Rev. Benton Cordell Goodpasture’s Career
Biographical Sketch of the Life of Benton Cordell Goodpasture
by Gussie Lambert
Benton Cordell Goodpasture was born April 9, 1895, in Overton County, Tennessee. He was the son of John Jefferson and Elora Annis (Thompson) Goodpasture. He grew up in the Flat Creek Community, hearing the preaching of William H. Fleming and Marion Harris at the Flat Creek Church of Christ.
He attended subscription schools at Flat Creek and at Hilham, Tennessee. Following his high school work, he attended Burritt College, Spencer, Tennessee; Dixie College, Cookeville, Tennessee, and David Lipscomb College where he graduated in 1918 as Valedictorian of his class.
On September 3, 1918, Benton Cordell Goodpasture married Miss Emily Cleveland Cliett. To this union two boys and one girl were born. The boys were named Benton Cordell, Jr., and J. Cliett. The girl was named Eleanor Pauline.
Cleveland Cliett was a teacher in the primary grades at Lipscomb during Goodpasture’s last year in college. While we give Goodpasture full credit for his attainments as a gospel preacher and editor, those who knew Cleveland Cliett knew that she stood shoulder to shoulder and without her he might never have attained the goals he reached in life. Unfortunately Cleveland Cliett died November 2, 1964. After her death, Goodpasture was a lonely man. But he bore his burden quietly, without a word of complaint.
On November 11, 1965, Goodpasture married Mrs. Freddie Joan Armstrong Goetz. At the time of this marriage Freddie had two daughters, Mandy Sue Goetz and Marky Bess Goetz.
Freddie brought light into the home and cheer to his heart. He was once again the brother Goodpasture that all had known so long.
Goodpasture began preaching October 18, 1912, at Holly Springs, Tennessee. Places where he did full time local work were: Shelbyville, Tennessee; West End Church in Atlanta, Georgia, 1920-1927; Poplar Street Church in Florence, Alabama, one year; Seminole Avenue Church in Atlanta until 1939; Hillsboro Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee, 12 years. He held meetings in 20 States.
“Valiant soldier of the Cross” is a phrase often used in referring to an outstanding, well known, highly regarded Christian man who is known for his devotion to the Lord and service in the church. B. C. Goodpasture was such a man. Three words in the phrase characterize him as being just such a man.
1. He was valiant. The word “valiant” means to be strong, full of or characterized by valor or courage; brave. Goodpasture was truly such a man. For 64 years he preached the gospel of Christ. For more than 37 years he edited the Gospel Advocate which has the largest circulation of any journal published by members of the Church of Christ. In reality he served as a preacher and editor encountering many challenges from forces of error inside and outside the church. When truth needed a medium by which to sound its voice in its own defense and in refutation of false doctrine, Goodpasture offered and used the Advocate as that medium. The history of the church since 1939 would have been very different had it not been for the valiant editorship of this good man.
2. He was a soldier. Every child of God is taught to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3). No doubt because he recognized that the most important battle going on in this world is that for the souls of men, Goodpasture offered and used the Advocate as that medium of rescuing the souls of men. He truly endured hardship as a good soldier in behalf of the cause of Christ. He was never a mere “parade-ground” soldier (who sits on the sidelines while others carry the real burden of the fight). He was ever in the “front lines,” in the “trenches” of the battle in which the faithful army of Christ (the church) is constantly engaged.
3. He was a soldier of the Cross. It would be difficult to find a man more committed to the Christian life than Goodpasture. Truly the consuming factor in his life was “Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” It is doubtful that during his last 38 years, a man could be found with greater influence in the Lord’s church than B. C. Goodpasture; he was a soldier with tremendous “weight.” Yet he did it all without being radical.
From Governor Benton McMillan he received the name Benton, at the suggestion of his father. From Cordell Hull he received the name Cordell, at the suggestion of his grandfather. (Cordell Hull was graduated from Cumberland Law School, and was admitted to the bar of his native Tennessee before he was 20 years old.)
At the age of 14, Goodpasture was baptized by T. C. Cox in October, 1909. His beloved mother instilled in him the desire to become a preacher. She kept before him the names of David Lipscomb, James A. Harding, E. G. Sewell, and others.
Rocky Mound was the first school that B. C. attended. The building was a small, primitive log structure. The children sat on the smoothed side of a split log. It was a typical mountain school with one room and one teacher. Friends of those years remembered B. C. He excelled in whatever he put his mind to in work or play. Their memories were filled with love and respect for him. If the small boys needed someone to climb a tall chestnut tree, he was always obliging.
People saw early in his life his great desire for books. He bought his first book with fifty cents that he had earned. The book was Natural Law in the Spiritual World by Henry Drummond. The second book that he purchased was a Greek Grammar.
Goodpasture became one of the most knowledgeable collectors of both good and rare books in his lifetime. He purchased his first books put on sale by the Methodist Publishing Company. He bought the lot and carried them out to the school and sold to the other students the books he did not want, and got all the original purchase price back. In 1932, the Atlanta Journal featured Goodpasture as a collector of rare books and this continued to the end of his life.
Goodpasture’s private library includes 10,000 volumes. At one time Freed Hardeman College had a “B. C. Goodpasture Day” on campus. He had provided many books for a special room which they designated the “B. C. Goodpasture Collection” in the library. Later he added several hundred more books to this collection. Since Goodpasture knew books so well, one can imagine the tremendous value these books are to young men who are preparing for the ministry. At another time, he and David McQuiddy provided 1,500 new Christian Hymns III song books for the new auditorium at Freed-Hardeman College.
Volumes can be written about this great man of God. Only time and space limit us in the praise and honor so justly due him in his long and useful life. Goodpasture preached the gospel for 64 years. He edited the Gospel Advocate from 1939 until the time of his death. He was on the Gospel Advocate staff since 1920. Goodpasture Christian School was founded in Nashville in 1965 and was named in his honor. He served on the school’s board of directors.
His passing was sudden. He worked all day in the Gospel Advocate office February 17, 1977. At 6:00 P.M. he stepped into the driveway at his home at 932 Caldwell Lane, where he had lived for 38 years. Suddenly he became critically ill with a massive stroke. He was rushed to the Baptist Hospital where he died Friday morning, February 18, 1977.
Survivors included his wife, Mrs. Freddie Joan Goodpasture; two sons, Benton Cordell, Jr., and J. Cliett; three daughters, Mrs. Eleanor Pauline King, Mrs. Mandy Sue Myers, and Mrs. Mandy Bess Pace.
The funeral service was conducted by Batsell Barrett Baxter William F. Ruhl, assisted by Guy N. Woods, Rex Turner, and Willard Collins. Burial was in Nashville, Tennessee, with interment in Woodlawn Cemetery.
“. . . Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” (Rev. 14:13).
— In Memoriam, 1988, Shreveport, La, pages 111-114
Benton Cordell Goodpasture
Benton Cordell Goodpasture graduated from David Lipscomb College in the spring of 1918. At that time I was a freshman and I distinctly recall this tall, thin and handsome young man. His natural friendliness and humility made him popular with all the students. While he spent little time at the ball games and on the playgrounds, it was generally understood that he was in his room studying his lessons or reading a book.
Through the years fortune brought us together from time to time. Our friendship grew and my admiration of him as a gospel preacher, editor and Christian gentleman increased from year to year. In 1949, during one of his meetings with Central church in Miami, Florida, he asked me to consider working with the Advocate as News Editor. I like to think that he always felt that the Advocate was in safe hands in his absence from the office. Over the years we grew closer together until we could sit down and talk about anyone, anything and any issue as freely and frankly as blood brothers. I believe I knew B. C. Goodpasture as well as any man on earth, and I unhesitatingly say that he was as noble a Christian gentleman as ever walked on the earth. There was no hypocrisy about him. His love for the truth, the church and the Lord was genuine and sincere. For twenty-seven years I walked by his side and in his shadow, considering it an honor few men ever enjoyed.
His first wife, Cleveland Cliett, was a teacher in the primary grades at Lipscomb during his last year in college. While we give him full credit for his attainments as a gospel preacher and editor, those of us who knew Cleveland Cliett knew that she stood shoulder to shoulder with her husband and without her he might never have attained the goals he reached in life.
After her death he was a lonely man. On occasions, as I would carry him home and drop him off at his house after dark, and there was no” light in the house, no sign of life about the place, my heart bled for him as I watched him walk into the dark house, knowing that not a soul was there to greet him. But he bore his burden quietly, without a word of complaint. After a while came Freddie, his second wife, bringing light into the home and cheer to his heart. He was once again the Goodpasture we had known so long. His last day at the office was as usual. He showed no signs of illness. It was doubtless as he would have wanted it to be. He carried on his work as usual up to almost the last hour, drove home as usual, and then within the next few hours he quickly and quietly left us.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 242
I also Remember
by Mrs. B. C. Goodpasture
The “This I Remember” editorials always brought a flood of mail of appreciation. I also remember the precious years we got to be with so many of you at different congregations, in our home, and in yours. After such visits, he would invariably say, “What wonderful people! Of course, we say that every time, because the greatest people on earth are Christians.”
My husband was wonderful and I loved him so much. He taught me great principles about God’s love. He loved the woods and the inhabitants thereof. I shall never see a child, a tree in its fall colors, a golden sunset nor hear a bird sing, that will not make me think of him.
His life and speech were clean and above reproach, and he stood firm during any crisis. He would say, “None of these things are going to move me. I want to go to heaven and take as many as I can with me.’
