My community is about to

lose a valuable treasure, a capable leader, and a

wonderful man.

When Dr. Harold Allen came

to Peachtree City, Ga., in 1986, he knew that First

Baptist Church might be the last congregation that he

would pastor. By the time 1999 would finally roll around,

he would celebrate 48 years of ministry since his

ordination at First Southern Baptist Church in Cairo,

Ill. He would go from there to serve four congregations

in Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee and Georgia.

A native of Tennessee, Dr.

Allen would graduate from Southern Illinois University

and Southern Seminary. He would serve the Southern

Baptist Convention in a number of denominational

capacities including the executive board and the

education committee in Illinois; the executive board and

the administrative committee in Tennessee; and, in

Georgia, would be active in the Fairburn Association, and

serve as chairman of the credentials committee. He would

also serve as a trustee of Belmont College and as a

trustee of Baptist Health Care.

But that is not what has

impressed me about Harold Allen. It is the man, not his

accomplishments, that have profoundly affected me. Soon

after his arrival in Peachtree City, the local Assemblies

of God congregation suffered a fire in their sanctuary on

a Saturday night. On Sunday morning, Dr. Allen shared the

situation with the good folks at First Baptist Church.

Before the service was ended, First Baptist Church had

collected several thousands of dollars to assist the

small Pentecostal congregation during their difficult

days that would lie ahead. While this same church was

without a building, Dr. Allen made the facilities of the

church available for special events. Quite a number of

Pentecostals went under the water in the First Baptist

baptismal pool.

Under his leadership, First

Baptist of Peachtree City, already a strong congregation,

grew and prospered. The church built a new sanctuary,

acquired additional property, and added hundreds and

hundreds of new members. His warmth would draw a number

of people not accustomed to feeling comfortable in

Southern churches, including Asians and racially-mixed

married couples. In a risky move for a Baptist, he would

ordain a woman to the ministry so that she could take her

place as a military chaplain. When one new Southern

Baptist church wanted to start in his town, then another,

Dr. Allen, rather than circling the wagons and resisting

the new congregations, openly welcomed and embraced the

new works. He served as an encourager and as an example.

Harold Allen was also a

regular fixture at the weekly minister's breakfasts on

Wednesday mornings for all of his thirteen years.

Although he was the senior pastor of one of the oldest

and largest churches in the community, he never made any

of the other ministers feel anything other than

comfortable and accepted. He sought advice from even the

youngest in the group and was uplifting and encouraging

to ministers who were facing difficulty in their

congregations or their personal lives. Often, in the

parking lot of the restaurant, he would be seen praying

with another pastor who needed an elder brother at that

moment. Each year, he would proclaim the Word of God at

pulpits throughout the community during the annual Good

Friday services. During these gatherings, he was equally

at ease in his own pulpit as he was behind the lectern at

the Roman Catholic Church. Harold Allen was a dedicated

Southern Baptist, but, above this, he was a devout

Christian man. He could listen with grace to opposing

views but would always insist that the person on the

other side of the issue be able to defend his position

with "chapter and verse."

He was a pastor who held to

the fundamentals of the faith without being a

fundamentalist and a man who would value "right

conduct" without being a legalist.

Now, he has stepped aside,

handling the torch to another capable, caring pastor.

Soon, Dr. Allen will be leaving the area and returning to

Tennessee where he and his wife, Nancy, will live near

one of their sons, David, a physician. The other son,

Stephen, following his father's footsteps, is a

missionary in Benin, Africa.

I will miss Harold Allen. I

have enjoyed hearing his stories, receiving the benefit

of his experience and wisdom, enjoying his warm,

easygoing manner, and being encouraged by his life.

Harold Allen has demonstrated that, in these days of

difficulty and temptation, it is possible to run the race

successfully and to finish well. It is hard to imagine

the Wednesday morning gathering without Harold Allen

flashing that boyish grin and welcoming you as though you

were the only person on the planet. I will miss his easy

laugh, the eyes that always seem to twinkle, and the warm

dignity that he always adds to such occasions.

I don't know if, in the

grand scheme of things, Harold Allen would be considered

a great man. But this I do know: he is a good man and he

is an honorable man. I have been enriched by his

influence in my life and encouraged, by his example, to

be a better man and a better pastor. I will greatly miss

him.

[Father David Epps is

rector of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church.

He may be contacted online at [email protected] or at P. O. Box 2192, Peachtree

City, GA 30269.]