And then there were two . . .
And then there were two . . .
Trevecca Nazarene University has been blessed with exemplary presidents across its 110-year history. When I was elected, there were four living former presidents: Dr. William Greathouse, Dr. Mark Moore, Dr. Homer Adams, and Dr. Millard Reed. During my second year in office, Dr. Moore, my college president, died. Yesterday, Dr. William Greathouse died. Oddly, on the same day, Trevecca re-dedicated the Adams Administration Building and celebrated the life of Dr. Homer Adams. And Dr. Reed was moved from ICU to a regular hospital room following his recovery from surgery.
I am reminded how fragile life is—and how people carry inside themselves the history of places we love.
I’ve been reflecting on the life of William Greathouse and invite you to use this blog site as a collector for the stories you have. Feel free to add your stories in the comment box.
Dr. Greathouse was president of Nazarene Theological Seminary during my years as a student there. His rich, booming voice filled the chapel during community worship. I learned to lead congregational singing from him—not the arm-waving role but the role of the pastor as worshipper. Dr. G would rear his head back and sing the hymns from memory with great joy and expression. I’ve never seen a more authentic heart-head worship than he rendered to God in that small holy chapel.
I was privileged to serve as his teaching assistant/reader in the classes he taught on Wesley and Romans. The classes were so large that they were held in the chapel—and seemed like a worship experience. When we use the language of sitting at someone’s feet, I am taken to that room and sit again under Dr. G’s teaching. I credit his theological mentoring with changing my understanding about Nazarenes. I learned from him that we are not the small church on the wrong side of the tracks with a questionable theological pedigree, but, rather, we are the people of God standing the rich stream of the early church Fathers and the traditions of the Wesley brothers and Methodism. He gave me confidence in a Wesleyan interpretation of the Bible. Dr. G is inside my brain, and I couldn’t erase him if I tried. Nor would I want to.
When we graded papers, we would sit shoeless and sock-footed on his office floor and read the work of students. He would always want to know whether a student faring poorly in class was under any difficult situations—work schedule, finances, etc. While he demanded good thought, he cared about the students. In the spring before he was elected general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene, he made the comment one day that he was concerned about what might happen in Dallas that summer, site of the General Assembly where he was elected. I believe in the wisdom of the collective conscience of the church, but I still wish he had not been elected general superintendent. His footprint on generations of Nazarene leaders who passed through the Seminary was profound and would have been much larger had he been president during the remaining years of his life. He cast a large, protective umbrella for the professors of the Seminary, allowing them to do critical thinking in an atmosphere of trust. My model for what a Christian university should be is learned from him. The church has serious issues to address, and its universities and seminaries are the places most suited to plowing the ground.
I think I’ve read everything he has written. It is scholarly and pastoral. His preaching was more of a collection of Wesley quotes and Romans recitations than anything humanly concocted. In his dying days he was quoting large segments from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. In the fantastic language we use about heaven, I’m sure he made a beeline to Paul to discuss Romans.
Dr. Greathouse is my role model for lifelong learning. He had books in his brain that he never got on paper. His last commentary on Romans is a lasting gift. I shared with him a new resource on Romans, and he devoured it with comments within a week. The sin of so many pastors is to die from the brain down to the heart. Not so with Dr. G.
When elected president of Trevecca, I called two people to discuss whether this role could be done in this culture by someone with a distinct theological bent. I loved being a pastor and had never woken a morning in my life desiring to be a college president. Didn’t the college need a fund raiser and PR person and glad-handing sort of chap who could be the cheerleader of the university? “Nonsense,” he told me. “If they had wanted that, they would have found someone besides you. They are looking for trustworthy theological leadership that is not afraid of higher education.” So I said yes, because he sounded so much like the voice of God to me.
I owe this man so much. I love him dearly. I miss him already. He makes me want to be a better man.
15 Responses to “And then there were two . . .”
"Chris" Ethan Edsall
March 26th, 2011 at 2:17 am
I will never forget walking into the McClurkan Building and hearing a weird noise coming from the men’s restroom. I walked in and found Dr. Greathouse asleep on the couch before class. I will never forget not only the theological lessons that he taught in class, but also the life lessons that he taught me personally. I am truely a better person because of his influence in and on my life.