Even though my heart breaks when I face the whole significance of how lonely my life will be without him, I shall continue to thank my God daily that I had the blessed privilege of loving and being loved by “my B. C.”
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 242
B. C. Goodpasture as My Minister, Friend, and Business Associate
by David L. McQuiddy, Jr.
In December of 1945, at the age of 16, I was baptized at the Hillsboro Church of Christ by B. C. Goodpasture. He was in his sixth year as minister of that congregation and as editor of the Gospel Advocate. In 1952 when he was succeeded as minister at Hillsboro by Batsell Barrett Baxter, Brother Goodpasture devoted most of his efforts to the editorship of the Advocate. From 1955 until the present, I had the honor and pleasure of working closely with Brother Goodpasture. I can truly say that we never had a cross word. He was dignified without being aloof, and knowledgeable without being pedantic. But I most remember his outstanding sense of humor. This one ingredient probably enabled him to withstand much of the criticism which inevitably occurs to the editor of a paper such as the Gospel Advocate.
In the past five or six years particularly, we had an opportunity to work very closely together and the more I came to know him the more I came to love and respect him. We shall not see his like again. B. C. Goodpasture was a link between some of the early Restoration leaders and our present generation. As such, he was a pillar of strength and counsel to the many ministers of the gospel who constantly came to him for advice and help.
I am fortunate, however, as is the church, in having J. Roy Vaughan to step in and fill the void left by the death of Brother Goodpasture. Until a future successor is selected, I know that Roy Vaughan will carry on in the ablest traditions of the Gospel Advocate.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 244
B. C. Goodpasture
by J. D. Thomas
With the passing of the beloved and highly respected B. C. Goodpasture we are enduring the loss of one of the most influential Christians of our age. Time only will make it clear to many the power for righteousness that this man was. My father was a first cousin to his father, but they were also close friends (the families went home with each other for Sunday dinner) and B. C. played with my oldest brother when they were boys. I did not get personally acquainted with him until I had been preaching for a number of years, but as he never forgot historical details and was the best person I have ever known to keep up with people and events he recounted to me many interesting incidents of my own close relatives that took place before I was born. We spent a day together once visiting the old places in Overton County, Tennessee, during which he showed me places of residence and graves of several of my ancestors. His passing is a personal loss to me.
Brother Goodpasture was a solid student of the word and developed into a good scholar. I have never known a man that loved good books as well as he. – He was a book collector without peer. As a gospel preacher he was respected and appreciated as much as the best. He has preached in many places in our nation and was active until the end, as he chose to be. Had he been willing to fly, and thus had more time for travel, he would no doubt have crossed the country back and forth constantly, for he was in great demand. We used him on the Abilene Christian University Lectureship, but invited him many other times that he had to reject because of the time factor.
Brother Goodpasture was an elder in the Lord’s church for many years, and his judgment was respected because he knew the answers. As Editor of the Gospel Advocate he was a stabilizing influence through many of the problem periods that the church faced during his tenure. He had the courage to say No! if the wrong type of article was submitted for printing. He was able to sense the true and false currents of activity that went on in the brotherhood at a given time, and although he did not act in “loud” or “boisterous” ways, he was involved for the right in probably all of them.
As a host, with each of his good wives, Brother Goodpasture was as hospitable as any man I have known. I have personally had the privilege of spending several days at a time in his home-during the lifetime of Sister Cleveland and then with Sister Freddie, and the feeling was one of welcome and real enjoyment and fellowship. This has been true for countless numbers of their friends.
As an influence for good, probably no man has been looked to and respected for his views and for guidance more than he in these last few decades. He has been a towering giant and all who have sought to lead the brotherhood into error have sooner or later learned that they would have to deal with him.
One way that has impressed me about the greatness of B. C. Goodpasture was his personal lack of selfishness. So far as I was ever able to discern, he never acted, or even thought, selfishly. He had no axe of his own to grind. It takes a big man to be this way. I am sure God will bless his memory. My personal regards and feelings are with his wife, his children, and all who mourn his loss.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 244
B. C. Goodpasture
by Athens Clay Pullias
In the course of a lifetime one has the privilege of meeting and knowing a small number of truly outstanding people whose qualities set them apart in special ways. B. C. Goodpasture was beyond, any question such a man. From the beginning to end his life was outstanding in almost every way.
My first recollection of B. C. Goodpasture goes back to the days of my boyhood when he was enrolled in what was then the Nashville Bible School, now David Lipscomb College, along with my brother Irby and my cousin Mitchell, who was also reared by my mother and father. They brought home the school yearbooks from time to time which contained pictures of B. C. Goodpasture, and they continually reported other information concerning the school’s activities.
In personal appearance B. C. Goodpasture as a youth was a slender, straight-as-an-arrow, handsome, black-haired young man. His presence was impressive the first time I ever saw him nearly sixty years ago, and still was the last time I saw him just a few days before he died.
His achievements can always be described by a superlative. He graduated from Lipscomb as valedictorian of his class. His leadership in the church as a gospel preacher and editor of the ADVOCATE for a very long time gave him a place as one of the handful of the greatest leaders in the church during his lifetime. He occupied this position of leadership for more than fifty years, and his record is without spot or blemish, a rare achievement in this difficult and complicated world.
His home was a place of warmth and happiness for all who crossed the threshold and entered that home. Mrs. Pullias and I were privileged to enjoy the hospitality of that home on many delightful occasions. When that gracious Christian lady Mrs. Cleveland Cliett Goodpasture passed away in 1964, I had the privilege of having a part in her funeral service.
Over the entire period of my tenure as president of Lipscomb, and before as an administrator and faculty member, B. C. Goodpasture gave support and encouragement to the work of this school in vitally important ways. I sought his counsel on many occasions and in many matters of grave concern related to this school.
He and I hunted the fields together, and again a superlative is in order. He was a marksman of rare skill. I remember one day in particular when we were hunting, and there were sumac bushes around us a little above a man’s head. The magnificent bird dog which he had, set a covey of quail. When they came up off the ground, they did not fly straight forward or to the right or left as they usually do. Instead they arose almost straight up and came back over our heads at a height of perhaps twenty-five or thirty feet. He lifted his gun toward the sky and brought down two in quick separate shots as they passed over his head, an almost unbelievable accomplishment. I mention this to underline the fact that B. C. Goodpasture was a superior man in almost every way.
He leaves behind him notable achievements which do not need to be listed here because they are too well known. May God’s richest blessings be with Mrs. Goodpasture, Cordell, Eleanor, Cliett, and all his loved ones now and always.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 244,245
B. C. Goodpasture — Valiant Soldier of the Cross
by Thomas B. Warren
It is not easy to put into words the feeling which I have for this great and good man. However, just before I dedicated a book to him several years ago, I gave a great deal of thought as to what I would say in that dedication. I did not want the dedication to be long; I wanted it to come to the point quickly. Yet, I wanted it to say what was truly most characteristic of Brother Goodpasture. I felt that I had such a dedication when I wrote: “To B. C. Goodpasture-valiant soldier of the cross.” Three words comprise the heart of this dedication: “valiant,” “soldier,” and “cross.” Let us look at them in the light of their application to Brother Goodpasture.
He was valiant. “Valiant” means, “. . . to be strong; … stout-hearted; … possessing or exhibiting valor.” “Valor” means, “. . . strength of mind or spirit that enables a man to encounter danger with firmness; personal bravery.” The word “valiant” fits Brother Goodpasture in a singular way. For more than sixty-four years he preached the true gospel of Christ. For more than thirty-seven years, he edited the most influential journal published by members of the body of Christ, the Gospel Advocate. In my judgment, he functioned both as a preacher and as an editor in fear only of God encountering many challenges from forces of error (both from outside of and from within the Lord’s church). Some even threatened the demise of the “Old Reliable,” the Gospel Advocate, but such threats never moved Brother Goodpasture from the path of truth and righteousness. When truth needed a medium by which to sound its voice in its own defense and in refutation of false doctrine, Brother Goodpasture offered and used the Advocate as that medium. The history of the church since 1939 surely would have been different had it not been for the valiant editorship of this good man.
He was a soldier. Every child of God is taught to “endure hardship as a good soldier” of the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Tim. 2:3.) No doubt because he recognized that the most important battle going on in this world is that for the souls of men, Brother Goodpasture truly endured hardship as a good soldier in behalf of the cause of Christ. He was never a mere “parade-ground” soldier (who sits on the sidelines while others carry the real burden of the fight). He was ever in the “front lines,” in the “trenches” of the battle in which the faithful army of Christ (the church) is constantly engaged.
He was a soldier-of the cross. I have known no man who, in my judgment, was more committed to the Christian life than was Brother Goodpasture. Like Paul, he was determined always to proclaim nothing but Christ and him crucified. (1 Cor. 2:2.) I spent much time with him. We talked often.
During a period of several months, I lived in his home. Almost constantly, Christ and his cause filled his conversation. Truly, the consuming factor in his life was “Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
So, I am happy with the book dedication, “To B. C. Goodpasture — valiant soldier of the cross.” It fits him to whom it was ascribed. Perhaps others do, but I do not know how to improve it.
I doubt that, during the past more than thirty-eight years, there has been a man of greater influence in the Lord’s church than B. C. Goodpasture; he was a soldier of tremendous “weight.” Yet, he did it all without being radical. He was a man of power who veered neither to the right hand nor to the left. When false conservatism was the issue, he met it. When liberalism was the issue, he met it. And, while some men seem to be constantly “rocking the boat” either one way or another, Brother Goodpasture was a master example of a man who could defend the truth and refute error without raising personal issues. This ought to be a great example for our young preachers to study and imitate.
