Portrait of Sharon Peddicord. IMB Photo

Sharon Gail Peddicord, an International Mission Board missionary emeritus who shared the gospel in Brazil, died Sept. 20, 2025. She was 75.  

Sharon was born May 2, 1950, in Washington D.C., to the late Thomas and Barbara Peddicord. She graduated from Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland, and received the Bachelor of Arts from The King’s College, Briarcliff Manor, New York, and the Master of Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. 

In 1962, at the age of 11, she came to saving faith in Christ. Sharon recalled church as a major part of her teenage years, especially the discipleship program Girls in Action. While seeking missionary appointment she wrote, “The summer when I was 13, I dedicated my life to serve the Lord in a full-time Christian vocation. I did not know all that meant specifically, but knew that as I was ready, God would reveal the steps of his will to me.”  

During her freshman year of college, she began to feel God might be calling her to missions. She wrote, “After much prayer and consideration, I felt a peace in knowing that God did want me to serve Him through some area of missions. I felt that this desire I had for missions had been given to me by Him.”  

Following seminary, Sharon moved to North Carolina where she worked as a social worker for the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina. While seeking appointment she wrote, “My plans are to continue in my present position until God leads me out of it. … I am open to the Lord’s leadership, and His will. My goal in life is not to serve the Lord on the foreign mission field but rather to be in the center of His will for my life.” 

In 1977, the International Mission Board appointed Sharon missionary to Brazil. She served as a social worker and assistant director of the Friendship House at Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil, and was later appointed to Director of the Friendship House at Natal, Brazil. Sharon also served in the office of global strategy for Latin America and engaged in social ministry and church planting.