Douglas Sherwood
March 26th, 2011 at 10:50 am
First, thank you Dan, for such a timely and insightful blog, and for the update on our former presidents of TNC/TNU.
I, among many, many more, have had the privilege to read the writings of Dr. Greathouse, as well as sit in his classes through my academic pursuits. He has been very instrumental in shaping my thinking across those early years, as I prepared for ministry, and even today as I pastor the flock God has called me to. I cherish the words of encouragement that he extended, both verbally, and on the assignment that were returned to me.
He was a great man of God who had a tremendous impact on our denomination, our educational institutions, and churches across the years. He will be missed!
Andy Heller
March 27th, 2011 at 1:02 am
I was introduced to Dr.Greathouse by my pastor, Pastor Reynolds at First Church of the Nazarene in Jamestown, North Dakota. Pastor Reynolds shared with me that Dr.Greathouse was one of his professors when he attended TNU. He said that Dr.Greathouse had a great influence on his life and ministry. When I starting a reading program, Pastor Reynolds introduced me to a number of books written by Dr.Greathouse and I learned a great a great deal from them and came to like Dr.Greathouse through his writtings. I plan on getting his auto-biography. I just want to say one thing here. I was out of the church for many years. In 2009 Good Friday, I started attending and havent missed a Sunday since. I became a member and was baptized and I have really grown with the Lord. I’m more involved in church then ever in my life. I have learned so much from Pastor Reynolds who is a true minister and also from my church where I beleive is a true christian chuch. That church and Pastor Reynolds made a difference in my life and walk with the Lord. I am walking with the Lord! I’m not bragging, I’m just happy! I am so thankful for all of this!
I send my thoughts and prayers to Dr.Greathous’s family. I wish I could have met and talked to him and told of my testimony of the Lord and the church and about one of his students who is now my pastor and how my life has changed. I am thankful for Dr.Greathous’s books as I have been reading them. May God bless him and be with the family. Amen
Gary Lee Parker
March 27th, 2011 at 2:05 am
Thank you, Brother Dan. Unlike you, I ran from my call into pastoral ministry and did not have time in the 1970s sitting under Dr. Greathouse’s ministry. Yet, God allowed me to sit for a day under his ministry in the 1990s when they honored him as “guest” preacher. I will never forgot how he talked about the Wesleyan heritage of us Nazarenes, even though I call myself a Methodist-Nazarene now, and asking him after he was done talking with younger seminary students at the brown-bag lunch in the formal lounge. I remember introducing myself and asking him about his thoughts on the Jesus’ movement of the 1970s and I remember him saying something to the effect that he prayed for such a movement now. Even after reading his writings about our roots in Arminian-Wesley Theology, I see the younger peoples’ involvement in the Emerging Movement and the 24-7 Prayer Movement as God’s way of re-awakening us in the Arminian-Wesleyan movement to call us to holy living in word and action to transform God’s church and all God’s creation to be the God created creation you created us to be in Pure Holy Love. Thank you God for that brief encounter with Dr. Greathouse in the 1990s for encouragement in God’s ministry in and through me to the marginalized.
Ashley Gernand
March 27th, 2011 at 2:07 am
I love him deeply for the way he loved and shaped you, dad. What a great man of God.
Kevin Knight
March 27th, 2011 at 6:57 pm
I was blessed to receive Dr. Greathouse’s scholarship to go to Nazarene Theological Seminary. During that time, when I would come back to Nashville to visit friends, I would stop by Dr. Greathouse’s home and visit with him. He always wanted me to talk about what I was learning and reading, and he would talk about what he was learning and reading. I was always so impressed at his constant thirst for knowledge.
Perhaps my best memory of him was the last time I visited him. We talked briefly that afternoon, and he told me of the diagnosis he had received about his heart condition. Later, as I was about to say goodbye and leave, he asked my friend and I if we could stay a moment longer so that he could share a testimony with us. We told him we’d love to hear his testimony. He began with the story of his birth, and talked about the entirety of his ministry and about the things he was most proud to have accomplished over his years of service. He ended his testimony by quoting Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
The Spirit of the Lord was all over that room that afternoon, and I left so thankful for the privilege of knowing such a wonderful and godly man. He will be greatly missed.