Brother Goodpasture no longer walks among us on earth. But I am glad — I am deeply thankful that I knew him. I am thankful that he was my close and dear friend. He did so many things for me (and countless others) I could never adequately express my gratitude.
I shall remember him, and, as I remember, I will say to myself, “Both he and Paul were valiant soldiers of the cross. He, like Paul, imitated Christ study and follow that example.”
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 245,246
Brother Goodpasture as I Knew Him
by Guy N. Woods
It was my honored privilege to know, and to have close association with B. C. Goodpasture for a quarter century or more. Outside his immediate family circle, I think I knew him as well or perhaps better than did most other people, and of this I am certain: a kinder, nobler, more generous and warmhearted person never lived. Often, through the years, I had occasion to be in the Gospel Advocate office, or to be in touch with him by mail and telephone and a friendship developed far more warm and deep than that usually characteristic of such associations. The confidence he exhibited in me will ever be one of the most prized and precious blessings of my life.
Other writers in this special issue of the Gospel Advocate will detail the varied and exceptional talents of this great and good man (and they were indeed many), but it will be impossible to chronicle fully his towering spiritual strength, his nobleness of heart, and the fierce and enduring loyalty he displayed toward those who through providence were privileged to enjoy his association through the years, and to be by him regarded as friends.
Among the scriptures read before the vast audience which gathered for the last rites was the moving and beautiful first Psalm, and emphasis was given to David’s description of the man who “is like a tree planted by the rivers of waters.” Brother Goodpasture was truly like such a tree; strong of heart, deeply rooted in the truth and wholly unmoved by the winds of criticism which often swirl around those in public life. I never knew a man more dedicated to the truth than he.
No man among us read more widely than did he, and this life-long scholarly habit enabled him to become one of the most entertaining conversationalists of the present century. Those who have listened to his thrilling and wonderfully informative “fire-side chats” can never forget them. There was about him an air of dignity-an innate characteristic of greatness-with which he was richly endowed by nature, and discerning people readily sensed this and fell under the spell of his personality. He walked among the giants of the brotherhood — H. Leo Boles, N. B. Hardeman, Marshall Keeble, G. C. Brewer and others — and now has resumed his association with them in Paradise! We shall not see his like on earth again.
On the evening of February 7, Brother Goodpasture spoke at the appreciation dinner which E. Claude Gardner, President of Freed-Hardeman College, planned for me on the campus there. Following this event, he and Sister Freddie Goodpasture (to his wonderful wife must be attributed much credit for his exceptionally active life, physically, mentally and spiritually, in old age to the day of his death), and I were guests in the home of Brother and Sister Gardner in Henderson. There, the three of us talked far into the night of the Lord’s work, of mutual concerns we felt regarding brotherhood matters, and of the obligations of us all to maintain a pure faith and an unsullied practice in all matters pertaining to the truth of the gospel. He seemed especially relaxed, he appeared to be well and feeling fine, and in full possession of his great mental powers. Two weeks later, to the day, it was my sad privilege to participate in the funeral services for him in the huge auditorium of the Hillsboro Church of Christ before the largest audience I ever saw assembled for such an occasion.
He was a dear and trusted friend, a faithful and beloved brother in the Lord and an esteemed and respected associate in the Lord’s work over a large portion of my life. I feel infinitely poorer today because of his passing.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 246
B. C. Goodpasture’s Last Sermon
by E. Claude Gardner
The last sermon B. C. Goodpasture preached was based on 2 Timothy 4:1-2 and fittingly his last words of it were, “preach the word.” This sermon was given at the Annual Bible Lectureship of Freed-Hardeman College, Henderson, Tennessee, on February 8, 1977, at the 10:30 chapel hour in the new auditorium. This year we listed his subject as “A Message for Our Time” and we felt he would choose a timely topic which he most assuredly did when he gave us the charge, “preach the word.”
When I presented Brother Goodpasture I sought to express our appreciation to him for his service on our Advisory Board; for the books he recently gave to add to the hundreds of books he has given to the B. C. Goodpasture Collection in our library; for the gift of the 1,500 new Christian Hymns III which were being used for the first time at the lectureship; for his friendship and support; and for his course of moderation. On the last visit with him in his office on February 3, I was impressed again with his characteristic sense of balance as he discussed some of the current problems in the brotherhood. When he stayed in our home during the lectureship, he again reflected a posture of conservatism and balance.
Brother Goodpasture was a man of wisdom, wit and good judgment. He not only had a thorough mastery of the Scriptures but he was knowledgeable in many fields of learning; he was a well-educated man. Through the years he showed an interest in every good work, and he sought to help those in special circumstances by giving them the lift they needed.
He came to the pulpit with vigor and presented a clear, forceful and timely message without ever referring to a Bible or to notes. His broad sweep of knowledge of the Bible and literature was evident and some have said this was the best sermon they ever heard Brother Goodpasture preach.
This sermon (a tape recording is available through the Freed-Hardeman College Bookstore) contains some penetrating thoughts. Here are a few excerpts that will linger with us for years to come:
1. “Ordinarily when man comes to the end of his life his last thoughts will be about the things that have been first in his life.”
2. Realizing he was of advanced age he said, in the sight of him into whose sublime and awful presence we all soon must pass.”
3. “We ought to all be older in more senses than one. We ought to be old not only in terms of the calendar or years but old in terms of spiritual growth and development; old in terms of maturity; old in terms of labors. The apostle Paul was old in terms of his labors.”
4. “It might be because I’m an old man. You know I’m 82 years old but I don’t think I feel that way about it. I still think I want to preach the word.”
5. “The one thing that the world needs most now is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the one thing that can change the world. It is the only thing that can save our civilization and save the world from wreck and ruin. Yes, preach the word.”
6. “It cost John the Baptist his head to make that statement, but it’s better to have a head like John had and give it as he gave his than to have heads like some people have and keep them.”
7. At the conclusion he again quoted 2 Timothy 4 and the last words of the sermon were “preach the word.”
Not only will Brother Goodpasture’s last sermon live on and on but so will his many other sermons as well as his good life which has been in reality a great sermon. In my judgment we have lost the most influential man in the brotherhood. He will be sorely missed.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 246,247
Goodpasture — A Man of God
by G. K. Wallace
Brother Goodpasture was a singular character. He was original, exact, and special. His life was built around great fundamental principles from which he turned not away. In all the years I knew him, twenty-three of which I served him as a member of his Gospel Advocate staff, I found the following as major beliefs in his useful and devoted life:
He believed that God owned all and that man is only a steward. Even though he was eminently successful so far as this world is concerned he regarded himself as only a tenant at will. His home was modest, his clothes conservative and his liberality was manifested in many ways. Eternity alone will reveal the good he did with that which he held in trust for God. His constant sense of responsibility carried beyond his use of what he earned and included also his mind and body. He was never known to use either his wealth, mind or body to minister to vanity, love of ease or display. He believed that “it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.”
Brother Goodpasture believed that his stay on this earth was only transient. He believed that others would live in our houses, read our books, own our farms, plant our vineyards, sit in our pews, preach in our pulpits and take our bank accounts. He regarded life as one who checks in a motel and then vacates his room the next morning for a new arrival. He believed that life was a journey and his patient discipline kept fresh in his heart an ever sense of transiency. He believed that only God and the doing of his will really lasted. Like Abraham he regarded his native land as elsewhere. He kept his cares and interests in the present limited to necessary things. He believed that a traveler should not unnecessarily burden himself and the less luggage the easier to travel. He looked “for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Heb. 11:10.)
Brother Goodpasture was a man of deep devotion to and trust in God. Even though he regarded himself as only a “sojourner” in this world he believed he traveled with the King of kings. He believed his king would lead him through the “pastures” and beside “still waters.” He was unafraid to stand erect and walk into the “valley of the shadow of death.” He regarded himself as a guest of God and that he would not be lonely in a new and strange land.
Death, we believe, only made Brother Goodpasture nearer to our king and at home on the other side. We, too, are sojourners and we lose many of our companions in our journey. The road we have traveled may be traced by graves on either side but the Lord is ever with us. Brother Goodpasture was a great and good man and his influence will never die. May we join the countless multitude before the throne of God as they cry, “Blessings, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever” for allowing Brother Goodpasture to live and serve for so many years. He will be missed but ever loved.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 247,248
Preacher . . . Elder . . . of the Hillsboro Church
by Batsell Barrett Baxter
In 1939 when B. C. Goodpasture moved from Atlanta to Nashville to become editor of the Gospel Advocate, he also became the full-time minister of the Hillsboro church. This congregation, already well-known during its first dozen years of existence, became even more widely known during its second dozen years under the preaching of Brother Goodpasture, who was at the peak of his preaching effectiveness. While he preached with great power in his eighty-second year, as evidenced by his masterful chapel address on February 8, 1977, to some three thousand in attendance at the Freed-Hardeman Lectures, he was never more effective than during his Hillsboro years.
He excelled in great biographical sermons, especially those dealing with Old Testament characters. He could make Abraham, or Joseph, or David, come to life as he dealt with their lives both in the broad perspective and in the often overlooked details of significance. His preaching also included moving sermons on practical aspects of Christian living, such as his great sermon on “Sowing and Reaping.” There was great clarity and great power in his doctrinal sermons as he enunciated the fundamental tenets of the Christian faith. No one could misunderstand what the Lord’s teachings were. His most moving sermons dealt with such subjects as “The Crucifixion” and “The Resurrection.” It was sermons such as these that caused the Hillsboro church to grow and brought people from afar to hear Brother Goodpasture preach the gospel of Christ.
