Rev. A. Oden Latham, Jr.

Rev. A. Oden Latham, Jr., of Lexington, North Carolina passed away on February 16, 2026, at the age of 84 years old. Born December 8, 1941, in Washington, North Carolina, he was the beloved son of Verna Margarette Phelps Latham and A. Oden Latham, Sr.

Oden graduated from Washington High School in 1960., after which he attended Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in Wilson, NC. Upon graduation, he moved to Texas, with his college love and his infant daughter, for seminary at Brite Divinity School (Texas Christian University.) After receiving his Master of Divinity, Oden spent forty years in ministry serving congregations, a judicatory role, and development work. He retired in 2002 from the Christian Church Foundation. He loved God and his years of ministry. His gift of encouragement impacted many over the years and especially other clergy with whom he served. The combination of his love of people and administrative gifts made him effective in his ministry and have people all over the country who loved and valued him. In retirement he got more time to play golf, had a few years of enjoying lake time on his pontoon boat and found himself loving Bible study in a way that he did not fully appreciate in his earlier years.

Oden made friends wherever he went. He had a gift of making people feel special. He never missed an opportunity to talk with service personnel, and when he did, he brightened their day.

Oden first went to Texas when he went to seminary. He would tell you that he drank the water, ate the corn tortillas, and fell in love with the state. Ministry called him away several times, but he would find a good excuse to get back there. He was surprised when life took him to Florida for some of his last few years. Like most Floridians, he was grateful to no longer have cold weather. However, in the last year of his life he felt the tug to return to his beloved North Carolina, where people talked like him, ate his favorite foods, and more importantly, to be near his children and his grandchildren.

Oden is survived by the second love of his life, his wife Fonda, his three children Lisa (Randy Baldwin), Chris (Joanna), Joe (Kim) and his stepson Adam Richardson (Meredith); thirteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by the first love of his life, Maloye Richardson Latham; his mother Margarette, and his father A. Oden Latham, Sr.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30 pm on March 7, 2026, at Hillyer Memorial Christian Church, 718 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, North Carolina. Prior to the service, at 12:00 pm, there will be a visitation and reception in the church Fellowship Hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the "Oden & Fonda Latham Health Ministry Fund". Checks can be made out to Christian Church Foundation and sent to P. O. Box 1007, Indianapolis, IN 46206, or donations can be made online at christianchurchfoundation.org/donate.