Janice Holton
March 28th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
I just attended a chapel at Northwest Nazarene University in which a memorial to Dr. Greathouse was read. We were given a brief view of this great man’s life and told about his autobiography. One of my goals in life is to soak up all I can about outstanding men and women of God. I would like to obtain this autobiography but can find no information about it anywhere. Only what I heard in chapel. I even called the NNU library and they told me they do not have a copy and have been trying to find out how to obtain one but with no answer yet. Can someone help????
Don Hastings
March 28th, 2011 at 6:52 pm
I was Freshman Class President when Dr. G was President of Trevecca Nazarene University (College). During one of our Circle K/Freshman Class fund raisers we had a dunk tank. I went up to Dr. G’s office in the administration office and asked him if he would be willing to sit in the dunking tank. He pondered the question and then agreed to do so. He came down to the festivities, took off his coat and tie, and climbed in the tank. I will never forget that day. I remember during a Circle K Capers night in McClurkan when Dr. G rocked in his rocking chair while playing his harmonica, priceless. I also wish someone would have told me to pay attention in his class, at 18 I was more interested in getting out and doing other things, Little did I know that I was sitting in the presence of a brilliant, godly man. I am now re-reading all his works. Heaven is indeed richer and so am I.
Peggy King
March 28th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
In 1959 as a freshman at TNU I was privileged to study in Dr. Greathouse’s Christian Doctrine class. Many times he came into the Monday morning class so filled up from a Sunday service at First Church that the Holy Spirit just poured out from what he was teaching and then he would break out in singing, “Oh to be like Thee.” I probably didn’t fully appreciate the richness of that moment until years later. I will never forget when he called me in Savannah, Georgia, after he learned that I had just had surgery for breast cancer and having gone through it with his wife a year of so before gave me many words of encouragement. That was a precious time for me and I almost felt like I had heard from God. We also had the privilege of having him attend our Nazarene Servicemen’s Retreat in Germany while my husband was serving as a chaplain from 1982-1985. My life has been greatly enriched by knowing him and now he is rejoicing with the saints in the heaven he talked about so much. He will be greatly missed.
Linda Russell
March 28th, 2011 at 10:21 pm
I remember Dr. Greathouse for always remembering me and making me feel like one of his friends. He was always a kind and gentle man. My personal story is; while I was attending Trevecca in 1966, he was president. My boyfriend at the time was back in Miami with a call to preach but wasn’t able to pull the finances together to get to Trevecca. If he didn’t get in school soon he would be called up on the draft and probably end up in Vietnam. A family friend from our home church in Miami, Mrs. Helen Vennum was Dr. Greathouse’s secretary. I went up to talk to her and she said I should talk to Dr. Greathouse, that he would figure something out. She made me an appointment, I was scared to death, didn’t know what I was going to say. I walked into that long office in McClurkan and immediately Dr. Greathouse put me at ease. He talked to me about my school work and how things were going with me and then asked if I had a problem to talk to him about. I told him about my boyfriend back home and how he needed to be at Trevecca studying for the ministry. He told me that if he was truely called to preach God would make a way for him. He asked for his phone number, he called him that evening. He asked him about his call and about his finances. He told him to pack his bags and come to Trevecca, to consider himself accepted as a student and he had a work/study job for him in maintenance. My boyfriend became my husband later that year, Bryan worked hard, studied hard and he has been a full time pastor for 40 years. We will always be grateful for the life changing opportunity Dr. Greathouse gave my husband. Thank you, Dr. Greathouse!
Mark Snodgrass
March 29th, 2011 at 4:50 am
I have a few memories I could share, but there is one image of Dr. Greathouse I cannot get out of my mind.
I was working my way through Trevecca as a Customer Service Rep at a bank in Hermitage. Our branch was located inside the Kroger. It was a pretty slow day and I happened to notice a very tall man wearing suspenders and black/cordovan saddle oxfords…unmistakeable. It was Dr. G.