Retirement from Regular Preaching
In June, 1951, Brother Goodpasture felt that the regular responsibilities of his local preaching were more than he could adequately handle in view of his ever increasing responsibilities with the Gospel Advocate. Accordingly, he resigned to give his full time to his editing, writing, and holding meetings, which had become more and more demanding as his influence grew throughout the length and breadth of the brotherhood. Shortly after his stepping down from the pulpit, the elders of the Hillsboro church and the entire membership insisted that he be named an elder, in which relationship he continued to serve for the remainder of his twenty-six years of life. His influence for good, based upon his deep knowledge of the Scriptures, has been a great blessing to the Hillsboro church during the entire thirty-eight year period in which Hillsboro was his “home congregation.”
In 1951, as he passed along his local preaching responsibilities to me, he said one day as we stood in the corridor of the old Gospel Advocate building, “Brother Baxter, you will never find a finer congregation than the Hillsboro church.” His evaluation has proved to be more than true during the twenty-six years that I have known the congregation. As this transition was made, Brother Goodpasture must have realized that it would be difficult for anyone, particularly a young preacher, to fill the Hillsboro pulpit, especially with him remaining in the congregation and being present for most services. He made the task so much easier for his successor by saying, “I want to demonstrate what an ex-preacher should be.” So many times, by word and by action he did demonstrate what “an ex-preacher” should be. For twenty-six years he was my greatest helper and most, loyal friend.
A Towering Influence
Brother Goodpasture was born April 9, 1895, in Overton County, near Livingston, in the area now known as Standing Stone State Park. From Cordell Hull he received the name Cordell, at the suggestion of his grandfather. From Governor Benton McMillan he received the name Benton, at the suggestion of his father. At the age of fourteen he was baptized by T. C. Fox in October, 1909. On October 18, 1912, he began preaching at the Holly Springs church. If he had lived until October of this year, he would have preached for sixty-five full years. Through his local preaching at the Hillsboro church, and elsewhere in earlier years, and through his hundreds of gospel meetings, he has enlightened and strengthened the brotherhood in his generation as much or more than any other one man.
He loved to preach. He not only did all that he could personally, but he encouraged others to preach and was especially tender in his concern for younger preachers. At one point he wrote, “I have been able to encourage and help the preaching of the gospel in all the countries of the English-speaking world through the ADVOCATE. The editorship has offered me an opportunity to help stabilize a brotherhood torn by hobby riders and factionists. I hope that I have made a major contribution to indoctrinating and strengthening churches wherever the Advocate has been read.”
Brother Goodpasture’s influence on the Hillsboro church was tremendous, for he was loved by both young and old. His pockets often bulged with the gum and candy that the youngsters came to expect whenever they saw him. Older members of the congregation sought him out when they had some difficult decision to make or needed some insight concerning God’s teachings. He conducted hundreds of funerals during the thirty-eight years that he was at Hillsboro, continuing to be called long after his local preaching years were past. He was called for funerals, because of his stature in the church and also because of his great skill in conducting funerals. Among those he conducted were services for giants of the faith such as H. Leo Boles, N. B. Hardeman, Marshall Keeble, and Gus Nichols.
Revelation 14:13 can be used to refer to no one of our time more appropriately than to B. C. Goodpasture: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow after them.” No man will be missed more; no man will be remembered longer.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 248,249
B. C. Goodpasture’s Footprints on the Sands of Time
by William Woodson
Longfellow aptly said, “Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us footprints on the sands of time.” These words are most appropriate to the life of our late brother, B. C. Goodpasture. For several decades he left footprints on the sands of our times. As one looks back to the path he has left, several great qualities of his life and work remain to influence and aid us.
First, Brother Goodpasture left his mark as a great preacher of the gospel. I recall the late Gus Nichols saying that he regarded Brother Goodpasture as one of the three greatest preachers he had ever heard. He often spoke of Brother Goodpasture as “the prince of preachers.” I also recall a sermon at a Freed-Hardeman College Lectureship in which Brother Goodpasture discussed “Riches in the Gospel of Luke.” I sat with an open Greek Testament and thrilled at his exposition and application of the great verses in Luke 12:13-21; 16:19-31; and 18:18-25. Line by line, without note or hesitation, the preacher unfolded the words of the text. He combined English and Greek studies, poetry, biography, and practical wisdom with clarity, ease, and power. Truly that was a great sermon! How appropriate that the last sermon he preached was on the topic “Preach the Word.” It was the motto of his preaching life.
Second, Brother Goodpasture left his mark of leadership in the brotherhood. His work as editor of the Gospel Advocate brought him into contact with brethren throughout America and the world. He was a man of sound faith, unflinching courage, and perceptive insight. He knew people and was acquainted with the various issues which often swirl in the brotherhood. He had a quiet strength which was not brought to panic by the belligerence of a few zealots. By word, pen, and deed he pled for soundness, faithfulness, moderation, and peace in the body of Christ. He knew how to mould thought and influence men for the good. The brotherhood was blessed by his editorial labors, writings, and encouragement of others.
Third, Brother Goodpasture left his mark as a promoter of good works. Every good cause in the brotherhood-mission work, benevolence, preacher training, radio and television work, Christian education, publication and promotion of good books, on and on-found a good friend in B. C. Goodpasture. He knew the need to oppose every false way, and spared not to do so; but his heart was always on the side of progress, building, and serving. He was always a builder, a leader; he was not a wrecker or a careless critic. The good works which he promoted and encouraged will bless this world and be remembered in eternity.
Last, B. C. Goodpasture left his mark as a man of great ability. He distinguished himself in several areas: preacher, elder, editor, and counselor. He demonstrated a great knowledge of the Bible and was always a master of the appropriate quotation from literature, ancient and modern, to illustrate and beautify a point. His anecdotes of restoration people and events were legion. His humor was quiet and dignified, but frequently evoked delicious chuckles at the time and many days afterward. From all standpoints he was a man of rare ability.
B. C. Goodpasture has passed into the hand of God. Our lives are better because he lived. He has left for us great footprints on the sands of time.
“Let us then, be up and doing, with a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.”
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 249
B. C. Goodpasture — A Giant Among Men
by J. M. Powell
The first time I ever saw B. C. Goodpasture was in the spring of 1928, when I was a student at David Lipscomb College. Brother Goodpasture, who was thirty-three years of age, had come to the campus for a gospel meeting. For one full week, he spoke twice daily in the upstairs auditorium in Harding Hall.
My impression of the brilliant young preacher from Atlanta was the same as that of William Hayden, the first time he met Alexander Campbell. Campbell was scheduled to preach at Warren, Ohio, in October, 1821, and Hayden was determined to hear him. Here is the account in Hayden’s own words: “Alexander Campbell was then thirty-three years of age, the sharpest man I ever saw in appearance and in intellect.”
In that meeting on the Lipscomb campus, nearly fifty years ago, the sermons that were preached are still vivid and fresh in my memory. Brother Goodpasture was young, slender and handsome. He spoke fluently without manuscript or notes. He was seldom seen except when he stood in the pulpit to preach. That he remained in his room most of the time occasioned considerable talk among the students and faculty. It was revealed that he was studying diligently every day, thus preparing himself to preach at the appointed times. Early in life Brother Goodpasture established studious habits from which he never departed as long as he lived. This self-discipline on his part accounted for the fact that he never disappointed an audience whenever he stood before it to speak.
Brother Goodpasture was a peerless pulpiteer. He was always in perfect command of every situation. He knew what he wanted to say and he said it in the best possible way. His language was always chaste and eloquent. As a preacher-of the Word, he had no superiors and few, if any, equals. In his study habits he could be compared to Alexander Campbell. The Campbell-Owen debate was held in Cincinnati in 1829. Lyman Beecher, who was living in the city at the time, heard every speech that Campbell made and was deeply impressed. At the close of the debate Beecher asked Campbell this question: “How is it that you have such a vast amount of knowledge ready for instant use?” Mr. Campbell replied by saying: “This is because I spend sixteen hours every day studying.”
It was no accident that Brother Goodpasture was a recognized scholar. His scholarship was the result of diligent and constant effort. To be a scholar one must have the mental capacity for scholarship. Moreover one must be willing to pay the price of scholarship. Brother Goodpasture had the capacity for scholarship and he was willing to pay the price.
A. C. Dunkleberger, long-time friend of Brother Goodpasture’s and elder of the Madison church, wrote in the Madison Marcher: “Rarely does one individual combine the talents that were his. A notable master of the spoken word, his was the power to hold and sway an audience-to teach and persuade and convert with his exceptional knowledge of the truth. He had what is called `pulpit presence,’ but he used it with the singleness of purpose faithful to commission as the Lord’s servant…. It would be impossible to reckon in mortal terms the value of his life. It must await the divine census to come, when an innumerable company may reveal that he helped lead them there. Beyond estimate the world is a better place for his having lived in it. Not soon will his like be seen again.”
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 249,250
B. C. Goodpasture Was Gentle and Kind
by Willard Collins
Batsell Barrett Baxter, Ira North and I had a special relationship with B. C. Goodpasture as members of the Advocate‘s Second Century Committee. We have enjoyed many lunches together since 1955.
We laughed at his favorite stories, enjoyed his vivid memories of the past and appreciated his deep love and concern for the church.
He had a keen sense of humor and as one who knew him well for over forty-two years, I appreciated his kindness, gentleness and genuineness.
The full impact of his death has not been comprehended. There is a big vacant chair in Nashville, Tennessee.
