Christian philanthropist Hugh Maclellan Jr. of Lookout Mountain, longtime leader of the Maclellan Foundation, died on April 4. He was 85.
Hugh Maclellan Jr. / Obituary
Maclellan was involved in leading the influential private Christian foundation in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for 55 years, according to its Executive Director David Denmark.
“For over 50 years, Hugh was faithful to continue the Foundation’s Founders’ passion for the advancement of the Gospel. It will be our honor, privilege and duty to continue Hugh’s legacy and passion for the next 50 years, and beyond,” Denmark wrote in a statement.
The Maclellan Foundation was established in 1945 and is “focused on establishing and strengthening the local church, promoting discipleship and leadership development, sparking community transformation, promoting the power of prayer, advocating for generosity, and increasing access to Scripture.”
Hugh Maclellan took the helm at the foundation in 1987 as its president and treasurer.
Under his leadership, the foundation was among the earliest to invest in indigenously-led ministries, and also supported The Jesus Film in an effort to accelerate the proclamation of the gospel, Denmark said.
In the early 1990s, Maclellan began his World Strategy Conferences with other wealthy Christians in order to “cast a vision for Kingdom investing.”
Denmark said Maclellan’s favorite encouragement at the conferences was, “Find out where the Holy Spirit is leading, and get in on it. When you do, please give more, and give more strategically!”
Maclellan also served on the board of trustees for King University in Bristol, Tennessee.
Maclellan served as the chairman of King’s board from 1979 until 2001 and then as a board member for another decade.
“We are saddened to share news of the death of longtime King advocate and Board of Trustees Member Hugh O. Maclellan, Jr., who unreservedly supported King and its Christian mission for more than 30 years, faithfully shepherding the University through perilous times and challenges,” a King University post on social media read.
The post explained that Maclellan supported the university both personally and through his family’s foundations in the 1970s, “preserving the University’s very existence.”
During the 1990s, Maclellan started a fundraising campaign with a matching gift of $12 million, and eventually, under his leadership, the university raised more than $50 million to strengthen its endowment.
“Hugh saw King as ‘a light on the hill’ and was a faithful representative of God’s tremendous generosity,” King President Andrew Tooley said. “In his work to further the Christ-centered focus of his family’s foundations, he played a pivotal role in preserving and shaping our Christian academic community. His legacy includes many thousands of lives uplifted through King, and we are deeply grateful for his wisdom, largesse, and advocacy.”
Maclellan was also active in the local community, helping to start several local ministries, including First Things First, Pray Chattanooga, and the Maclellan Shelter for Families.
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