Lewis E. (Gene) Hancock
(1944 – 2023)
On April 13, 2023, the Rev. Lewis Eugene Hancock of Augusta, Georgia, loving husband, father, and “Pop”, completed his work for this life.
Born April 18, 1944, to the late Lewis Wilson Hancock and Scrulia Bell Hancock in Pahokee, Florida, Eugene was a graduate of Florida State University with an associate degree in criminal justice and from Berea Bible College with a bachelor’s degree in Ministerial Studies. He proudly served his country as a United States Marine and while attached to a recon unit was involved with the Bay of Pigs invasion and evacuating the family of political leaders during a coup in the Dominican Republic. He is survived by his wife of fifty-eight years, Elizabeth, son, Jack Hancock (Cheryl) of Evans, Georgia, daughter, Barbara Hancock of the home, grandsons, Wilson Hancock (Julia), Brandon Hancock, and great-grandsons, Jacob Howe of the home, Riley Howe of the home. He was preceded in death by one brother, Jack Hancock, and a granddaughter, Sarah Howe. The Lord gave Eugene a unique anointing and used him in unusual ways in ministry throughout his time as a pastor and missionary. Eugene and his wife pastored churches in Winterhaven and Crystal Springs, Florida, Augusta, Georgia, and Joanna, South Carolina. While pastoring in Joanna, he started a program working with Laurens County in an effort to help get troubled teens off the streets. In conjunction with that, he started a GED program that grew into the largest and most successful GED program in Laurens County School District. For years, Eugene was involved in the Royal Rangers Ministry of the Assemblies of God. He served on the National Royal Ranger Staff as chaplain. He took his first trip to the country of Belize in 1981 and that started a lifelong love for that country and especially for the Mayan people. In 2006, the Lord opened the door for him and his wife to become full-time missionaries to Belize for the International Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Under their leadership, the Belize conference was organized and has increased in the number of churches and members. Throughout his lifetime, Eugene was involved in building schools and churches in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica and Belize with the Assemblies of God and the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. His dream was to see the IPHC campground completed in Belize. Although he was a biological father to two, he was a spiritual father and mentor to many. While he and his wife lead ministry and building teams in Belize, they ministered to the hundreds of people on those teams. He will be missed for his words of wisdom and prophecy, his stories and blowing the van/truck horn at people. In the states, Eugene enjoyed time spent at his cabin telling his family that he was hunting, fishing, and talking about how proud he was of his children, grandchildren and great grandsons. He leaves a “Pop” size hole in his family that cannot be filled.
A celebration of life will be held at South Greenwood Pentecostal Holiness Church, 17 First Street, Greenwood, SC, 29646, with Bishop Ray Boggs of the Spirit Life Ministries IPHC Conference (Upper South Conference), Bishop Talmadge Gardner of Oklahoma City and Rev. Charles Kerr of Belmopan, Belize at 1 PM on Saturday, April 22, 2023. The family will receive friends at the church at 12:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Gene and Liz Hancock Conference Training Center and
Campground, IPHC Missions, Account 69000P, P. O. Box 12609, Oklahoma City, OK 73157.
– Obituary from McNeill Funeral Home
A Note from World Missions Ministries
Gene Hancock and his wife Liz were commissioned as IPHC career missionaries on Nov. 20, 2003. They were ordained by Spirit-Life Ministries, formerly known as the Upper South Carolina Conference, in 2004. Shortly after, on Jan. 8, 2006, they left the United States to begin their first term of service in Belize.
When they first arrived in Belize, the IPHC’s presence in that country was through an affiliate relationship with a compatible ministry organization. As his obituary states, under their leadership, they envisioned and began the pioneer and apostolic phase of ‘digging out’ and forming the Belize Conference. At the end of 2022, Belize reported having 34 churches and 4,635 members. Today, their sphere of influence extends beyond Belize into the northeast area of Guatemala and crosses into the Yucatan’s Southern Peninsula area of Mexico. The fruit of their labor is a true testament to the power of a God-given vision.
Beyond the countless souls that were saved and the lives transformed as a result of their ministry, their crowning achievement in Belize must include envisioning and bringing to life the twenty-five-acre tract of land originally referred to as the Belize Campground. Sensing a need to train and develop leaders who can take the gospel throughout the Gulf of Mexico Region, which includes targeting unreached people groups, Gene and Liz expanded the vision for this property to serve as a national training center. Many of you have committed yourselves to seeing that this vision comes to fruition. Know that World Missions Ministries is committed to seeing this become a reality alongside of you.
To honor and pay tribute to this extraordinary couple, World Missions Ministries is officially naming this twenty-five-acre tract of land as The Gene and Liz Hancock Conference Training Center and Campgrounds. Thank you for helping us to bring their vision to fruition for the Kingdom’s sake.
Gene was a man of great faith, a champion of the gospel, and a remarkable servant of Christ who has left an indelible print on all that he set his hand to during his extraordinary life.
On behalf of IPHC’s World Missions family,
Bishop J. Talmadge Gardner
Executive Director, IPHC World Missions Ministries