I feel a personal loss in not being able to call B. C. Goodpasture when I need to talk with him about some decision I must make. His advice was priceless to me. Through the years he has helped far more than he knew, in building and preserving David Lipscomb College.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 250
A Man of one Book and many Books
by J. E. Choate
Benton Cordell Goodpasture loved good things i5 life, and he loved good books. First of all, he loved the Bible. Brother Goodpasture was a “man of the Book.” How appropriate are these words from the wisest of men: “The words of the wise are as goads; and as nails well fastened are the words of the masters of assemblies…. And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making books there is no end.”
B. C. Goodpasture grew up among the wild and beautiful foothills of the Cumberland Mountains. The frontier days were gone, but reminders lingered on of the harsh disciplines of frontier life just one generation removed. The child was a lover of nature and knowledge from his earliest days. His beloved mother instilled in him the desire to become a preacher. She kept before him the names of David Lipscomb, James A. Harding, and E. G. Sewell.
Rocky Mound was the first school the child attended. The building was a small, primitive log structure. The children sat on the smoothed side of a split log. It was a typical mountain school with one room and one teacher. Brother Goodpasture remembered one teacher above others, B. H. Hunt. He had the ability to inspire students and to fire them up with the ambition to amount to something in life. Friends of those years remember the boy. He excelled in whatever he put his mind to in work and play. Their memories are filled with love and respect for him. If the small boys needed someone; to climb a tall chestnut tree, he was always obliging.
B. C. Goodpasture attended Burritt College a while in 1913. He enrolled in Dixie College (now Tennessee Tech) and studied there in 1913 and 1914. In 1914 he enrolled in the Nashville Bible School in r Nashville, Tennessee. H. Leo Boles had been the president for a short while. Boles knew who Goodpasture was from the day he came. Their fathers had been close friends in the Cumberland Mountains. H. Leo Boles began to draw the young man into his confidence and that made all the difference. Goodpasture said in later life: “He knew that I had a struggle to get there and meant business when I got there.”
Charles R. Brewer recalled his impressions of those days. Goodpasture impressed everybody as a boy of high intelligence. He had a fine dignified appearance and seemed to be somewhat aloof from the other students. They were impressed with his love and admiration for books. The Goodpasture boy bought his first book with fifty cents he had earned. The book was Natural Law in the Spiritual World by Henry Drummond. The second book he purchased was a Greek grammar.
Brother Goodpasture became one of the most knowledgeable collectors of both good and rare books in his lifetime. He purchased his first books put on sale by the Methodist Publishing Company. He bought the lot and carried them out to the school and sold to the other students the books he didn’t want, and got all of the original purchase price back. In 1932, the Atlanta Journal featured Goodpasture as a collector of rare books and this continued to the I end of his life.
Brother Goodpasture not only loved books, he knew the inside of books. He had an encyclopedic storehouse of knowledge. Whoever has marveled at his endless running repertory of anecdotes and quotations, running the entire gamut of classical and modern literature, needs to know that he had a bottomless memory which fastened on facts which his steel-trap mind would not let go. Brother Goodpasture spoke at the appreciation dinner honoring Guy N. Woods during the past Freed-Hardeman lectures. He stood like Moses at eighty-two with his eyesight undimmed and his memory strong as ever and still the “master of assemblies.”
Brother Goodpasture gave me the greatest personal honor when I was privileged to write the story of his life, The Anchor That Holds. Brother Goodpasture never added a word or altered a phrase. This is the way he worked with his writers. If Brother Goodpasture had to re-write or write for you, a person never wrote for the Advocate to begin with, which is understandable once a person understood how the editor worked with people.
It would be difficult to close without paying my debt of gratitude to J. Roy Vaughan, whom I cannot disassociate from Brother Goodpasture. Brother Vaughan was one of the closest confidants of Goodpasture. Their friendship began in David Lipscomb College. The friendship that Brother Goodpasture received from his friends was deserved. Brother Goodpasture gave unflagging loyalty to his friends in good days and bad. He ground no man’s axe and served at no man’s table for a morsel of bread. Brother Goodpasture could not be swayed by the emotions of the hour, nor would he give up his basic convictions.
Brother Vaughan helped me in my writing work with the Advocate in many ways, just by talking with me and providing information and insights which I needed. It was Brother Vaughan who suggested to me that I write the life of Marshall Keeble, Roll Jordan Roll. He said to me, “Go in and talk to B. C. about it.” And I did. Yes, a great part of the joy and worth of my life has been gratefully enriched by the “men of the Advocate.”
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 250,251
B. C. Goodpasture
by Cecil N. Wright
As a young man I was influenced considerably by Brother Goodpasture through his reproduction in the Gospel Advocate of the writings of outstanding pioneer preachers. Already intensely interested in the Restoration Movement, I read them avidly. Also, over a period of many years I heard him speak on many occasions, always with delight and profit, and have been a guest in his home, at his table, and in his book house at his home. At different times over many years he has published articles I have written, and solicited me to write more than I ever have. So I came not only to respect him highly but also to have a warm personal regard for him, and now that he has gone from us I have a keen sense of personal loss.
But rather than write further in a personal vein, it seems fitting to reproduce parts of an article by another, published in the first number of the Gospel Advocate that carried the name of Brother Goodpasture as editor. That was March 2, 1939, lacking only days of being thirty-eight years before his passing, which means that his tenure as editor was exceeded only by that of David Lipscomb and of E. G. Sewell, co-editors. The writer was H. Leo Boles, a member of the editorial advisory committee. His caption was: “The New Editor, B. C. Goodpasture.” The parts we quote tell why he was chosen to be editor and reveal the secrets of the great success of his editorial career, as well as portray the man himself.
“The purpose of this brief article,” said Brother Boles, “is to call attention to some of the characteristics which are outstanding that caused him to be considered for this very responsible position…. It was thought that he was competent in every way to fill this position; hence, he was sought and prevailed to occupy the editorial chair of the Gospel Advocate.
“He has been a staff writer on the Gospel Advocate for several years. He was assigned to write under the general theme, ‘Echoes from Pioneer Pulpits,’ and the readers of the Advocate are familiar with the many articles that he has reproduced from the accurate and brilliant pens of these pioneer gospel preachers. He has been interested in the literature of the early days of the Restoration Movement, and has gathered some rare volumes, pamphlets, and papers, which belong to that period. Perhaps no preacher in the brotherhood has such a voluminous and rare collection in library form of the literature of the Restoration Movement as has Brother Goodpasture. He is quite familiar, not only with the work of the pioneers, but with the biographies and varied incidents of the great men. He knows ‘the ancient order of things’ and the efforts that these pioneers made to ‘speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent.’
“Brother Goodpasture is eminently qualified for the duties to which he has been called. He is familiar with all the problems that now confront the brotherhood, and knows prevailing conditions in the brotherhood. He is educated, well informed, cultured, intelligent, conservative, and yet aggressive in his work as a preacher of the gospel. He knows the Bible, loves it, preaches and teaches it; he is no weakling; he never compromises with error; he does not seek popularity; he never attempts to `play politics’; he is always kind and courteous with those who may differ with him. He is strong in his convictions, humble and meek in his bearing; he is scholarly and thorough in his treatment of subjects; always courteous and cultured in his manners; deeply spiritual and humble in his nature. He loves the church of our Lord; he is willing to sacrifice for the cause of Christ. It is the judgment of his friends that the Gospel Advocate Company is fortunate in securing the services of such a scholarly, Christian gentleman to fill the editorial chair of the Gospel Advocate that has been honored by such men as Tolbert Fanning, David Lipscomb, E. G. Sewell, J. C. McQuiddy, and others.”
We would add that it will take a good, great, and wise man indeed to fill his shoes at a time even more crucial than when Brother Goodpasture became editor. God’s richest blessings upon whomever is chosen for such task and upon J. Roy Vaughan, the interim editor; also upon the family that Brother Goodpasture leaves behind.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 251, 252
The Editorials of B. C. Goodpasture
by Dan Harless
Many years ago, along with a number of young preachers, I was invited to the home of H. Leo Boles. Brother Boles was asked, “Who’s going to edit the Gospel Advocate?” In his well-known, forthright manner he replied, “B. C. Goodpasture.”
Shortly afterward, in the Advocate dated March 2, 1939, thousands of subscribers read the first editoral from the trenchant pen of this great man in which he said in part, “. . . It is natural for people to make inquiry concerning the policy of a paper which has just come under new editorial management. This is especially true of religious papers. The friends and readers of a paper have a right to know about its policy…. The following question has been frequently asked: `What changes, if any, will be made in the policy of the Gospel Advocate?’ The answer is that the future policy of this great paper will be that of its original founders and editors and their worthy successors all down the years.” ‘
Later, a quarter of a century later to be exact, on March 7, 1963, Brother Goodpasture wrote, “In the future, as in the past, it will be our abiding purpose to teach the primitive gospel and expose error. We of the Gospel Advocate desire to encourage and help those everywhere who are seeking to make known the unsearchable riches of Christ.”
Five more years slipped by and we find Brother Goodpasture writing, “It has now been thirty years since I became editor of the Gospel Advocate. These have been years fraught with crises and change. During this time the biggest war of all history has been fought; kings have been dethroned and the boundaries of empires have been moved. During this period the church has not been without its problems. Since 1939, many of the regular writers for the Advocate — F. B. Srygley, H. Leo Boles, Batsell Baxter, G. C. Brewer, C. R. Nichol, Cled E. Wallace, S. H. Hall, W. E. Brightwell, L. L. Brigance, R. L. Whiteside, John Allen Hudson, John T. Lewis, and others have fallen asleep.”
