A Very Special Breed

I remember it well.  It was October of 1967.  We received word from annual conference that John Dunn was assigned to be our new pastor in Lancaster.  Now I knew of John Dunn.  He was a short man with a deformed arm who had only served rather small churches.  I admit that I was disappointed.  But the Lord was really in the assignment despite my personal reaction.  John Dunn turned out to be a very special servant of the Lord.  He was not a great speaker in the pulpit, but he loved people and had a real heart for the ministry.  He was one of a special breed, a vanishing breed, of men who served the Lord faithfully even when times were tough and financial rewards very limited.  He knew how to work hard, how to visit, how to encourage, and how to help folks going through difficult trials.  His arm was no handicap.  He drove his car, he took care of the parsonage and he annually had a very large garden.  A few years his garden produced so many cantaloupes that he hosted the congregation after the Sunday night service for a cantaloupe party. He could also play a wicked game of ping pong.   In fact, after a few months if some visitor would comment about his arm, we had to think twice about what they were even talking about.  During his 12 years as pastor our church we grew and we expanded our facilities.  He was instrumental in establishing a bus ministry which reached hundreds of children.  He was a major influence in the lives of many, including me.   He encouraged me to take leadership roles and supported me as I did.  In 1979 he retired.  Then in 1980 we invited him back to be our Pastor of Visitation. And, he worked so well with our new, young pastor.  There was no competition or jealousy over the ministry of his replacement, as there have been in many similar situations with other men.  And with his love of the Lord, one would have not expected anything different.  In 1987 he retired again and this time he and his wife Dell moved to Florida where he was active in the ministry at the retirement center, Park of the Palms.   His wife was taken home to heaven a few years ago and on Wednesday, Pastor Dunn, was also called home.  He will be missed.  He was one of a vanishing breed of faithful servants of the Lord.  He was one of those very special people who was an influence in my spiritual life.  I thank the Lord for allowing him to be part of my life.  Now he is home with the Lord, and Dell, and my mother and dad, and my brother Terry, and Gary and Ralph and so many others who he served.  And he's heard the welcome, "Well done, good and faithful service!"