Our Church's Oldest Member

        Our church’s oldest member, Mrs. Ethel Wagoner, was laid to rest today.   Just three months shy of celebrating her 108th birthday, she was likely our church's oldest living member in history.  Born in 1904, she was eight years old when the Titanic sank, twenty-five when the Great Depression started, and thirty-seven when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.  While Ethel will always be remembered for the longevity of her years, those who knew her best will remember her for the longevity of her faith, her goodness, and her compassion.

        Ethel was in many respects a quiet, dignified “Southern Lady.”  But she was also fiercely independent, outspoken when necessary, and strong-willed.  She was still driving at the age of 102 and up until a few months ago, had every intention of returning home and coming back to the church she loved and served. 

        Ethel was always a delight to be with.  She had a great sense of humor and a keen interest in everything that was going on in the church.  When Joyce and I moved into our new house back in 1998, we had an open house for the church family.  Ethel was unable to attend and told me one day how much she regretted missing the event.  “I would love to see your new house,” she said.   I responded, “Well, I will be glad to take you to see the house.”  She thought that would be a splendid idea so I drove Ethel out to our new home and you would have thought I was giving her a tour of the Biltmore House.  The house was “lovely” and “delightful” and Ethel was overjoyed to have the private tour.

        Ethel was a faithful and devoted church member.  She rarely missed a service and was faithful to our Tuesday Morning Bible Study.  When she reached the point she could not attend, she faithfully listened to the radio broadcast of the worship services and her good neighbor and close friend Silba Rae Fennell, would bring her tapes of the Bible Studies. 

        Ethel was always supportive of her ministers.  (I was only the third Senior Minister she had known since the Second World War)  A number of years ago I was scheduled to preach at the community Lenten Service at First United Methodist Church.  Ethel did not normally attend the noontime Wednesday services, but told me she was making a special effort to come since “her pastor” was speaking.  There is always a luncheon following the service and before she left, Ethel came up to my table to tell me how much she enjoyed the service.  I thanked her for making the special effort to attend and she left the fellowship hall.  A moment later she fell walking out of the door and was in tremendous pain.  I felt terrible about what happened, since I knew I was the reason she was there.  I went to the hospital where we anxiously awaited the results of the X-rays.  Her hip was broken and surgery would be required.  We all feared that at her age this might be the beginning of the end.  But it was not to be.

        Ethel’s strong constitution and determination helped her to sail through the surgery and rehab in record time.  Within a few weeks she was back home and driving once again.

        Ethel had a special love for missions that was kindled by her Uncle Arthur Gallimore, who with his wife Gladys, were Southern Baptist Missionaries to China from 1918 to 1947.  She was always very generous in her support of missions, but twenty-one years ago she made a substantial gift that would change our church’s involvement in missions and bless 100s and 100s of lives both in our church and overseas.  It started with the only time Ethel ever called me to ask for a special favor. 

In 1991 a group of people from our church went down to Belize to learn about my friend’s, Cliff Scarborough’s dream of building a retreat center and camp.  We gave a presentation on a Wednesday night.  A few days later Ethel called me on a busy afternoon and asked me to come visit her.  I really didn’t have time, but since she had never made such a request before (and never would again) I rearranged my schedule.  We had a nice visit and she didn’t say a word about Belize.  I didn’t really understand why she had been so insistent that I come and see her that afternoon.  I finally told her that I needed to go.  As I was walking out the door, Ethel told me that she had a “little gift” for the Belize project and she handed me an envelope.  I rushed back to the church and was caught up in all the pressing business of the afternoon—I didn’t even open the envelope.  Late that afternoon, just before I left the office, I saw the envelope sitting on my desk.  I opened it and almost fainted.  It was a check for $10,000!

        Ethel’s generous gift made the Baptist Training Center in Belize a reality. It was the lead gift we needed to get the project off the ground.  Without her gift, the work in Belize and the international mission focus of our church might have been dramatically different.  I think about the 100s of lives that have been blessed by the Baptist Training Center and the number of people in our church family, including dozens of young people, who have had life-changing experiences on mission trips to Belize. 

        I immediately called Ethel to express my profound gratitude for her generous gift.  “I feel like people should know you have made a significant gift,” I told her.  But she would not allow me to publicize the gift.  She made me promise to keep the gift a secret “as long as she lived.” 

        I did pretty good keeping the secret for a long time, but the last few years have shared it privately with several people.  Last summer we took a wonderful group of Young People to Belize.  I wanted to emphasize to our youth that we are always debtors to many, many people for every great experience of life.  I shared the story of Ethel’s gift that helped start the Baptist Training Center of Belize one night while we are all seated in the open-air chapel.  I think everyone was deeply moved by her faithful and generous gift.

        A couple of weeks before we took the youth to Belize, I took one of our youth to visit Ethel.  Jack Davis was helping me prepare the notebook for the trip and I was telling him about all the people, including his great-grandfather Lonnie Davis, who had worked so hard to make the work in Belize possible.  I told him there was a member of our church who was 107 years old who had made the Training Center possible.  He immediately wanted to go and see her.

        Ethel’s mind was a clear as a bell that day.  When I told her who Jack was she started talking about his great-grandfather.  She called Jack by name the entire visit. 

        “We’re getting ready to go to Belize, “I told Ethel.  “Jack is one of our young people who will be going.” 

        Ethel responded by saying, “I’ve always wanted to go to Belize.  I wish I could go with you.”  She expressed her delight that Jack was going to be able to go.  As I was talking to her I realized that if it had not been for Ethel, chances are that Jack, nor any other of the youth, would be going. 

        “You know Ethel, you are responsible for much of the work in Belize.  Your generous gift helped get everything started.”  

        “Well, I don’t know about that,” Ethel demurred.  “But I am thankful you can go.”

        I turned to Jack and said, “Ethel had an Uncle who served as a missionary to China for many years, didn’t you Ethel?”

        “Well, he’s still there,” Ethel countered.  “Arthur and Gladys are still serving in China.”  

The Gallimores actually returned home from China in 1947 and Arthur died in 1955, but the more I thought about her statement, the more I realized it was true.  Yes, Arthur and Gladys still serve in China.  They always will.  And Ethel Wagoner will still serve in Belize.  Her influence will continue and lives will be blessed for generations to come. 

        Thanks be to God for the life, the faith, and the witness of Ethel Gallimore Wagoner. 

        “Servant of God, Well Done!  Rest from thy long employ.  The battle has been fought, the victory has been won, enter thy Master’s joy.”