Not Just My Pastor, My "Pop"

I have so many stories that I want to tell, and the memory of them don’t always come in order of their occurrences. The Thursday of the memorial service opened a flood gate of memories, and here is another sweet memory from my personal time with Pop. It was about a month since I was welcomed to the Feast of Lord, going on at the Main Street Church. Elder ask me if I could come by his office early that following Tuesday (Just before Bible Study) so we could talk. I told him that I’d get out of school early and would be there. He said to be there at 2:45. So, I did.I had on a green suit, a button down shirt, and some sandals. He welcomed me into his office and greeted me with his hug and holy kiss. He was having lunch, and told me to sit down and he started talking to me.Son, do you notice any difference in your brothers and yourself? I told him, yes sir, I don’t dress like them. I was embarrassed, and my voice was shaking. He stopped eating and came over to me, and said he loved me. But, son a preacher ought to be dressed Holy, not worldly. “Do you have a tie, or dress shoes son?” I told him no, that my mom and dad couldn’t afford to buy me anything like that. Pop had tears in his eyes. And, that night my Brothers, now Elder Henry Watson, and Elder Kevin Smith came in with 3 suits, some ties, and a host of shirts. After Bible Study Elder Spotts went home and came back with a black pair of Stacy Adams lace up boots.I started dressing, with a suit and tie that day, even though they were hand-me-down I thought they were priceless because of who gave them to me.Moving ahead in time, to a little more than one week before I was to be licensed to the Gospel Ministry, Pop told me that I needed to be at his office by 2:00 that Friday, he needed me to go somewhere with him. I ask him where we were going, he said, “Son, just be here.” So I was there at the time I was told to be.We went to the Lexington Mall, and I followed him into Dawhares. I thought he was going to get a new tie or something. But, he said son get up here on this box. He picked out a suit and asked Bill, the man working there if he could have it all ready before my initial sermon. I told him that I loved him, and we laughed, cried and hugged right there in Dawhares.The Sunday afternoon of my Initial Sermon Pop said, “Son, here’s your suit, and Sister Flo has a little gift that she wants to bless you with.” She bought me the most wonderful tie set, it was very colorful and in good taste (that goes with out saying) Pop said, “Go home and eat, get some rest, and have some prayer time to yourself.”Pop bought me the first new suit I ever owned, I still have that suit and the tie set that Sis. Flo got me. They’ve been preserved and put up. One day I pray to be able to tell My Sons this and other stories about the Greatest Pastor of this time.

Elder, Ches and The Duck

Elder was a teacher at all times. It was on a Tuesday afternoon, and Elder was teaching and trying me for my initial sermon. He looked at me and said “Son, let's take a walk.” So we did. So, those of you who have been to Main Street, know that the church back up to a large parking lot. And so we took to the lot for a stroll. At the edge of this parking lot was a dirty and stagnant stream full of debris and swimming therein was a duck.Pop, put his hand in the air and said, “Ches, thank God for this duck.” I didn’t know what to say. He asked me, “Son, why isn’t that ducks feathers weighed down by the water?” and he gave a shout, “oh, glory, Ches, why hasn’t it drowned in all that mess?” I kept my mouth shut because I knew that his question didn’t require a response from me. Pop, went on and taught me a great truth through a duck.Son, that ducks wings has an oil coating that beads up water and pushes it away. That oil keeps the duck afloat in all that mess. Son, you’ll drown in life’s mess, unless you are coated with….with the Gospel. Oh, the Gospel of God’s Sovereign Grace. Son, you have to study it. Meditate in it, Wrestle with it, Stu…..dy it daily and Chesley Woodrum PREACH IT!He talked to me and told me that Sundays are most important. But Son, always come to Tuesday night Bible Study, that’s where the oil of the Gospel that your feathers need to stay afloat in life’s messes will be applied.He, had tears in his eyes, put his hands up in the air and waved at God. He brought his sweet and holy arm around me, and said, “You’re my duck, son let’s go to Bible Study.”And that’s a lesson from a duck.