There have been times when Brother Goodpasture’s pen has been used rapier-like to parry and thrust. Other times it has more nearly resembled a broad sword. There was, for example, the case of the man who appeared to accept all men as brethren, no matter how far their departures from Bible truth. The man undertook to chastise Brother Goodpasture along with several others, living and dead. The writer, noted for his prolixity, if not for his profound knowledge, was wont to “draw out the thread of his verbosity finer than the staple of his argument.” In the Advocate dated September 26, 1966, Brother Goodpasture wrote, “The garrulous editor . . . in several recent issues of his talkative sheet has had some things to say about the editor of the Advocate which are not exactly complimentary. . . . Of the princely and indomitable N. B. Hardeman he said, ‘I am sorry I cannot say that I ever had too high a regard for (him).’ Of the gifted and versatile G. C. Brewer he wrote, ‘His influence in the church has been limited. . . . He lacked diplomacy and finesse, being too proud and stubborn to play the game.'” This estimate had been written some years before and now the writer affirms, “Were I to write my opinions of these persons today I would honestly make little change.” The bombast concluded with the words, “I believe I know our brotherhood.” At this point Brother Goodpasture wrote, “This reminds us of Cicero, the Roman statesman, orator and author, who said: `When I write on philosophical subjects, and lay my writings aside, and later have occasion to refer to them, I can scarcely believe that Cicero wrote them-they sound so philosophical.”
In the July 27, 1967, issue of the Advocate this remarkable man wrote,
“The Roman lyric poet, Horace, says: `Even the noble Homer sometimes nods.’ Homer is justly renowned as one of the three greatest epic poets of all time. He was not appreciated while living, but long since he has been app praised the noblest of the Grecian poets. Seven cities strive for Homer dead, Where Homer, living, begged his bread.
“But despite his ability and greatness, Homer was not always at his best. He sometimes slipped.
“Almost all, if not all, the great literary men from blind Homer until the present time have `nodded.’ Samuel Johnson, the author of the first English dictionary worthy of the name, defines ‘pastern’ as ‘the knee of a horse.’ This led a lady to ask him how the ‘slip’ was made. Johnson’s immediate reply is truly historic: ‘Ignorance, madam; pure ignorance.’ But Johnson does not ‘nod’ alone. He has plenty of company. Keats, in his poem, ‘On First Looking Into Chapman’s Homer,’ compares his joyous feelings, on first seeing Chapman’s edition of Homer, to those of ‘stout Cortez when with eagle eyes he stared at the Pacific.’ Well as every schoolboy should know it was Balboa, and not Cortez, who first stared on the peaceful Pacific.”
With reference to slips relating to the Scriptures Brother Goodpasture wrote,
“In his renowned Commentary, Adam Clarke says, speaking of Naaman, the Syrian: ‘He is not mentioned by Josephus, nor has he any reference to this history, which is very strange.’ Whereas, Josephus really says: ‘And when they sought to kill Ahab alone, but could not find him, there was a young nobleman belonging to King Benhadad, whose name was Naaman: he drew his bow against the enemy, and wounded the king through his breastplate, in the lungs.’
“In his debate with Robert Owen, Alexander Campbell says, speaking of the unholy bargain of Judas: ‘He, therefore, covenanted for thirty pieces of silver, the sum for which Joseph was sold into Egypt, to deliver into the custody of the Sanhedrin the person of Jesus.’ Joseph was sold for twenty, not thirty, pieces of silver. The ‘Sage of Bethany’ nods at this point.”
Some time ago this scribe had occasion to mention to Brother Goodpasture how much he had enjoyed reading this particular editorial-perhaps because he had engaged in considerable nodding himself. Brother Goodpasture then told of a book written by one of our brethren in which the author mentions that great work, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire written, he said, by Cardinal Gibbons.
A stinging editorial appeared in the issue of July 24, 1969, in response to a preacher’s announcement that he refused to preach on a controversial subject. The editorial was concluded with these words: “The plan of salvation, the conditions of salvation from past or alien sins, could not be discussed; because they are items frequently in controversy. The future reward of the faithful, the glorious things of the after life could not be mentioned. They, too, are controversial. The great ethical and moral principles of the Sermon on the Mount would be passed over in silence for they, too, many times have brought divisions among men, they have brought not peace but a sword.”
We have singled out only a few statements of a man whose memorable writing and preaching will live. And now, thanks be to God, “We know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 252,253
B. C. Goodpasture as I Remember Him
by J. Noel Merideth
The late B. C. Goodpasture was a towering figure in the history of the church and the Restoration Movement in the South and around the world. Born and reared in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains; he was educated in subscription schools and the old Nashville Bible School, now David Lipscomb College. In his life he influenced and touched deeply the lives of thousands of persons. In death he is honored by many who mourn his passing as the falling of a great “pillar” in the church. Brother Goodpasture is remembered and loved by many. So many knew him and had dealings with him in so many different ways as he was a man of many talents and interests. Many will tell of conversations, dealings, and anecdotes about him for years to come and all will remember him in their own special way.
Gospel Preacher
We remember Brother Goodpasture as a faithful gospel preacher. He preached the gospel for sixty-four years, preaching his first sermon at the age of seventeen. Having heard him preach in his later years, we found his sermons were scriptural, timely and well illustrated. He preached from the heart, without notes, and with power, the unsearchable riches of Christ. Brother Goodpasture, like the apostles, preached not himself, but Christ. He gloried in the cross, he hid behind the cross. He believed that “The sound preacher is one who does not deviate from the `pattern of sound words.’ He must be sound in motive. His motives must not be selfish and sinister. He must be sound in conduct. He must be sound in teaching. He must speak `the things which befit the sound doctrine.'” Brother Goodpasture felt that “God never intended that men should preach doubts.” He felt that preachers should “preach the word,” pleasing not men but God. His sermons on the “Inspiration of the Bible” and Bible characters linger in our minds. The sermons he preached and the anecdotes he told will be appreciated more and remembered longer than anyone else we have known.
Example of Love
In his devotion to God and his personal dealings with others, Brother Goodpasture displayed his great love. He was that “friend” that “loveth at all times.” Though older and wiser than those of us who were younger preachers, he was always patient and kind to us. His encouragements to preach and write often turned our disappointments into renewed zeal and determined effort. His, “Give an account of yourself,” or “What is going on?”, or “How are things in the church where you are?”, were followed by engaging conversations and usually concluded with a cheerful note and a gift of a pen, or calendar, or measuring cup for the wife, or a rare book which he had saved for you. Children liked to ease up to him and looked with eyes of wonder as he would pull from his pockets some candy or small toy. It was that he cared for you and was kind. Solomon said, “That which maketh a man to be desired is his kindness.” Brother Goodpasture’s monetary gifts to those in need went unnoticed; he did not sound the trumpet when he gave alms. For his compassion to stricken men he looked to God for his reward.
A Man of Books and a Paper
One of the ways which Brother Goodpasture will obviously be remembered is his editorship of the Gospel Advocate for thirty-eight years. He held a steady course for the paper in troublesome times, veering neither to the right nor to the left. We are grateful for the fact that he was willing to run our articles. He said, “make it accurate” and “loyalty is very important.” His policy for the Advocate was: To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. To advocate no claims of any party but to present the teachings of Christ and the Holy Spirit in the perfection and fullness of all their parts. To give the readers what they needed rather than merely what they wanted. To preach the word without compromise, or fear, or favor, and to defend it and the Lord’s church against all assaults from within and from without. To do everything with the most kindly feelings toward all men, and in the spirit of love and meekness.
Brother Goodpasture was an amazing man with books. His personal library consisted of over 10,000 volumes. He had a book collector’s routine. He would carefully examine a volume, look at the spine, glance at the title pages, and leaf through the contents. He “had very little lost motion, or loose talk.” He helped many of us select good books and find rare books that we could not locate. He often admonished us to buy and use good solid books. He would tell about a certain passage in a book and would usually quote it from memory. We have precious memories of his turning the pages of some biography or scholarly work and give his timely comments upon them. He taught us to read systematically, closely, thoughtfully, analyzing the subject as we go along, and laying up what we read carefully and safely in our memory. He would quote Bacon that “Some books are to be tasted; others swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”
But now our editor has laid down his pen and proofed our last articles. He has fought his last battle in this world, he has finished the course, and we believe he kept the faith. Farewell, Brother Goodpasture, until we meet again beyond the river of death.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 253,254
B. C. Goodpasture
by Hugh Fulford
B. C. Goodpasture, a tower of spiritual strength in the brotherhood, has gone home to be with the Lord whom he served so long and so well. He suffered a stroke in the driveway of his home in Nashville on Thursday afternoon, February 17, and died in Baptist Hospital in Nashville on Friday, February 18, around 8:30 A.M. Had he lived until April 9 of this year he would have been 82 years of age.
It is hard to realize that Brother Goodpasture is gone. Many of us had visited with him and heard him speak at the Freed-Hardeman College lectures just the week before his death. In fact, the last sermon he ever preached was the one he delivered in the chapel service on Tuesday morning, February 8, at the Freed-Hardeman lectures. Fittingly enough, that last sermon was a powerful presentation based on Paul’s charge to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1-5 to “preach the word.”
In the passing of Brother Goodpasture I have lost a real friend. Over the years he has been exceedingly kind to me in my efforts to serve the Lord. In 1973 he extended to me an invitation to become a staff writer for the Gospel Advocate. Through l writing for this great publication, and through Brother Goodpasture’s personal encouragement for me to write, my work for Christ has been greatly enlarged. I am indebted to him for that.
