Pastor William “Bill” Leonard
September 10, 1970 ~ September 21, 2015
Pastor Bill Leonard, age 98, a longtime resident of Colorado Springs went into the immediate presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at 12:30 am on September 21st 2015.
Pastor Bill moved to Colorado Springs in May of 1953 with his family to begin a church with 16 dear people who called upon him to organize them; a congregation which became First Evangelical Presbyterian Church. He left military service as a Navy and Marine Chaplain for this call of God on his life. While in the military, Bill served in WWII in the Pacific Campaign and in Korea. Bill was also the Navy Chaplain at the Naval Reserve Center at Prospect Lake in Colorado Springs until his retirement as a Commander in 1967.
Many of the early leaders and families of the Navigators ministry headquartered at Glen Eyrie, Colorado traveled across town to sit under his preaching. Bill Leonard became known as a faithful, expository preacher of the Bible.
Pastor Bill was responsible for organizing the first police chaplaincy in Colorado Springs. He was also chaplain to the Optimist Club for many years. Bill was the founding Executive Director of a PCA Chaplains Commission which today serves 7 conservative Presbyterian denominations. He asked the University of Colorado to send professors to teach continuing education to local pastors, likely the beginning of UCCS.
Bill was on the local committee to bring Leighton Ford to the City Auditorium for evangelism services in the early 60’s and on the Steering Committee for the Billy Graham Crusade in Denver in 1966. The Presbyterian church at N. Logan Avenue grew under Bill’s leadership with exciting summer Vacation Bible Schools originally held under huge circus tents, its Evangelism Explosion program, dynamic youth programs and camping, and the founding of Evangelical Christian Academy (Preschool through 12th Grade).
The unique VBS’s continue today on a national level under the leadership of daughter Anna Van Wechel (Reachout Adventures). The church eventually outgrew its property. Leaving an assistant pastor and congregation at N. Logan Avenue, Pastor Leonard organized a new church, Village Seven Presbyterian church, in the beginning development of Village Seven off Academy Blvd. Village Seven Presbyterian Church is today one of the larger churches in Colorado Springs. Bill was also responsible for planting several other Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) congregations around the area. His entire focus in military service and pastoral shepherding was that people and their families would know the saving love and truth of the Gospel; that Jesus saves and TODAY is the day of salvation. Soli Deo Gloria.
Bill and his wife, Helen, retired in 1980 from his being Senior Pastor at Village Seven Presbyterian Church and moved to Buena Vista, Colorado for 15 years, from where they traveled the world visiting military chaplains and their families. They returned to Colorado Springs in 1995 to live at Liberty Heights Retirement Center where Bill taught a men’s Bible study for as many years as he was able and Helen knew everyone’s name living there. Bill spent his last year on the beautiful grounds and facility of Mt. St. Francis Nursing Center where he was well cared for and dearly loved.
Bill is survived by his 5 children and their spouses, 17 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Helen; a daughter in-law, a grandchild, and a great-grandchild.
A funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 4, 2015, at Village Seven Presbyterian Church, 4055 Nonchalant Circle South, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80917. Interment will be at 10:15 a.m. Monday, October 5, 2015 at Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.