Vin Harwell was born in York, Alabama. He graduated from Eckerd College in St. Peterburg, Florida, and later from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Before becoming a Presbyterian minister, Harwell was a middle manager at Sears, Roebuck & Co. He was also a mentor to Jeb Stuart Magruder, an aide to Richard Nixon, who pleaded guilty to crimes during the Watergate scandal.
Harwell moved to the Washington, D.C. area in the early 1980s to serve as pastor of Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, Virginia. During this time, Harwell began the difficult struggle to come to terms with his sexual and life identify. In 1987, he met Julian H. Preisler, the person who was to become his life-partner.
His marriage of many years to Mary Ann Harwell ended in divorce, but he maintained a close and loving relationships with his two children and former wife. In 1988, Harwell became interim pastor of Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church. The following year he accepted a position as pastor and head of staff of the First & Central Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware.
Throughout his career, Harwell was committed to social justice, equality and religious pluralism in society as well as the church. He served on the boards of several Delaware social justice organizations and was one of three recipients of the American Civil Liberties Union in Delaware's Gerald E. Kandler Award for "Outstanding Leadership in the Cause of Civil Liberty in Delaware" in 2000.
He also served in leadership positions in the Presbyterian Church (USA): as chair of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship and the National Association of Endowed Presbyterian Churches. He also served on the national committee of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians and the Task Force on Interfaith Worship.
Harwell's interest in spirituality lead to his study of Christian Spirituality at San Francisco Theological Seminary later in his pastoral career.
After a four-year battle with colon cancer, Harwell resigned from his position at First & Central Presbyterian Church in February, 2000, and died two months later. His life partner, Julian Priesler, remembered him in this way: "He had a passion fo everything he did. He had a passion for life and for the causes he believed in and real passion for justice for everyone."
Sources: The News Journal, Wilmington, Delaware, and The Washington Blade, April 28, 2000
