WE JUST CALLED HIM “JERRY”


Tuesday, May 15 2007, the 24 hour News Channels broke the story that world acclaimed Pastor, college president, and political activist Jerry Falwell was taken to the hospital after collapsing in his office in Lynchburg, VA.

By the time the story broke I had already received an email from Pastor friends in Virginia that he in fact had died. The news was a shock to the nation, and personally sad for my family and me.

I first met Jerry back in the late 70’s when he was speaking for my father at the Northline Baptist Church in Taylor, Mi. This church was hosting a Pastors conference and Jerry was to address the large group about the movement called “The Moral Majority.”

Over the next 30 years it has been my pleasure to meet the famed leader at other conference and news events. In 1999 when Jerry and Tinky Winky were at odds my brother and I were having breakfast, with Jerry, at a Hotel in San Diego when the story hit. I remember protester gathering outside as we enjoyed our cholesterol enriched morning meal.

As we ended the breakfast some of us encouraged Jerry to head out a private exit to avoid the hostile crowd. He selected to go right out front and spent 30 minutes talking to the protesting group. He did not win them over, but as he got in his rented suburban many wished him well and, thanked him for talking to them. That was his style.

In 2002 I was the guest moderator for a national religious meeting that was being held at the large Fair Oaks Church in Fairfax, Va., my brother Dave Stokes serves as Senior Pastor. The meeting speakers included Falwell, Cal Thomas, and Joint Chief Member, Vern Clark.

Being in my brothers office prior to the meeting and talking to each one of these men was an exciting experience for me and my wife Dawn.

Jerry Falwell spoke of how he would spend his final years. He stated that he would devote his time to building the largest college in the Christian world. This task he surely did. It was fitting that he would die in the office of the University that he founded. He died doing what he enjoyed most.

However, most people really don’t know the real Jerry Falwell. The news media was how most knew him and the causes he fought for, especially the cause of the Right to Life and Gay Marriage.

The Jerry that I knew was a man with a great sense of humor and a little bit of a practical joker. At the event in 1999 in San Diego when the Tele Tubby story broke, many outside our Hotel were calling us idiots. At that meeting we decided to stay connected through an email loop that we called “The Idiots List.” That email list is still alive today and that is where I first heard of his death. So yes, I am a true idiot! Have fun with that one.

Falwell will be remembered by our nation as a key political player, especially in the 1980’s. He will be slammed because of his strong convictions on the Abortion issue and the Gay issue.

But, in reality he was a kind and compassionate man. His ministry fed the hungry around the world, helped thousands break from addictions, and most of all turned many to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Starting in 1957 with 35 people Falwell grew a church that became world known. He realized early in the power of television and used this resource to see his church grow to over 20, 000.

When I founded the Cornerstone Church, www.cornerstonechurch-ct.org , serving Enfield and East Windsor I re-read Falwell’s autobiography to inspire me to what can be accomplished with hard work, great faith and a love for people.

At my last meeting with Jerry I shared with him about the first year of Cornerstone. His words of encouragement and promised prayers for our new church gave me a great motivation to create a church that everyone could enjoy. We are not running thousands, yet! But we are on our way.

Last, I know that people reading this will have mixed emotions on the legacy of Falwell. Nevertheless, I hope he will be remembered as a man who stood up for what he believed and made a difference in the world he left behind. May God bless Jerry and our prayers are with his wife, Macel, his three children and many grand children.
Greg Stokes