Expository Preaching Blog #14 – “Pastor Bill Park”

I have never done this before and I probably never will again but today I must. I will give my blog over to speak about a dear friend of mine who entered heaven last night after a short illness. Pastor Bill Park has been a friend of mine, my pastor, colleague, teacher, missions leader for many year years now. I first met him 40 years ago. My first pastorate was 15 miles from his church at the time, High Point Baptist Chapel. After resigning my first pastorate we attended his church in Geigertown, PA for about 15 months before we moved on to our next ministry in NY State. We felt at home at High Point there like no other church I have attended since starting in pastoral ministry. He was a father to me in ministry like I never had with my own father. My own father had died on the mission field 13 years earlier. My father’s death was one of the biggest losses in my life.

Pastor Bill left this life as I was writing the first draft of this blog. My heart is breaking and aching for his family. Pastor Bill was a great Bible teacher and a true expository preacher. He was a great example of expository preaching. That is why I have included this in this blog. He was sound in doctrine with every breath. He had two earned doctorates which wasn’t widely known. He never wanted to be known as or called Dr. Bill Park. He was a humble man. He was a godly husband to Betty Jean and godly father to his children. He was never showy. He would often be in flannel shirt in his church office. He led a Christian school, year round Christian camp, a Christian children’s home as well as the church. He taught in two Bible colleges and seminaries. Made countless mission trips sometimes for months at a time. I know he had a dream to build a Christian retirement village on the church campus. I don’t know if that ever came to pass of not. He was a true visionary.

When I went to Olean, NY his church took us on for financial support to help with a church rescue. When I told him of the church, he simply said, “David, tell me what you need!” A team from his church came up for a week to help us remodel the lower floor of our 1928 church building. He later attended my ordination counsel and preached at my ordination service. His door and heart was always open to me. He treated me a fellow pastor not a young kid in ministry still wet behind his ears. (Which I was!) The last time I heard him preach was at a GARBC annual conference in 2012 in Clarks Summit, PA. I still remember a number of his sermons. I remember when he illustrated “the tongue” in a series from the Book of James, with an actual cow tongue in a cake pan. He passed it around the congregation of 750 people while he preached. He wanted to make a point and he made it.

He could have a national and international known celebrity preacher. He was nationally and internationally known but never sought any accolades. I witnessed him exercise Biblical church discipline. I also witnessed him practice restoration to that same person’s family and church family. High Point Baptist Chapel had an attendance of 750 people on a Sunday morning. That was amazing because the town of Geigertown had only about 350 people. He never sought to build a mega church. Instead he led in planting many new churches in the area around Reading, PA which was the main population center for that area.

There was Bible basis and balance to all of his life and ministry. My words here are just a small fraction of his life. I just wanted to give honor where honor is due as he hears those words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord!” I can’t imagine the number of treasures he has laid up in heaven but I know there are many. Our loss is truly heaven’s gain!

 

Rev. David Johnson

Former Pastor

First Baptist Church of Austin, MN