Kenneth Morelock, 74, Lutheran pastor

The Rev. Kenneth Morelock was pastor of a Lutheran church in Athens when he felt called to another congregation.

So in 1979, Morelock took over Emmanuel Lutheran Church, a mixed but mostly black congregation off Cascade Road in southwest Atlanta. He oversaw the parish for 13 years and joined the National Association of Black Lutheran Ministers.

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The Rev. Kenneth Morelock considered himself to be ‘a minister of the people.’

“He loved the people, and they loved him,” said Patricia Morelock, his wife of 53 years. “They really did. It was a very exciting time.”

The Rev. Kenneth E. Morelock, 74, of East Point died Friday from complications of renal disease at South Fulton Hospital.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer on Peachtree Street. Carmichael-Hemperley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Besides Emmanuel, Mr. Morelock oversaw several parishes — St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran in Frostburg, Md.; First United Lutheran in Memphis; Holy Cross in Athens and Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Lithonia.

The Maryland native’s last assignment was as visitation pastor for the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta.

With his deep voice, a microphone wasn’t necessary.

“His voice carried,” said his daughter, Vicki Morelock of Snellville. “His voice resonated so that he never had to use a mic, even in a big church. It was very commanding, but at times it could be gentle and meek when he wanted it to be.”

When the family lived in Maryland, Mr. Morelock served as the Lutheran chaplain at Frostburg State College, where he counseled and mentored students.

Locally, he was involved for nearly a decade with students at Morehouse College, Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University. He considered such involvement his calling.

“Dad was a minister of the people,” his daughter said. “So many ministers are administrators as well. Dad never liked that portion of it.”

Mr. Morelock loved Broadway plays, the Fox Theatre and Braves baseball. He carried a child’s love for model trains into adulthood.

Growing up, he had a setup that spanned half the width of his parents’ double garage. As an adult, he tinkered with a couple of smaller setups at his home in East Point.

Other survivors include daughters Lynne Morelock-Roy of Stone Mountain and Kendra McCoy of Cornelia; two sons, Mark Morelock of Columbia, Md., and Albert Morelock of Orlando; 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.