One month to the date before his death, a group of us gathered in Nashville on the campus of David Lipscomb College to celebrate the one hundred twenty-second anniversary of the Gospel Advocate. Brother Goodpasture had asked me to speak at the anniversary dinner, and I had been honored to do so. Little did we know at the time that that would be his last Advocate dinner ̶ that exactly one month later he would slip away from us.
Brother Goodpasture, from 1918 to 1920, was the first full-time minister of the Main Street church of Christ (now Fairlane) in Shelbyville, Tennessee. This was his first full-time work. When Paul Matthews, who had served the Fairlane church for twelve years, passed away in 1975 and the elders were seeking a minister, it was my good fortune that Brother Goodpasture recommended me to the elders. I am happily serving the Fairlane church today largely due to the recommendation of B. C. Goodpasture.
Last October when the Fairlane church celebrated her “Homecoming,” Brother Goodpasture was with us as the featured speaker and preached a masterful sermon on “Heaven.” At that time we, presented him with a plaque in tribute to his great contributions to the cause of Christ over the years. His presence with us on the third Sunday in October was his sixty-fourth anniversary as a gospel preacher. I am so glad we honored him as we did ,on that occasion, because now he is gone from us. However, through the eye of faith we believe he is enjoying a Homecoming with the Lord and with the redeemed of the ages. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them.” (Rev. 14:13.)
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 254,255
What B. C. Goodpasture Meant to Me
by T. B. Underwood, Jr.
When I came to the Advocate, Brother Goodpasture welcomed me into the Advocate family, and from him I learned many things, but perhaps that which stands out most clearly from daily association with him is this. He spoke sparingly. His philosophy, as he stated it to me, was, “As long as you do not speak you control your words, but when you speak your words control you.” He did not need to speak for others to be aware of his presence, for his erect, stately carriage of himself spoke eloquently.
Those of us who were daily associated with him at the Advocate office deeply feel the great loss. The “Sage of Nashville” rests from his labors. In thinking of what B. C. Goodpasture meant to me, these things come to mind. He was strong without the outward show of power. He was humble without pretense of piety. He was generous without expecting applause from men. He was a Christian gentleman without the open show of his Christianity.
A great and faithful servant of God has gone from the earth. His memory and works will continue to live.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 255
B. C. Goodpasture
by Fred E. Dennis
When I opened up the Advocate yesterday the first thing that drew my attention was the death notice of B. C. Goodpasture. “It is appointed unto men once to die.” “Man born of woman is but of a few days.” It brought a tinge of sadness to my heart.
I am just a few months older than Brother Goodpasture. I was born June 20, 1894, and he was born April 9, 1895. When he became editor of the Gospel Advocate in 1939 he asked me to be a staff writer. This I did for twenty years. While on the staff I wrote more than four hundred articles, and since then an occasional article.
I was never intimately associated with Brother Goodpasture. I heard him preach a time or two. We are here for a little while between two eternities. May God help us all to strive to enter into the rest that is prepared for the faithful.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 255
How Are the Mighty Fallen!
by James M. Benson
Truly B. C. Goodpasture was a prince among preachers, a champion of the right, a fearless foe of Satan, an able proclaimer of God’s marvelous grace in the gospel plan of salvation. Well may we exclaim with David, “There is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel.” (2 Sam. 3:38.) It can be truly said of him that “wherever he sat was the head of the table.” Again, “there were giants in those days!” With a brilliant mind and a dedicated heart, he was a scholar of the first rank. We shall not soon see his like again. But with J. Roy Vaughan in the editor’s chair there will not be even a ripple in the Advocate‘s battle line for truth and righteousness. For over forty years I have known him to be as sound and solid as the rock of eternal truth.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 255
An Epitome of B. C. Goodpasture
by Foy E. Wallace, Jr.
A conscientious Christian; a genteel gentleman; a versatile scholar; a prince of preachers; a worthy writer; a firm friend; a faithful father; an honored husband; an efficient elder — and an erudite editor. We shall all miss him.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX, Number 17, April 28, 1977 page 258,264
B. C. Goodpasture
by Dabney Phillips
I was a young college boy when B. C. Goodpasture assumed the editorship of the Gospel Advocate. He ably steered the “Old Reliable” through the tempestuous seas of legalism and liberalism. E. A. Elam’s words at the funeral of David Lipscomb apply to the late Advocate editor, “His courage reminded one of Elijah, his loyalty to that of David, and his walking with God to that of Enoch.” J. S. Shouse commented at the funeral service for J. W. McGarvey, “So self-poised was his life, so serene in its trustfulness and devotion, so high-toned in its ideals of conduct and thought that one drew an inspiration from the very presence of the man.” Those words equally apply to Brother Goodpasture. This multi-talented preacher possessed the lofty dignity of Alexander Campbell, the tenderness of T. B. Larimore, the bold thrusts of James A. Harding, the rustic humor of “Raccoon” John Smith and the sage wisdom of David Lipscomb. His encouragement motivated me to study and to write in the field of Restorationism. We shall not likely see his kind again soon.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX, Number 17, April 28, 1977 page 258,264
by Alvin S. Simmons, Sr.
The black Christians across the nation have lost a great friend in the death of Brother Goodpasture.
Brother Goodpasture encouraged every preacher, every school, every good work he knew of among my brethren. We loved him most for his love and support of the late Marshall Keeble and the Nashville Christian Institute.
I loved him for the advice and the support given me in my efforts to establish the Marshall Keeble Christian Institute.
To the bereaved family of Brother Goodpasture, and Christian friends everywhere, may this prayer comfort your hearts:
Our Father; our help in ages past, our strength today, our hope in time to come, teach us to say, “Thy will be done.” Grant us the spiritual strength to accept. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX, Number 17, April 28, 1977 page 258,264
by Dove Wilson
On December 27, 1967, I arrived in Nashville. I needed employment in order to make it possible for me to attend the Nashville School of Preaching. I went directly to the Gospel Advocate Bookstore. It was a momentous day and I shall not forget my first meeting with B. C. Goodpasture.
The Gospel Advocate family will never be the same again this side of eternity. Everyone knew when he arrived each morning. Regardless of the weather, he would say, “Good morning, a beautiful day!” When anyone in the office was ill, he constantly inquired as to their progress. Many times he came to their aid financially.
The tears which freely flowed on the morning of his death were for a man who cannot be replaced in our hearts. We lost a dear friend.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX, Number 17, April 28, 1977 page 258,264
by T. W. Phillips II
I esteemed, appreciated and loved B. C. Goodpasture.
Though we did not see each other often, we did have some wonderful experiences together.
Brother Goodpasture moderated for me in a debate in 1930 at Savannah, Georgia, on instrumental music with David Kyndall of the Christian Church in that city. He was of great help to me in that debate.
Kyndall offered me $500 if I could show one scripture that told of the church singing without the instrument. Brother Goodpasture suggested I use Hebrews 13:15, which I did. It had been thirty-six years since I had seen him when I visited the Advocate office. Upon seeing me he said, “Hello, Brother Phillips, did Kyndall ever send you that $500?”
When he conducted a meeting in Detroit when I was minister for the Dearborn church, I drove him over the city looking for old and used books. He knew their value.
I am thankful for my association with him and feel my life has been made better by that association.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX, Number 17, April 28, 1977 page 258,264
by Frank L. Cox
Like thousands of people in our nation and in other nations, I grieved the departure of our beloved Brother Goodpasture. But we should not grieve too deeply: for our loss is his gain! It is written, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them.” Brother Goodpasture, who worked so hard over the years, is now at rest. Like the apostle Paul, he fought the good fight, he finished the course, he kept the faith. Now, I truly believe that he has been lifted to a land of a higher level where joy is unmixed with sorrow.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX, Number 17, April 28, 1977 page 258,264
B. C. Goodpasture
by D. Ellis Walker
In a lifetime it is a rare thing to hear a man receive and deserve the manifold praise that was heaped upon B. C. Goodpasture. From the first time I met him as a young man in his early thirties until he left us I recognized that he was a man among men.
His poise, his continual presence of mind, his grace and tactfulness were developed to a degree that he became a model for us to follow.
He had the ability to hold the friendship and confidence of brethren who did not always love one another. Each knew that he would be treated fairly, with kindness and impartiality.
His magnanimity and graciousness toward his critics were healing factors in our brotherhood and contributed to peace among us.
He seemed to possess the attributes of a Christian to the point of surpassing excellence and that is why we loved him and gladly worked with him.
I will miss B. C. Goodpasture as I missed my friend and teacher, H. Leo Boles, when he passed away. His passing, like the falling of a gigantic oak, has left a great empty space among us.
— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX, Number 17, April 28, 1977 page 259, 260
All the information above is from https://www.therestorationmovement.com/goodpasture,bc.htm (via the Internet Archive)
THIS I REMEMBER ABOUT B.C. GOODPASTURE
Rex A. Turner
This issue of Sound Doctrine is dedicated to the memory of the late B.C. Goodpasture, who was the editor of the Gospel Advocate for a period of thirty-eight years. During those years he often included in the columns of the Advocate articles entitled, “This I Remember.” Some of those articles were historical, some were novel, and some were humorous.
My understanding is that his widow, Mrs. Freddie Goodpasture, purposes to compose a book of the best of B.C. Goodpasture’s writings; and without doubt, she will include many, or perhaps all, of his, “This I Remember,” articles and/or editorials. In the meantime, this scribe would like to leave on record for those of this generation, and also for those who may come on the scene of action in later generations, a personal record of some things I remember about B.C. Goodpasture.
