Dr. Haden, a former Kingsport, Tenn., newspaperman, came to Christ in midlife. After sensing a call to the gospel ministry, Haden attended Columbia Theological Seminary, graduating in 1963. He was called to serve as pastor of Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church in Miami, Fla. In 1967, Dr. Haden was called to be the 11^th senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga.

Dr. Ben Haden, 88, was called home to glory on October 24, 2013. He was born on October 18, 1925 in Fincastle, Va.

Dr. Haden, a former Kingsport, Tenn., newspaperman, came to Christ in midlife. After sensing a call to the gospel ministry, Haden attended Columbia Theological Seminary, graduating in 1963. He was called to serve as pastor of Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church in Miami, Fla. In 1967, Dr. Haden was called to be the 11^th senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga. He was already familiar to many First Presbyterian Church members for his Philadelphia-based radio program, ‘Bible Study Hour.’

A man with a genuine gift for preaching, Dr. Haden quickly enamored himself to the First Presbyterian congregation. His popularity and ability to draw worshipers soon resulted in closed-circuit television being set up in the chapel and then the fellowship hall for overflow worshipers.

Not long after coming to First Presbyterian, Mr. Haden launched his own radio ministry, ‘Changed Lives,’ on radio station WFLI in Chattanooga. He had grown physically weary of flying to Philadelphia twice a month for the ‘Bible Study Hour’ programs and felt his radio ministry could best be served in Chattanooga. This ministry, which Mr. Haden operated independently of the church eventually grew to include a television ministry as well.

Under Dr. Haden’s leadership, First Presbyterian voted in 1974 by a 90-percent margin to withdraw from the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS). It became part of the new Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), believing that the PCA adhered more strictly to the principles set forth in the Bible and was committed to a strong missionary-sending body.

In September 1998, after 31 years as senior pastor, Mr. Haden announced he would step down from the First Presbyterian pulpit as of March 31, 1999, and devote his full energies to ‘Changed Lives.’

Dr. Haden is survived by his daughter, Dallas, her husband, and a granddaughter. His wife, Charlene, preceded him in death a few years ago.

The Memorial Service will be on Tuesday October 29, 2013 at 11:00 a.m., at First Presbyterian Church, 554 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, Tennessee. Visitation will be at the church after the service