mary Hall Surface, we extend our heartfelt sympathy.

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