Darryl E. “Bud” Sparling, Moderator of the 21st General Assembly, died on December 4 in Denver, Colo. He was 79.
In addition to serving as Moderator in 2001, Sparling was a former member of the Permanent Judicial Commission and the Chaplains Work and Care Committee. He was also part of the committee that rewrote the Book of Discipline, which was ratified by the 17th General Assembly.
Following service in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, Sparling entered Princeton Theological Seminary in August 1965. Upon graduation in 1969, he was ordained by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and returned to active duty as an Army Chaplain, a role in which he served assignments in the United States, South Korea, and Germany.
He was received by the EPC Presbytery of the West in 1982 when he was serving at Faith Presbyterian Church in Aurora, Colo. He later helped plant Covenant Community Presbyterian Church in Aurora, Colo., and served as Associate Pastor of Parker Presbyterian Church in Parker, Colo. In addition to his service at the local church, he and his wife, Carol, served with Youth for Christ and EPC World Outreach.
Sparling also was an adjunct professor of Denver Seminary, where he taught Presbyterian Polity and facilitated a required spiritual formation group for students.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Carol; sons Matson and Bryan; daughter Meg; eight grandchildren; and a sister, Patricia Sparling Herber.
A memorial service will be held at Parker Evangelical Presbyterian Church on December 17. Burial with full military honors will be at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver on December 19.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Sparling’s memory be made to Parker Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 9030 Miller Road, Parker, CO 80138; or Christ Episcopal Church, 2950 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO 80210.