I almost left my station to go talk to Dr. Greathouse, but then decided just to watch him shop for groceries. I saw that he had a list and he was making his way through the store getting what he needed. I watched as he interacted with other customers and employess. He was kind and went out of his way to greet people with a smile as he passed them in the aisle. I listened from my kiosk as he struck up a conversation with the girl that was totaling his grocery bill. Upon recieving his change, Dr. G walked over to a bench at the front of the story, where a lady dressed in a Salvation Army officer’s uniform was sitting. She was holding her hat upside-down as a collection plate. She looked to be the same age as Dr. G, but literally was half his height. He leaned over and dropped his change in the hat, spoke a word of encouragement and bowed to pray with this fellow servant.
As he walked out the door, I thought to myself, “This man even shops for groceries like Jesus…Could it be he does EVERYTHING like Jesus?” He is remembered and honored for so much more than brightening the day of everyone at the Hermitage Kroger. However, it was these simple moments of Christ-likeness that made him the man he was.
I’ll never forget the day I saw Jesus in Kroger.
Brook Thelander
March 29th, 2011 at 5:10 pm
In 2002, the congregation I pastor extended a most unusual invitation to Dr. Greathouse. We invited him, along with a bishop in the Anglican church, to become quasi bishops, to serve as “overseers” of this local church that was attempting to bring together again the Wesleyan and Anglican traditions in a meaningful way. Dr. Greathouse accepted our invitation, as did the Anglican bishop. Their oversight was more advisory than supervisory in the legally binding sense, but we took the relationship very seriously. On a couple occasions, we brought both men to Boise for a weekend conference, where we worshiped together, prayed together, and explored together the issues that continue to divide the Church and threaten her unity. Dr. Greathouse forged a remarkable friendship with his Anglican colleague, and I remember those occasions fondly as times when we were joining our hands and hearts together in an effort to embody the church as “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.” I am also grateful for opportunities I had to speak with Dr. Greathouse privately during his visits. He took an active interest in my ministry and my family, and his support and encouragement was a great blessing to me. A beautiful stained glass window, named in honor of Dr. Greathouse and his first wife, Ruth, adorns the sanctuary where we worship. It is an enduring legacy of his influence, not merely on this local congregation, but on the Church of the Nazarene, the church catholic, and the world.
Dr. F. Leroy Pepper
March 30th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Dr. Greathouse has been an immeasurable and a deeply-appreciated influence in my life. From that moment in the spring of 1966 when the college president firmly shook the hand of an 18-year-old graduating high school senior and insisted that I come to Trevecca, he modeled Wesleyan holiness thinking, preaching, and living for me, as for countless others. As president of Nazarene Theological Seminary he taught me Systematic Theology and Wesleyan Theology. He took me aside and encouraged me to go on to graduate school. As General Superintendent in the denomination where I have served, he offered wise pastoral leadership and guidance. As president emeritus of the university where I now have taught for eleven years, his steady, fatherly eye has challenged and encouraged me to be all that God has called me to be. His home-going now leads the way to an even more attractive future. Thank you, Dr. Greathouse.
Wilmer L. Kerns
March 31st, 2011 at 7:04 pm
It has been more than fifty years since I took classes under Dr. Greathouse at Trevecca. He was a master teacher who viewed himself as a student. He presented a foundation of Christian belief that was credible– intellectually honest. His life in Christ revealed the love of God. He knew how to worship and adore the Lord. He knew that without the anointing, we are as sounding brass. Many of his students were inspired to reach higher than they had ever dreamed. I am amazed how one person was able to help shape thousands of lives, and he never seemed to forget anyone. Dr. Greathouse was a Wesleyan scholar, and he brought the Church of the Nazarene closer to its Anglican roots. I love him and miss him.
Thomas Jay Oord
April 1st, 2011 at 8:40 pm
Thanks for this moving tribute, Dan!
Tom
http://thomasjayoord.com/index.php/blog/archives/greathouse_and_future_theology/
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