LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)–Southern Baptist Theological Seminary student Joseph Doubles died of acute brain trauma Aug. 3 after falling from his bicycle. The master of divinity in Christian education student was 33.
Doubles’ accident occurred while he was riding his bike to work, said Brad Waggoner, dean of the seminary’s school of leadership and church ministry in Louisville, Ky. Emergency medical workers were unable to revive him.
A native of Muskegon, Mich., Doubles came to Southern in 2000 to pursue God’s calling on his life.
“Our hearts are grieving along with his wife, Melanie, and our hearts go out to her in this time of great grief and shock,” said Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. “Joseph Doubles came here to prepare for ministry, and even though, to human eyes, it looks like his hopes were never realized and his calling went unfulfilled, he died doing exactly what the Lord had called him to do. We should all aspire to be found just as faithful as he was when the Lord called him home.”
Waggoner said Doubles’ death is a loss not only for his family, but also for the seminary community and the Kingdom of God.
“Anytime you lose a young, promising pastor or staff member, it’s a huge loss for not only the institution, but for some church somewhere,” Waggoner said. “He just felt God’s leadership toward ministry and made that difficult decision to leave his career and the financial security that came with that. I know he wanted to serve the Lord. He wanted to serve the local church.”
Melanie Doubles is employed as a teacher at Whitfield Academy in Louisville. The Doubleses have been members of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Louisville.
The funeral was held Aug. 7 at the Highlands Funeral Home in Louisville, with Larry Purcell, associate professor of leadership and church ministry at the seminary, officiating.
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