I remember my first meeting with B.C. Goodpasture. The occasion was in the home of the late Gus Nichols. Goodpasture was in a meeting with the church in Jasper, Alabama. He was then in his early forties, and I was in my early twenties. I had heard the late John T. Lewis speak quite favorably of him, and I was not disappointed. Goodpasture was tall, handsome, and dignified. He was gentle in manner, alert, and quite friendly. As a timid country boy-preacher, I never could have imagined the many associations and periods of fellowship that I would be privileged to have with that man over the next four decades.
I remember my second meeting with B.C. Goodpasture – a meeting in his home in Atlanta, Georgia. The time was the fall of 1938, and Foy E. Wallace, Jr. was in a meeting with the Highland Church in Montgomery. He expressed a desire to go to Atlanta to visit Goodpasture, and thus the late Howard L. Foshee and his wife Della drove him to Atlanta. I was invited to go along. My! what a trip that was. There I saw Goodpasture’s tremendous library as well as a building stocked full of used religious books. Wallace said to Goodpasture: “B.C., Rex is your next door neighbor. You would not object to your selling him books on the credit, would you?” Goodpasture replied affirmatively, but all the while I was thinking, “next door neighbors,” and I was more than two hundred miles away from Corner, my home community. I had experienced a certain anxiety all day, for I was the farther most distance away from Corner that I had ever been. I had hardly gotten adjusted to my living in Montgomery — a distance of 130 miles from Corner. Anyway, for the next hour or more Wallace and Goodpasture laid out choice books which I should have in my library. From their conversation and comments on that one occasion, I learned a great deal about books, particularly books of the pioneer preachers. The books which they laid out for me included a fifty-two volume set of The Pulpit Commentary for the price of $20.00, if my memory serves me well.
As we hurriedly left Atlanta for Montgomery in order to arrive on time for the evening service, my mind dwelt delightfully on the books which I had been privileged to purchase on credit. I owed Goodpasture $115.00, which debt I was to pay at the rate of $5.00 per month. That purchase of books made the difference for me. Those books are still a vital part of my library. They are the very books that every preacher, young or old, needs to have in his library. From that day forward I began in earnest to build a library, and I am continuing to do so even until this day. My trip to Atlanta was a red-letter day. Goodpasture knew books. He loved books. He read them, and he retained what he read. He was perhaps the most widely read person, in over-all phases and fields of history and literature, with whom I have ever been associated.
I remember the great assistance which B. C. Goodpasture gave me in the early years of Alabama Christian College which institution opened on September 14, 1942. Those years were hard and discouraging. The school had no standing in any circles, whether academic circles or brotherhood circles. In quest for funds for the operation of the school, I drove to Tennessee often in those years, and particularly to Nashville. I was able to raise far more money in Tennessee than I could commence to raise in Alabama. On each trip to Nashville, I would call on B. C. Goodpasture for suggestions relative to Christian businessmen who might be persuaded to make financial donations to the school.
Time and again B. C. Goodpasture directed me to numerous brethren-which grew in time to be a long list of them. He always attended our fund-raising meetings and/or dinners. He took occasion every time to speak in behalf of the school, and he always made a financial donation to it. He encouraged the late J. L. Perry, Sr. to accept a position on the Board of Directors of the College. In turn, and over a period of years, J. L. Perry, Sr. contributed thousands of dollars to the College. Goodpasture’s wife, Cleveland Cliett Goodpasture, was a close friend of a great and wonderful woman, Lillie Armstrong Burton; and through that avenue, as well as others, Sister Burton became interested in the College. On two different occasions Sister Burton saved Alabama Christian College from financial bankruptcy. On each of those occasions, as well as other times, she donated $25,000.00 or more. Such sums added up to a lot of money in those days. Sister Burton’s husband, the late A. M. Burton, also contributed from time to time, and the contributions of that couple to Alabama Christian College over a period of years ran into a great and generous sum of money. No one can really know my fear and trepidation as I walked the streets of Nashville in those days in an effort to solicit money for Alabama Christian College. I was from a limited social background-country people, in fact. I had no measure of self-confidence, no flare for salesmanship, and no prestigious cause to offer. I was a low-key representative for the College.
My only redeeming characteristic was that I did persevere in the task at hand. I shudder to think what my task would have been like if I had not been so favored by B. C. Goodpasture. There was no selfish purpose or reason why B. C. Goodpasture should have been so kind and considerate of me in those days. I was not on his level in any respect-academically, socially, or religiously, except that he and I were brethren in Christ. The fact is that I was an underdog college president, and B. C. Goodpasture always held a place in his heart for the struggling underdog. Only eternity can reveal what B. C. Goodpasture meant to Alabama Christian College. If ever there was a man who was a friend and supporter of all the Christian schools and colleges, Goodpasture was the man.
I remember B. C. Goodpasture’s appearance, time and again, on the College’s annual lecture programs. He never turned down an invitation to appear on the program unless he already had a prior engagement. His lectures were always par-excellent, and his presence on the program lent much prestige to the lectureship. He paid his own expenses to appear on the program; and as a matter of record, in those years he never billed Alabama Christian College for a single advertisement which was run on the pages of the Gospel Advocate.
I remember B. C. Goodpasture’s invitation for me to join the staff of the Gospel Advocate. Goodpasture called me long distance to extend the invitation. The date was November, 1953 twenty-four years ago, as a matter of fact. I was very honored to be a staff writer for the Gospel Advocate.
I remember the counseling words of B. C. Goodpasture sometime after the death of his beloved wife, Cleveland Cliett Goodpasture. The occasion was an “honors program” at David Lipscomb College. E. H. Ijams was the speaker. Goodpasture chose to sit at a table by the side of me and the now deceased L. R. Wilson. He said to us among other things: “Brethren, you cannot know, except by actual experience, the grief and sorrow and loneliness which one undergoes in the loss of a companion.” He then entered upon a eulogy of his late wife, and he concluded by saying: “Take every occasion to tell your wives that you love them and appreciate them.” I had been in the Goodpasture home enough to know that he had practiced well what he was preaching to us. He and his wife Cleveland had been a model husband and wife couple.
I remember the night I spent in the Goodpasture home after Goodpasture was married to Sister Freddie Goodpasture. The occasion was an annual dinner sponsored by the Goodpasture Christian School in honor of Goodpasture. Bill Ruhl had invited me to be the after-dinner speaker. The school’s dining room was filled to capacity. There were present several from Atlanta, and they also spent the night in the Goodpasture home. Goodpasture was very enthused that night. He seemed to have enjoyed some of my jokes, but more than the dinner and my speech, he was enthused over the progress of the Goodpasture Christian School. That school was an apple-of-the-eye to him to the day he died. The Goodpasture Christian School is a high-level, viable institution, both spiritually and academically.
I remember Goodpasture’s invitation for me to write the Teachers’ Annual Lesson Commentary. I was in the Advocate office by chance, in the fall of 1973, and J. Roy Vaughan called me into his office. He related to me how that Goodpasture had discussed with him in the matter of inviting me to edit the Commentary. Though Goodpasture was out of his office at that moment, Vaughan said that I should not leave until Goodpasture returned. Goodpasture had invited me to write the Commentary some years before, but I was compelled to decline as a result of my already heavy work-load. Anyway, the invitation was a real boon to me. I had just been terminated at Alabama Christian College – after thirty-one years – and I really felt that there was little place for me to make a significant contribution to the kingdom. Goodpasture was a great source of comfort and strength to me in those disappointing days, as well as in the even more sorrowful days which followed.
I remember the love and sympathy which the Goodpastures showed me and my wife during the illness and death of our daughter, Jacqulin (Jackie) Long. My wife and I will never forget their long distance calls to Atlanta during her illness. They both talked from separate receivers, and they let us know that their hearts were bleeding with ours.
I remember our first meeting with the Goodpastures after Jackie’s death. They were in Montgomery for the annual lecture program of the College. Opal and I called from Atlanta to inform them that we would be returning to Montgomery late on Thursday night, and we requested that they have breakfast with us at the Holiday Inn the next morning. We will never forget how that wonderful couple stood with tears in their eyes as we entered the dining room. During that breakfast period B. C. Goodpasture related that someone has said-he may have given the name of the person, I am not sure- “The purest earthly love is the love a father has for a daughter. He has ambition for his son, and passion for his wife; but for a daughter, he has nothing but the purest of thoughts.” Some people are so concerned with their own personal welfare that they do not know how to sympathize with or hold empathy for others, but such was not the case with the Goodpastures. One great characteristic of Goodpasture was his being sensitive to and responsive to the welfare and needs of others.
(If anyone should know the author and the exact words of the above quote, I shall be very grateful for the information.)
I remember the funeral of the late B. C. Goodpasture. It was a sad occasion, and it was a joyous occasion. A great warrior had gone to his happy hunting ground. I was honored to have a part in the funeral service.
These personal matters I have related in order that the readers of Sound Doctrine may have a knowledge of the measure of B. C. Goodpasture. He was a man of sterling character, a man of abiding faith, and a man of untiring scholarship. True, he was a man, and there is no absolute perfection in any mere man, but he was a man who stood tall among men. Hopefully, young men will be moved by his example.
̶ Sound Doctrine, July /August 1977 Volume 2 Number 3, Page 2,3
Source: http://www.therestorationmovement.com/goodp,bio2.htm (via the Internet Archive)