The Reverend William Fay Thompson, 97, of Glasgow Kentucky, who served the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for nearly seven decades, died September 11, 2024. Known to many simply as Fay, Thompson was born on October 28, 1926, in Center, Kentucky, to Alvis A. Thompson, a farmer and carpenter, and Della Kaye Hiser Thompson. He was raised in rural Kentucky, attending Hill View, Little Barren, and Cave Hill public schools before graduating from Center High School in 1945.
Thompson was baptized by the Reverend Thomas Pepper in 1939 and became a Christian in 1940. Initially joining the Little Barren Separate Baptist Church, he transferred to the Seven Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Metcalfe County in 1943, setting the course for his service to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving until his discharge in 1947. Shortly after his return, he married Ruby Susan Wilshire on March 20, 1948. The couple remained together for 77 years.
Thompson’s path to the ministry became official in 1951 when he came under the care of Cumberland Presbytery. He was licensed in 1953 and ordained on April 13, 1955. The Reverend T.A. Richardson delivered the ordination sermon, and the Reverend Harry L. Hinch gave the charge. Thompson pursued theological education at Bethel College in McKenzie, Tennessee, attending from 1953 to 1955 before continuing his studies at Western Kentucky University in 1964. He returned to Bethel, where he graduated in 1965.
Over the course of his long career, Thompson served numerous Cumberland Presbyterian congregations across Kentucky and Tennessee. He began his ministry at New Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Selmer, Tennessee (Madison Presbytery) from 1953 to 1954. During the same period, he also served Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Murray, Kentucky (Mayfield Presbytery).
From 1955 to 1958, Thompson ministered to Hopewell Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Joyner’s Chapel Cumberland Presbyterian Church, both in Cumberland Presbytery and both in Hart County, Kentucky. Following that, he served Garfield Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Leitchfield Presbytery) in Garfield, Kentucky, and Mt. Zion Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Owensboro Presbytery) in Philpot, Kentucky, from 1958 to 1961.
In 1962, Thompson became pastor at Auburn Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Auburn, Kentucky (Logan Presbytery), where he served until 1966. He then took over pastoral duties at Irvington Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Irvington, Kentucky (Leitchfield Presbytery), from 1966 to 1974.
From 1974 to 1977, Thompson served the Bremen and Fairview Parish (Owensboro Presbytery) in Bremen, Kentucky, and from 1977 to 1978, he led Harrodsburg Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Cumberland Presbytery) in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. He continued his ministry in Tennessee, serving Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Clarksville Presbytery) in Clarksville from 1979 to 1985.
Thompson’s final pastoral role was at Neal’s Chapel (Cumberland Presbytery) in Glasgow, Kentucky, where he served from 1997 to about 2006.
In addition to his ministry, Thompson worked as a carpenter, painter, and substitute teacher to support his family.
“My experience as a minister has been typically rural and small-town pastorates, and overall a very rewarding experience,” Thompson once reflected. “Theologically, I am personally conservative in my beliefs, but I think at the same time fairly liberal in attitude toward theological beliefs that differ from my own.”