Elder D.J. Ward

I was a young boy when I was drawn to The Main Church in Lexington, KY. I had meandered in the doors of the church on a Tuesday night Bible Study. Why? I didn’t know at the time. Elder finished the Bible Study and closed it with the song, “I love the Lord”. He greeted me and talked to me for about fifteen minutes. At the conclusion of our conversation he said, “Come back and see us again some time”. I had no immediate intention of coming back. Nevertheless, the following Sunday, I was on my way to my home church, and ended up parked in the back at The Main Church. I went to the back door and waiting on me was Pop. He said, “I was told to be expecting you this morning.” He took me up into his office where all of the brethren were preparing for the morning service. I was received with great love by the Pastor and the brethren. We left the office to head out for Church, as Holy Business was about to commence. Afterward I was ushered into the office, and I experienced the love of my Pastor and Brother Ministers. I had never in my young life been so loved by almost complete strangers. As we were all departing from morning service to go home to rest, the Pastor said, “I’ll see you tonight.”He took me in, taught me the Sovereign and most Holy God of the Bible full of Grace, Loved me, and licensed me to the Gospel Ministry of our Lord.Main Street became my home. Elder loved me like I was his flesh and blood, He ADOPTED me, and called me son. He was Holy unto the Lord. I took him with me when I left the Main Church, and I preach Christ. Glory to God, he sent me by the Main Church, and into the arms of a loving, firm, and steadfast Pastor.

Sovereign Grace! Dying Grace!

I can not tell you how many times, while I was at Main Street that Pop said, “If you can praise him on your feet, you ought to praise him on the sheets.”
We all know, that in the good we’ll praise him wholly, but when the bad comes and our finances are failing, marriages crumbling, or you’re laying in the hospital bed dying; well, you find out a lot about the who is and who’s not the Called according to HIS purpose.
I used to wake my mom in the mornings before I’d get off to school. I’d have a cup of coffee ready for her, and would ask her how she was feeling. She’d just say, “Well I’m here, but.” And she’d stop with that.
I never stopped to think about just what it was that she was saying. But, after mom had been under the teaching of the greatest orator of the scripture of modern times, her talk became all so clear, even to those in our family who didn’t understand.
In the mornings, the talk would be I’m ready to go, or ready to stay. Mom and I would start our days at the dining room table, her asking me to pray and read a chapter from the Old while she’d read a chapter from the New Testament. She didn’t care who was there; and every morning, that’s how it went.
One morning as we sat at the table, she said, (drookey, my moms nick name for me) when the time comes, and it’s not long now, I want you to preach my funeral. I told her that I wasn’t an Elder, and could not. She replied, “Honor your father and mother.”
I told her that I loved her and had to get to the bus stop, and scurried out. I didn’t want to think about mom dying.
Was Monday May 8 1995, Mom celebrated her 50th birthday, was a grand day for a grand woman.
Tuesday May 9, Mom was rushed to the U.K. Hospital she had a mild heart attack. The Doctors tried on Friday May 12 to get her to allow them to do another triple bypass. She declined, not one doctor but 7. The last one told her, I don’t think you understand you will die without this surgery, and soon. She replied, “No, I’ll just start living.”
She was discharged from U.K. Hospital at noon that Friday. We had her home a few minutes after. She was tucked into bed by the immediate family members.
I lay at the side of her bed crying and praying. She woke up around 09:00 that night, and I was in the floor. I, looked up at her and said, “Momma, is it time to go?” She had tears in her eyes, and shook her head yes. I ask her if I could talk to her, just yes and no questions. She nodded her approval. I asked her if she was ready. She nodded yes. I asked her if she was afraid, she shook her head no. I said, “Mom do you, love me?” I had to hear it because I could see that she was heading home. She replied, “You know I love you”, She started to loose her breath as her lungs were full of fluid.
She asked for someone to call 911. So we did. The ambulance got to the house and got her on the stretcher. When they were about to load her into the ambulance, she got her left hand and arm free from the straps, waved to the God of Glory and said, “I’m ready, come take me home.” And he did. The fireman on the ambulance told me at the hospital, I’ve never seen that before. Who asks to die? I said, “A saint of the Living God.” Well, he said, that very same God, took her about three minutes later.
Elder had said “He’ll give you dying grace.” The Gospel of Sovereign Grace, that Elder taught, preached, lived and breathed – Saints, it’ll keep you and sustain you in life, even unto death. We (momma and me) would never have known, the true Sovereign God of the Bible, had HE not carried me to Elder.