Dr. Glen C. Knecht, Sr.

Dr. Glen C. Knecht, Sr., 94, was received into the glory of his Savior on April 23, 2024, at his home, Laurel Haven, in Laurel, MD. Born March 19, 1930, in Ogdensburg, NY, son of Robert and Wilma Knecht, Glen grew up in Syracuse, NY. Glen was brought to transformative, saving faith in his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at summer camp as a teenager.

At 16, Glen began attending Maryville College where he met the love of his life, Betty Jane Greenwald. As the story goes, on their first date she told him she wanted to be a country schoolteacher and Glen replied, “That’s great because I want to be a country preacher!” Glen went on to graduate from Maryville and later from both Fuller Theological Seminary and Princeton Seminary where he received a Master of Theology Degree. He also received a Doctor of Divinity Degree (Honorary) from Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA.

Their marriage ceremony was broadcast on the live CBS television program, Bride and Groom and from there the couple embarked on a 72-year journey of service and devotion to the Lord and each other. Together, they answered the call to missionary work in Tabriz, Iran in 1958, and traversed the Atlantic Ocean with their young children, Todd and Beth, in tow. While in Iran, he provided a complete seminary education to an Iranian pastor. He preached in both Persian and Turkish in the church there and in English to the US government personnel in Tabriz. After five years, their term was complete. They returned to the US again by boat, having added Wendy and Janet to the family.

Glen’s first pastorate was at the Union Presbyterian Church in Kirkwood, Pennsylvania where he served before departing for the mission field. Upon his return he served for eight years as pastor of the Oxford Presbyterian Church in Oxford, Pennsylvania, during which Glen, Jr. and daughter, Amy, were born. His next pastorate was at the Wallace Memorial Presbyterian Church (then located) in Hyattsville, Maryland, a stone’s throw from the US Capitol. Glen served as senior pastor there from 1971 – 1983. From 1983 – 1997 he was Senior Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC. From 1997 – 2007 he served at Fourth Presbyterian Church, in Bethesda, MD, first as Assistant Pastor (Minister of Visitation) and then as Associate Pastor for Congregational Care. His last pastorate was at the Christ Reformed Evangelical Church, Annapolis, MD from 2007 – 2016. He was a member of the Potomac Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of America at the time of his death.

Amidst the social unrest of the 1960s, Glen navigated the challenges of racial tension with grace and compassion. During a time when the Ku Klux Klan planned a nearby rally, he led a prayer meeting at the church. A providential rainstorm ensued, sabotaging the rally, and redirecting the media’s attention to the powerful prayer meeting instead.

Recountings of God’s provision were commonplace in the Knecht home. One favorite story is when the Knecht family, now with six children, gathered in the living room and asked the Lord for school shoes for the coming year. The day was not over when the owner of the local shoe store called and offered both school shoes AND tennis shoes for every child.

Throughout the 1970s, while serving at Wallace Presbyterian Church the congregation experienced a spiritual revival, particularly among the youth from nearby high schools and the University of Maryland, with many coming to Christ. Three of the children’s spouses came from the Wallace congregation. While serving at Wallace Church, Glen was among those to press charges against the National Capital Union Presbytery for its reception of a candidate who could not affirm the deity of Christ. His bold and historic stand in the Presbyterian church defending the deity of Jesus Christ is remembered as a defining moment in the life of the denomination and the church.

He was honored to pastor the historic First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, SC. The kindness and generosity of that congregation blessed the entire Knecht family. During these sweet years in Columbia, their daughter, Janet’s condition with MS worsened. The First Presbyterian Church family lovingly cared for them, by putting in a pool for Janet’s therapy in the backyard of the manse. While serving in Columbia, he was named to the Order of the Palmetto in 1997, by South Carolina Governor David Beasley, the state’s highest civilian honor, given to citizens for lifetime achievements and contributions that have significantly benefited South Carolina.

When Janet married and moved to Maryland, the Lord blessed her and her husband, Jonathan, with a baby, yet her health continued to suffer. Glen and Betty Jane bought the house next door and moved to Laurel to serve them, along with daughters, Amy and her husband, Frick, and Wendy, and her husband, Craig. It was a team effort. When Janet’s earthly battle ended, Glen and Betty Jane’s longing for heaven intensified. During these years, he was called to serve as a pastor at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda and at the Christ Reformed Church in Annapolis.

Throughout his life this commitment to family guided his decision making. When he was preparing to marry Betty Jane, he put his plans for summer income on hold to help her dad on his farm after he had a heart attack. The Lord blessed that sacrifice by providing the TV wedding! He left the work in Iran when his father-in-law had another heart attack in the US. They left a thriving ministry in Columbia, SC to help care for daughter, Janet, and her son, Jamie.

Glen had a love for Iranian people throughout his life, as well as for all believers in the persecuted church around the world. He traveled to Pakistan, Ukraine, Cypress, and Ethiopia on short-term mission trips. Through the years Glen influenced countless men and women to follow Christ through his preaching and Christ-like character. He will be remembered for his generosity, hospitality, and his devotion to prayer. His firm convictions regarding honoring the Fourth Commandment, led him to write the book, The Day God Made, concerning the Sabbath, published in 2003 by Banner of Truth. In this volume, he urged a return to the right use of “this little section of time fenced off by God for the restoration and blessing of His people.” Even after retiring from full time ministry, Glen continued to serve the Lord with gladness. Most notably Glen and Betty Jane regularly welcomed and shared the gospel with the constant stream of visitors who showed up at the door of their home until he went to heaven.

Glen, or “Gra”, as he became known by his grandchildren, is survived by his wife of 72 years, Betty Jane Greenwald Knecht, son, Todd R. Knecht, (Jane), daughter, Elizabeth Myers, (Thomas), daughter Wendy Higgins, (Craig), son Glen C. Knecht, Jr. (Beth), and daughter Amy Frierson, (Frick). He is also survived by 17 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren (so far!) and many dear nieces and nephews. Glen was preceded in death by his daughter, Janet Lynn Dick (Jonathan), his parents, his sister, Nancy Cimbal and brothers Robert and Gerald Knecht. We loved him all the way to Heaven!

Please join the family at the memorial service at Fourth Presbyterian Church, 5500 River Road, Bethesda, MD, Saturday, May 4, 2024, at 2:00 pm, with reception following. Friends are also welcome at the visitation at Donaldson Funeral Home, P.A., 313 Talbott Avenue, Laurel, MD on Friday, May 3, 2024, from 4:00 - 6:00 pm.

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those who heart is blameless toward him.” II Chronicles 16:9

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