Thinking about Pastor/Bro. Dick Iverson this morning. This man who was called by God to do a great work. I remember meeting him in Hawaii in about 1970. Little did we know how our lives would be intertwined with the Iverson family. In June 1975 Howdy Sligar retired from a 22 year career in the United States Marine Corps. On 15 July 1975 a mustard yellow and creme top WV bus pulled into the parking lot of Bible Temple, Portland, Oregon after a long trip across the United States from Quantico, Virginia. Our first Sunday at Bible Temple was so funny. Pastor Iverson promoted Howdy, he was a Major but Dick introduced him as Col. Sligar. We came from Quantico, Virginia so he introduced me as Virginia from Georgia. We laughed about that for years. The Sligar bus had a lot a adventures, taking a loads of teens to the Holgate Holiness camp for the Bible Temple Family Camp. Oh, the tales that old bus could tell. The following years found the Sligars going to Portland Bible College and learning so much. Bro. Dick asked Howdy to take the helm of our Christian school, Temple Christian School. Then we were brought on the Eldership with being set in at a Prophet Assembly. Bro. Dick saw the leadership that God had placed in this man Howdy Sligar. There were the Elders meetings, the slow pitch soft ball games, the Elders and Wives retreats, the dinners, the laughs, the fun times and the times of praying together and praying through.
As I sit here this morning musing on the life of both Dick Iverson and Howdy Sligar it dawned on me. God not only calls the man, but the family also. Yes, it was Dick that God called way back in the early days with his parents and T.L.Osborne. But…it was the entire family that was called. Edie and the daughters, now the husbands and their children. Yes, the whole family is called. I sit here in awe of the Grace of our God. How He has seen the end and looking all the way back to the beginning. Dick has been a great Pastor, father, grandfather, great grandfather, teacher, preacher, friend and well I could go on and on.
God had placed Roxy in the right place at the right time to help Dick to continue with those extra 10 years of ministry. Yes, Dick has now stepped into heaven and is being greeted by those who went before. I laugh thinking of how Howdy, Wendell, Jack and Ron would greet Dick. They were great friends and raquet ball buddies. So many, so many are greeting him with telling him, hello and thank you.
Dick we shall miss you and as my grandchildren have said, tell Nannie and Grand Dad we all said hello.
Thank you Dick for being our beacon to follow, to learn from and to love. Tell Howdy I still love him. Georgia