Rev. Earl Gilbert Osborn

The Rev. Earl Gilbert Osborn, of Ephrata, PA, died peacefully at his home at Fairmont Homes on July 17, 2026. Earl was born in Chester Valley, PA, on August 12, 1931. He was the son of Lewis E. and Bessie (Crixer) Osborne. He married the love of his life, Margaret “Peggy” King, on June 19, 1954. Peggy died on February 1, 2018, so they were married for more than 63 years and are now both at home with the Lord.

Earl loved books, especially the Bible. He obtained his B.A. degree from Wheaton College (Class of 1955) in Wheaton, IL, after having attended The King’s College in Delaware City, DE, and Philadelphia Bible Institute. Earl obtained his M.A. degree from Wheaton Graduate School and also studied at the Reformed Episcopal Seminary, West Chester University, University of Pennsylvania, Tel Aviv University, and New Orleans Baptist Seminary.

Earl served the Lord in many active ministries, including the student ministry of Doe Run Chapel (1954) in Coatesville, PA, and the Billy Graham Association (1961-63). He was Pastor of Beulah Baptist Church in Oxford, PA, from 1956 to 1961, Pastor of Hillside Baptist Church in Hillside, IL, from 1963 to 1965, Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Newton, MA, from 1965 to 1968, and Pastor of Parkesburg Church of the Open Bible in Parkesburg, PA, from 1971 to 1976. He also served in 19 interim pastorates, ranging from a few weeks to 20 months, the most recent of which was at Pine Grove Mennonite Church in Bowmansville, PA, where the congregation voted him Pastor Emeritus.

Earl was a beloved professor at Lancaster Bible College in Lancaster, PA, where he taught courses in the Bible, Greek, and Archeology. He led numerous archaeological excavations in the Holy Land, including in Aphek, Antipatris in 1974 and 1976, Horvat Uza in the Negev in 1982 and 1985, and Tel Malhata in 1994. Peggy joined him on the 1976 and 1985 digs. In 2009, his archaological work was profiled in the Intelligencer Journal. Earl retired from Lancaster Bible College in 1997, after teaching there for 30 years.

Earl is survived by two daughters and two sons: Colleen D. Jackson of Lowell, MI, C. Dean Osborn of Lancaster, PA, Charlotte D. Sechler of McLean, VA, and Chatwin D. Osborn of Brickerville, PA, as well as 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his godly parents; his four brothers, Robert, Richard, Frederick, and Ronald; his two sisters, Elizabeth Benner and Phyllis Brown; and one granddaughter, Abigail Osborn.

There will be a celebration of Earl’s ongoing life with the Lord at Pine Grove Mennonite Church, 1194 Reading Road, Bowmansville, PA on Saturday, August 1, 2026 at 11:00 AM with the viewing on both Friday evening from 6 - 8 PM and Saturday morning from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM all at the church.

Arrangement by the Wilde Funeral Home of Parkesburg, PA. www.wildefuneralhome.com