Every pastor's prayer is

that God will bless him with faithful men who surround

him and assist him. Not that faithful women aren't

important ... the Church couldn't function without its

dedicated ladies. But most churches are fortunate to have

a multitude of faithful females. The Church, like the

Marine Corps, is always in the hunt for a "few good

men."

Tony McGee of Peachtree

City is just such a faithful man. I first met Tony some

16 years ago when he and his wife wandered into my

office. I liked this couple immediately. Early in his

youth, Tony had enlisted in the United States Navy and

had served his country in Vietnam.

A son of Moultrie, Ga., he

was aboard the USS Forrestal, America's first "super

carrier," when a rocket exploded on July 29, 1967,

killing 134 men and destroying 21 aircraft and damaging

43 others in a blazing inferno. The cost to repair the

carrier was over $72,000,000. Tony survived the disaster

and the war. While in the navy, he would meet his wife,

Jeannie, and together they would bring three fine sons

into the world.

Soon after we met, I

listened with rapt attention as Tony shared how he, as is

often the case for many young men in the military, had

become an alcoholic. There were several difficult years

for the McGee family until, one miraculous day, Tony was

instantly delivered of his alcoholism during a service of

Holy Communion in the Episcopal Church ... while

partaking of the communion wine! God was faithful to Tony

and, ever since that day, Tony McGee has been a faithful

man of God.

For the 16 years that I

have known Tony, he has been consistently faithful in his

attendance at services of worship. If the church doors

are open, day or night, Tony is there. If he is missing,

it is either because he is at work, out of town, or ill.

These days, Tony's job

requires him to arise each morning at 4 a.m. Yet, each

Thursday evening, the home Bible study that meets in

Sharpsburg can count on Tony's presence. Often, the study

runs until 9 p.m., causing Tony to be in bed much later

than he would like. But he doesn't miss. Not without good

cause anyway. It's just not his way.

Over the years, Tony has

served as an usher, a church board member, a member of

several committees, and just about anywhere else he has

been asked to serve. When his church needed roof repair,

Tony was on the roof. When the church building burned, he

was among the first to arrive and begin to clean up the

mess.

When Tony was out of work

for an extended period of time a few years ago, he was

more troubled by the fact that he couldn't tithe than he

was by the reality of unemployment. In fact, Tony

calculated how many hours he could donate in janitorial

services that would be the equivalent of his weekly

offerings and, for months, washed windows, cleaned

bathrooms, vacuumed carpets, swept walkways, and emptied

trash.

For some, the performance

of these menial tasks would have been demeaning, but for

a faithful man who lives his life for God, it was just

his "reasonable service," as the Apostle Paul

says. He wasn't unemployed long. Faithful men seldom are.

For me, Tony has been a

true friend, a confidant, and a person I could trust.

There has never been a day when I believed he would

abandon me or betray me. Such men are rare and pastors

cherish them as valuable treasures. Once, when the way

seemed hard and long, Tony came into my office and said,

"Pastor, if it were to ever get down to just 10

people in church, I want you to know that you can count

on me." I was touched.

But a week or so later, he

came back and apologized for his previous statement.

"I was wrong to say what I said," he shared.

"I want you to know that if it gets down to just you

and me, you can still count on me." This time, I was

moved.

These days, Tony continues

to serve in his quiet but significant ways. He hands out

bulletins on Sundays, after he has arrived early to open

the doors of the nursery, and will often rush to the

church to be part of the setup crew.

He greets people warmly

with that big bear of a grin as he extends the largest

hand of fellowship I have ever seen. I wear a size 15

ring and it is too small to fit on Tony's ring finger.

He is a man whose enormous

strength is masked by a gentle spirit and a quiet

confidence. As a trained Stephen Minister, he may be

called upon to listen to those in distress or those who

simply need a broad shoulder to cry on.

As a Eucharistic minister,

he takes Holy Eucharist to the sick in the hospitals and

to the shut-in in their homes. Every other Sunday or so,

he also takes the Communion across the street to the

nursery to serve the volunteer workers and the children

who receive the bread and the cup so reverently. He

serves as an altar assistant, as an acolyte, a crucifer,

a cup bearer, or wherever needed.

He may serve on the prayer

team that day, or perhaps he will help receive the

offering, or he may even bring the bread and wine to the

deacon, during the service of worship, as the Table of

the Lord is prepared.

He will adjust the

thermostat, will help pick up bulletins at the close of

the service that people have left behind, and, after

everyone else has left, he will return to the nursery to

lock up and reset the security system.

In all the years I have

known Tony McGee, I have never heard him complain, even

when there was probably much to complain about.

All the while, he has set a

wonderful example for his family to emulate. His wife,

Jeannie, is the church keyboardist and often assists in

the leading of worship. His eldest son, Scott, is married

to a United Methodist minister of youth; his middle son,

Sean, is a guitarist on the church worship team; and his

youngest son, Seth, is an acolyte and lector. All of the

four grandchildren are in church each Sunday.

Sometimes, younger pastors

will seek my advice about leadership in the congregation.

I can give them teachings, and scriptures and principles.

But if they are really serious about learning to be true

leaders, if they really want to know what it is to be a

man of God, my task is all too easy. I just point them to

Tony McGee.

Jesus said to his disciples

that, if they wanted to be considered great in the

Kingdom of God, they had to be the servants of all. By

that definition, Tony McGee is one of the greatest men I

have ever known.

May God bless all pastors

with faithful and devoted men. May all churches have a

rich supply of people like Tony McGee. And may God grant

me a hundred more just like him!

[David Epps

is a priest and founding rector of Christ the King Church

in Peachtree City. He is also a doctoral student at

Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry. He may be

contacted at [email protected] or at

www.ChristTheKingCEC.com.]