Mr. Alvis Barbee Carpenter

CLEMMONS - Mr. Alvis Barbee Carpenter, 75, died Saturday, Jan. 12, at the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home in Winston-Salem.Born Jan. 16, 1926, in Helena, Ark., he spent his early years in Elaine, Ark., with his parents, James Robert and Jamie Barbee Carpenter.At the age of 14, he enrolled in the Tennessee Military Institute in Sweetwater, where he completed his high-school ed-ucation.He attended Ouachita Baptist University for one year before enlisting in the Army Air Forces, where he served during World War II.Upon his discharge, he enrolled in Baylor University, later transferring to the University of Denver, where he completed a bachelor's degree in business administration.He also studied at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., receiving a master of divinity degree in 1954 and a doctorate of ministry in 1977.During his seminary years, he served in several capacities on the staff of Deer Park Baptist Church.In 1955, he was called as pastor of Audubon Baptist Church of Louisville, where he served for 10 years.In 1965 he began a 15-year tenure as the pastor of First Baptist Church of Blytheville, Ark. After moving to North Carolina in 1980 to broaden his studies in clinical pastoral education and counseling, Dr. Carpenter served several churches as interim pastor.These included First Baptist churches of Winston-Salem, Clemmons, Advance and Mocksville, as well as the Com-munity Moravian Church of Wel-come.He held membership in the American Association for Mar-riage and Family Therapy and the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.He served as a volunteer counselor for Contact of Winston-Salem and was asso-ci-ated with the Trinity Center on a part-time basis.In 1982, he opened the Clemmons Counsel-ing Center and served many people until his retirement in 1994.He and his wife were very active in ACME (Association of Couples for Marriage Enrichment) and were a certified leader couple.His love for music led to his participation in the New Horizons Band (for senior citizens), where he played the clarinet.He was a faithful member of the First Baptist Church of Winston-Salem, using his background and experience as pastor and counselor.His involvement everywhere mirrored the theme of his life, which was commitment to God and caring for people.Dr. Carpenter is survived by Florence Childress Carpenter, his wife of 44 years; a daughter, Elizabeth Carpenter Smith and husband John of Irving, Texas; a son, Daniel Carpenter and wife Patricia of Somerset, Ky.; a brother, Bob Carpenter and wife Dorothy of Helena, Ark.; grandchildren Rob and John Mark Smith, Heather White Trout, and Joshua White; and a host of friends across the country.