Rev. Kenneth Paul Gammons, 81, of Carpinteria died Friday, June 28, 2024 in his home surrounded by his loved ones.
A celebration of life service will be held at 11 a.m. July 27 at Christ Church, 1335 Vallecito Place, Carpinteria. The service will be followed by a luncheon in the hall. Please RSVP by calling Fawn Ray Kuba, 805-708-4138.
Ken Gammons was born July 26, 1942 in Santa Barbara to Doris and Paul Gammons. His father Paul Gammons was the pastor of El Montecito Presbyterian Church for 41 years. His grandfather Albert H. Gammons was pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Pismo Beach, California.
Ken grew up in Santa Barbara and from there went to Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington, and then to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Rev. Gammons was a pastor for some 41 years to several churches throughout California.
He got married to his first wife Sarah Louise Vanmeter on June 20, 1964. Sarah Lou and Ken adopted their daughter Mitzi Gammons on May 21, 1972.
Sarah Lou Gammons passed away on Feb. 16, 1973.
Ken met his wife of 50 years, Ruth Anne Weston, a year later, and they were married March 16, 1974. Ruth had two daughters Fawn Ray and Davi Weston. On Feb. 25, 1975 the family adopted each other officially.
Ken was an avid runner. He ran at least 10 miles a day, and even ran some marathons. As he got older, his feet got uglier and uglier, and he had to have many surgeries.
He also used his feet his entire life to share the gospel. Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, your God reigns!”
That was Ken, always ready to share in season and out of season the love of God; he was like the sun and he radiated the love of Jesus.
Everywhere he went Ken had a smile on his face, and he wore these big crosses around his neck and prayed for divine appointments, where he would be able to love on and encourage men and women throughout his day.
Ken rode a Harley motorcycle, had a long beard, and so often wore the leathers, and he would use those as openings to share the gospel.
Ken also played the bagpipes and the “saw,” if you can imagine that. He played about seven different instruments. He would go into facilities that cater to the elderly and love on the forgotten, those in rest homes and nursing homes who we so often tend to forget about.
Ken would spend hours at those facilities playing his guitar or clarinet, singing his songs, and reading to them from his Bible.
His main job in the church, when he wasn’t giving sermons, was counseling and encouraging people. His favorite verse was Isaiah 40: 28-31:
“Have you not known, have you not heard, the Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and him who has no might he increases his strength.
“Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait upon the lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 is another of his favorite verses: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the founder and the perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and a seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Can you tell why Ken chose these verses that he loved so much? He was a runner, he was running a race just like Paul and Timothy.
Ken wanted to share the gospel; he knew he was going to be persecuted, he knew he would have seasons throughout his life, trials that would literally bring him to his knees. But Ken knew God was for him and not against him; he knew God would work all things together for his good.
And just like Timothy, he now can say: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me (Kenneth Paul Gammons) the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me, but to also to all who have loved his appearing.” — 2 Timothy 4: 8-9.