The Reverend Richard Irvine Heyward Belser

The Reverend Richard “Rick” Irvine Heyward Belser, 81, of Charleston, South Carolina, husband of Elizabeth "Anne" Holcomb Belser entered into eternal rest Friday, August 11, 2023. The family will receive friends Thursday, August 17, 2023 in the J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Downtown Chapel from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. His Funeral Service will be held Friday, August 18, 2023 in St. Michael's Church, 71 Broad Street at 11:30 a.m. Interment in churchyard. A reception will follow burial in the Belser Building. The service may be viewed via live stream at http://youtube.com/live/_4MNZdjJoBc.

Rev. Belser was born April 8, 1942 in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, son of the late Irvine Furman Belser and Gladys Veronique Baker Belser. He was a graduate of Washington & Lee University and received his MDiv from Virginia Theological Seminary. He was ordained a Deacon on June 29, 1969, and a priest on April 5, 1970. Rev. Belser served as the BELOVED Rector of St. Michael's Church in Charleston, for 21 years. He served for 18 years as the Chair of the Commission on Ministry as well as the Standing Committee. Rev. Belser was responsible for bringing the Cursillo movement to Charleston in 1977 and was on the initial South Carolina Team and Board of the Kairos Prison Ministry. He brought Alpha to St. Michael's in SC and held the first Alpha in the Caribbean. Rev. Belser served his country in the U.S. Army (active duty) as 1st Lieutenant Adjutant General's Corps.

Following his retirement, Rev. Belser was Rector at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fort Mill, SC; Rector at St. John's on John's Island; interim Rector at Holy Trinity on Folly Road; interim Rector at St. John's Lutheran Church; Rector at St. Mary's Virgin Gorda; interim Rector at Christ Church Anglican Church in Mt. Pleasant; Rector at St. Mark's Anglican Pro-Cathedral in Egypt under the authority of Arch Bishop Mouneer Anis where he also taught at The Anglican Seminary; Rector at All Saints' Cathedral in Cairo, Egypt also under the authority of Arch Bishop Mouneer Anis. Upon returning to Charleston, SC, Rev. Belser was the interim minister at The Redeemer in Orangeburg, SC. He was the author of Son and Heir. 

Rev. Belser is survived by his wife of 31 years, Anne; six children: Carolina Belser Foster of (Kevin) of Charleston, SC, Elizabeth Belser Stober (Jonathan) of Carrollton, GA, Mary Heyward Belser Vick of Central, SC, Katherine Belser King (Christopher) of Cumming, GA, R. McDawson Jones (Shelley) of Columbia, SC and Alston H.H. Jones (Anne) of Atlanta, GA; sister, Suzanne Belser Muldoon (Bill) of Billings, MT; brother, David Belser (Susan) of Saluda, NC; grandchildren: Anna Rothfuss, Peter Rothfuss, Sarah "Gracie" Foster, Jonathan "Heyward" Stober, Anna Lawton Stober, Matthew "Burns" Stober, Caroline "Calla" King, Cecilia "Celie" Belser-Vick, Elza Belser-Vick, Sebastian Jones, Reed Jones and Tallulah R. Jones

He was predeceased by his brother, Keith Belser. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lamb Institute in Honduras, P.O. Box 2557, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29465; St. Michael's Church, 71 Broad Street, Charleston, SC 29401; Christ Church Anglican, 2725 Bulrush Basket Lane, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466; or to the Roper St. Francis Foundation at www.rsfhfoundation.org.