Gene Henson

Reverend Gene Henson, age 85, was called home on January 18, 2018 to be with his Lord whom he has served throughout his life. He was ordained to the ministry when he was eighteen years of age.

He was born in Williamston, S. C., the son of William Curtis Henson and Beatrice Burgess. He is predeceased by his parents and his siblings: Kathleen Dodson, Kenneth Henson, Winfred 'Wink' Hinson and Iris Guest.

He is survived by his beloved wife of sixty-four years, Exie Wilde Henson; three children: Melody Fifer and husband, Steve Fifer of Pensacola, Florida, Rebecca Mancia and husband, Eliu Mancia of Central, South Carolina and Scott Henson and wife, Kristy Massie Henson of Asheville, North Carolina; nine grandchildren: Amy Fitzgerald, John Fifer, Carrie Glass, Kelly Gleason, Matthew Dobson, Anna Pagel, Ben Dobson, Ashley McKnight, Aaron Henson and eight great-grandchildren. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Reverend Henson is a graduate of Slater High School, North Greenville Junior College, Furman University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas and the Portuguese Language School in Campinas, Brazil.

Reverend Henson and Mrs. Henson have ministered in four countries: America, Canada, Brazil and Germany and in five states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Michigan and Florida. They were missionaries with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. They did pioneer mission work in the Amazon Basin, which included the Amazon Jungle. He was able to reach people who had never heard the name of Jesus. Later, he was pastor of the International Inter-denominational Church of Rio de Janeiro where they ministered to people from around the world ~ especially young people.

He also served with World Literature Crusade, an international missionary organization, whose goal was to provide the Gospel, written and audio, to people in their own language, in many countries. He was TV Host of World Missions Documentaries for several years in the Northeastern United States and across Canada.
Their last missionary posting was in Augsburg, Germany where they served a church on a United States Military Base. The church was comprised of young military families who gave Reverend Henson and Mrs. Henson a great respect and appreciation for American military personnel around the world.

His "Celebration of Life" Service will be held at North Toxaway Baptist Church in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina on Monday, January 22, 2018. The funeral service will begin at 1:30 p.m. The family will receive friends at the church from noon until 1:30. Burial will follow the service at Blue Ridge Gardens of Memory in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina.

The officiating ministers/friends will be Dr. George Thomasson, Commander John E. Sutton and Don Dempsey.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The International Mission Board, www.imb.org .