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Today one of my dearest friends passed from this life, Dr. Harry L. Reeder III, senior pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Reeder was killed in a tragic car accident this morning. He was a wonderful friend and supporter of Welch College and of Free Will Baptists who was always a favorite speaker in conferences, commencement ceremonies, and chapels at Welch.
It was about fifteen years ago, fairly early in my tenure as president of Welch College, that I stumbled onto Dr. Reeder. I received an announcement about a new book from P&R Publishers, From Embers to a Flame: How God Can Revitalize Your Church. Here at last was a book by a veteran church revitalizer that put into words the things I had striven to commit myself to as a pastor and teacher of pastors but could never articulate as artfully as he had done.
The book was about biblical, organic church revitalization and growth. It was about church growth, but unlike much of the “church growth movement,” it was about natural, organic growth by means of church health. Dr. Reeder, who had several times led churches to grow from in the thirties and fifties in attendance on Sunday morning into hundreds and thousands, was waxing eloquent about practical ways to bring biblical, organic, growth to struggling, indeed, dying, congregations.
He used catchy phrases like “cultural steroids”—that’s the term he used when he referred to all the extrabiblical secular gimmicks and marketing and entertainment techniques he thought the evangelical church had come to rely on to “get the numbers up.” But he insisted that, not only was this reliance on—this obsession with—secular consumer marketing to increase the numbers of people in the pew unbiblical. Not only was it despising the ordinary means of grace—replacing those Spirit-ordained methods found in the New Testament with the “inventions of people.” It was also pragmatically counterproductive in the long-run.
He would often point to what steroids do to a physical body. They’re artificial stimulants that bring quick, artificial growth but leave the body weaker and sicker than it ever was in the first place. Similarly, he’d say, cultural steroids leave the body of Christ spiritually anemic—weaker and sicker than it ever was before.
Cultural steroids, he’d say, also make churches less effective evangelistically. That’s because believers’ evangelistic and missionary effectiveness correlates directly to their practical engagement with the meat of the Word. And the evangelical church, he’d insist, was starving for the meat of the Word, quoting Amos 8:11, “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord God, ‘That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord.’” “The famine is here!” he’d say, describing too many churches as “an inch deep and a mile wide.”
But perhaps the most remarkable thing about Harry was his cool-headed confidence in the ordinary means of grace. He was so positive and hopeful. He had a smooth level-headedness about him that allowed him to make incisive, prophetic critiques of both church and culture while keeping the focus on the soul-nourishing means of grace in Holy Scripture that always bring about human flourishing, for individuals, families, churches, and cultures.
His refreshing emphasis was that we naturally structure our congregations according to the means God has given, affirming the sufficiency of Scripture. Scripture really is enough for the life, health, and growth of Christ’s church, he stressed. And when we do this, the spiritual blessings of our Lord will follow as we wait patiently on Him.
That was the message of From Embers to a Flame. I was so encouraged, and I began to give away copy after copy of that book. I said to Melinda, “We’ve got to go meet this man.” And on one trip back from my parents’ home in Pensacola, Florida, our eight- and six-year-old in tow, we stopped in Birmingham and attended a service at the church Reeder served, Briarwood Presbyterian.
I introduced myself to him after the service was over, and he said, “I answered the call to the Presbyterian ministry in a Free Will Baptist deacon’s tobacco field!” Then he told me this long story about his first ministry job being the youth pastor at Trinity Free Will Baptist Church in Greenville, North Carolina. He told me about preaching his first sermons in a Free Will Baptist church (even though he was a five-point Calvinist). With that characteristic twinkle in his eye, he reminisced about singing in a quartet and traveling to dozens of Free Will Baptist churches with Jack Paramore and Al Davis. Even though some of his convictions differed from some of those of Free Will Baptists, Dr. Reeder deeply valued those years and how his experiences in Free Will Baptist churches, with Free Will Baptist people, helped shape him spiritually.
It wasn’t too long before I asked him to come and speak at Welch College. He has done so a half-dozen times since then, and he gave me opportunities to speak at Briarwood as well. Melinda and I also grew to love his dear wife Cindy, who has also spoken at Welch. She has been such an integral part of his ministry, and her graciousness and gift of hospitality were so obvious when I visited in their home. We at Welch surround Mrs. Reeder with prayer in this difficult moment.
Dr. Reeder also spoke at the National Free Will Baptist Leadership Conference and became involved with several Free Will Baptist state associations, local associations, and local congregations through his church revitalization ministry, Embers to a Flame. That organization, now known as Lampstand, has helped struggling churches in several Christian denominations to experience revitalization in biblically faithful ways.
To some people, it seems ironic that Dr. Reeder, a die-hard Calvinist Presbyterian, and I, a die-hard Free Will Baptist, became such fast friends. But it’s really not. When it came to the gospel, orthodox Protestant theology, ordinary-means-of-grace church renewal, and Christian cultural renewal, we were of one mind. He knew where I stood, and I knew where he stood, on the issues on which we differed, but our friendship was one of iron sharpening iron, and we agreed on far more than the things on which we differed. I learned so much from this man, and in amazing ways he helped me develop as a young Christian leader.
Most will remember him as a gentle, consensus-building, but stalwart confessional Presbyterian churchman. I will remember him as a giant that the cross-denominational evangelical community has lost. Evangelical Protestantism does not know what it has lost in Harry Reeder and his influence. But my prayer is that God will raise up scores of young Christian leaders across denominations like Dr. Reeder, leaders who like him will bear kind and unwavering witness to the faith once delivered to the saints, which alone, through Christ, brings human flourishing now and forever.
