Charles Middleton

Almost from the time he became a Christian as a teenager, Charles Middleton sensed that God wanted him to preach. With that conviction, after his 1957 graduation from Fair Park High School in Shreveport, Charles went to enroll at Louisiana Baptist College (now University). At registration, when informed of the amount he owed, he replied, “I don’t have any money, but God told me that I was supposed to study here.” Probably because of his faith and determination, he was granted scholarships and allowed to start classes.

The first time he spied fellow freshman Glenda Evans, he told his friends, “That’s the girl I’m going to marry.” And he did! In their sophomore year Charles and Glenda married. They continued their studies and had Vicki and Carl over the next few years. They took turns watching the children, attending classes, and working; and both obtained their degrees. Charles pastored Bienville parish churches at Liberty Hill and New Bethel during college years.

During his studies at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Charles served as pastor of Bienville Baptist Church, and Glenda taught school. In 1968, after Charles received the seminary’s Master of Divinity degree, they were appointed by the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention as missionaries to Malawi. Charles was a general evangelist and planted churches, trained pastors, developed media materials, and was language advisor and mentor to new missionaries, including Dudley and Rebecca Phifer.

In 1981 the Middletons transferred to a new mission field, the independent homeland of Transkei in Southern Africa. Again Charles worked in church development and spent much time getting Christian literature translated and published in the Xhosa language for the Baptist congregations.

Then in 1993 the mission board asked Charles and Glenda to move to Lesotho, a tiny mountain kingdom totally surrounded by South Africa. It was while serving there that Glenda died in a vehicle accident on the way to a mission prayer retreat.

Charles’s Malawi missionary colleague Dudley Phifer had died of leukemia in 1980. Rebecca had continued to serve in Malawi for the next ten years, then had returned to the States and worked at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Charles married Rebecca, and she served a final term with him in Lesotho. The country was experiencing political unrest, with frequent gunfire, an attempted coup, and the burning of the entire center of the capital city, where they were living. Nevertheless, churches were planted, and, since there was no Baptist literature in the seSotho language, Charles and Rebecca spent much of their time in the translation and printing of books.

Charles was under mission appointment 32 years. In retirement Charles and Rebecca did missions speaking around the United States, and Charles did supply preaching. He also pastored New Ramah Baptist Church and Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church in Bienville Parish. In 2016 the Middletons moved to Richmond, TX, a suburb of Houston, and have been active members of the Great Oaks Baptist Church there.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way.”

Pslam 37:23

Charles was preceded in death by, his wife of 36 years: Glenda Evans Middleton, his parents: Raymond and Mary Ann LaCour Middleton; and his brother, Donald Roy Middleton.

He is survived by, his wife of 29 years: Rebecca Phifer Middleton; children: Vicki Middleton Blackwell (Brent); Carl Middleton; Melanie Phifer Miller (John); Charles Phifer (Hope); Rachel Phifer; and Kirk Phifer (Kristen); grandchildren: Katie M. Middleton; Trevor Middleton (Katie E.); Sarah Blackwell Crittenden; Hannah Blackwell Bryant (Jay); Susan Callanan; Reese Finley (Richard); Jack Finley; Connor Finley; Shannon Moore; Marissa Moore; Thomas Miller; Elizabeth Miller; Benjamin Phifer; and Kate Phifer, great grandchildren: Alliyah Preston; Onalee Blackwell; Nikkolette Crittenden; Maybelle Bryant; Ava Middleton; Ethan Middleton; Camilla Mungal; Aren Knighton-Fitt; Elissa Knighton-Fitt; and Zachary Knighton-Fitt; brother: Jim Middleton (Carlion), and sister: Docia Nolte.