Alan E. Highers

Alan Edward Highers was born on July 5, 1937, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, to Ernest Edward and Allie Jenkins Highers. He passed away at his home in Henderson, Tennessee, on August 27, 2025, at the age of 88.

He attended high school as a boarding student at Harding Academy in Searcy, Arkansas.

Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled at Freed-Hardeman College in Henderson, Tennessee, where he attended for three years. In 1995, Freed-Hardeman awarded him an honorary doctorate. He completed his B.A. degree at David Lipscomb College (now Lipscomb University). For several years, he worked with the Getwell Church of Christ in Memphis and also attended law school at Memphis State University (now University of Memphis School of Law). After receiving his Juris Doctor degree, he practiced law with Gerber and Gerber in Memphis and Neely, Green, and Fargarson in Memphis until he was appointed chief magistrate at the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County. In 1997, he became a Circuit Court Judge in Memphis and Shelby County, where he served for approximately six years. His portrait is in Division I at the Shelby County Courthouse.

In 1982, Governor Lamar Alexander appointed him to the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Western Section. He was retained in this position in 1984, 1990, 1998, and 2006 and became the senior appellate judge in the State of Tennessee. He was selected Presiding Judge of the Western Section in November 2007. In 1984-1985, he served as president of the Tennessee Judicial Conference. For a number of years, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the conference. He retired in 2014, with 37 years of judicial service.

He had a lifelong devotion to the study of the Bible. He was a frequent speaker at the Annual Bible Lectureship at Freed-Hardeman University. For fifteen years, he was the moderator of the Open Forum, where he answered Bible questions from the audience. He was a principal speaker on “Polishing the Pulpit” in Sevierville, Tennessee, which is attended by 5000. He preached, taught, lectured, and debated in many states over the course of his lifetime. Beginning in October 1989, he became editor of The Spiritual Sword. This quarterly journal became the most widely circulated teaching journal among the churches of Christ.

At Freed-Hardeman, he met the love of his life. He and Sandra Bruce were married on August 2, 1957, in Jackson, Mississippi. She was always the main support for his work and his greatest encourager throughout life. They had two daughters-Andra Highers Hurst (Greg) and Kimberly Highers Poston (Greg). He had four grandchildren, Alexandra Hurst Toline (Morgan), Arianna Adair Hurst, Graham Alan Poston (Sarah), and Annsley Poston Kesler (Sam). He had four great-grandchildren, Harper Grace Toline, Easton Gregory Toline, Emerson Adair Toline, and Pace Alan Poston.

Judge Highers had a lifelong love of learning. He earned his private pilot's license in 1991. He held the Advanced Class license in amateur radio. He became a licensed auctioneer in 1995. He was noted as a teacher of the Bible.

Although he served as a judge, editor, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, he always considered himself just a simple minister of the gospel. He endeavored to stand for what he believed was right regardless of the consequences. He cherished the church, his wife, family, and his duty as he was able to see it. He trusted in God, believed sincerely that Jesus is the Son of God, that the Bible is the word of God, and that heaven is the hope of the Christian.

The family has requested that memorial gifts be sent to The Highers Scholarship at Freed-Hardeman University, Henderson, Tennessee.