GALLATIN, TN—Welch College President Matt Pinson announced today that this year’s Strong and Courageous Award will be presented to Dr. Doug and Linda Varnado at the college’s annual banquet celebrating Christian faith in Sumner County.
Dr. Doug Varnado, a native of South Carolina, is the lead pastor of Community Church of Hendersonville, a role he has filled since 1992. Varnado is well known in the Sumner County community as a pastor, educator, missionary, and humanitarian. He has served on the boards of Cumberland Crisis Pregnancy Center, Mission Discovery, Hendersonville Samaritan Association, Nation’s University, and the Community Pastor’s Association. Dr. Varnado is retiring this year from his position as pastor of Community Church after thirty years of service.
Linda Varnado grew up in Georgia and moved to New Zealand as a teenager to assist her parents, who were church planters. Linda spent much of her career serving as a missionary and educator. She is most known for her work in children’s ministry and as a leader in her church’s ministry, FRIENDS Love Local. FRIENDS is a compassion ministry that serves the local church and community by equipping and energizing members to be the hands and feet of Christ to those within and outside of the church.
Welch College’s annual Strong and Courageous banquet is a scholarship event to raise funds for Sumner County students. Strong and Courageous has raised almost $200,000 for student scholarships at Welch. Past Strong and Courageous award winners are: Rev. David Landrith (posthumously), Dr. David and Congressman Diane Black, Bob and Karen Goodall, and Dr. Charles Lea.
The event will be held in Celorio Hall on the campus of Welch College, Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. To be a part of this special event, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at Welch College (615-675-5302) or email Davida Black at dblack@welch.edu.
Please be in prayer for the family of Dr. Milton Fields, who passed away yesterday after an extended illness. Dr. Fields joined the Welch faculty in 1994 as chairman of the Teacher Education Department. He served as Academic Dean (1998-2006), Vice President for Institutional Planning (2006–2011), and a member of the President’s Leadership Team. He retired in May 2011.
Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, April 1, at Skelton Funeral Home of Reform, Alabama. Visitation will be one hour prior and immediately following the service.
81 Welch Students Receive President’s and Provost’s Recognition for Fall Semester
Gallatin, TN—The fall 2022 semester at Welch College ended with 81 students receiving academic recognition, according to Provost Matthew McAffee. This honor roll includes online and adult studies students whose fall courses ended in December. “We are proud of these students and their hard work in academics last semester,” McAffee said. “We believe that one important aspect of preparation for Christian leadership is the pursuit excellence in academic study. These students have distinguished themselves in this regard, and we commend them for it.”
Twenty-eight made all A’s and were placed on the President’s List—16 seniors, 4 juniors, 7 sophomores, and 1 freshman. Fifty-three earned a 3.25 GPA and all A’s and B’s and were placed on the Provost’s list—21 seniors, 9 juniors, 9 sophomores, and 14 freshmen.
Welch College Receives High Athletic Awards from the NCCAA
GALLATIN, TN—The National Christian College Athletic Association distributed the men’s and women’s basketball awards at the National Basketball Championship Tournament in Joplin, Missouri, on March 8–9. Welch College Athletic Director and head men’s basketball coach Greg Fawbush was named the National Coach of the Year for the NCCAA II men’s division. This award was his second significant award this season, following his being named Mideast Region Coach of the year on February 23, in Lansing, Michigan. Coach Fawbush led the Flames to a nineteen-win season and helped the Flames to be ranked in the top ten on two separate occasions this season.
Abby Bragg received the Dr. Marti MacCullough Award for the NCCAA II women’s division. This award, representing the NCCAA’s Game Plan for Life initiative, is the highest one given each year. Although it includes athletic accolades, it is primarily based on Christian character and leadership. Abby is the all-time leading scorer for the Lady Flames and was First Team All-American last season. Maci Bowman and Olivia Delk were also named to the Second Team All-American.
These awards finished off a historic year for the Welch College athletic program. Mitchell Moody received the Elvin and Joyce King Award in cross country in November 2022, which is the highest award given in cross country by the NCCAA. The cross country team also had three runners qualify for the national meet: Mitchell Moody, Nathan Shute, and Hannah Barnes. Moody also won the first Welch College Invitational race held in September 2022.
The Lady Flames volleyball team made history by winning the regional tournament and qualifying for the national tournament. Ashleigh Sage was named regional player of the year and First Team All-American. Meg Gates and Michaela Pinkerman were named Second Team All-Region. Kenadee Osbourne made the all-regional honorable mention team.
The Lady Flames basketball team was ranked in the top ten in every ranking this year. They also received several awards: Olivia Delk, First Team All-Region, Regional Newcomer of the Year, and Second Team All-American; Macey Bowman, First Team All-Region and Second Team All-American; Abby Bragg, Second All-Region and Game Plan for Life award winner; Faithe Johnstone, regional freshman of the year.
The Flames basketball team won nineteen games for the first time since returning to full-time NCCAA play. They were ranked in the top ten twice throughout and produced two five-game winning streaks throughout the season. JC Chapman was named to the First Team All-Region, EJ Byrd made Third Team All-Region, and DJ Estes was named to the regional honorable mention team. “This was a historic year for the athletic program at Welch College,” Fawbush said. “We had two athletes receive the highest awards in their respective sports from the NCCAA. We also had three All-Americans and a regional championship. The historic year is attributed to the hard work of our coaches: Katie Bryan, Emma Guthrie, Matt Bracey, Jon Wilson, Malik Mims, Claire Ryan, and Joy Brown. Our players embraced our culture this year, and God honored their hard work.”
For more information regarding Welch athletics, contact Greg Fawbush at gfawbush@welch.edu or visit our website at welchathletics.com.
