Spirituality Column #763

June 29, 2021

Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

Our Pastor’s Funeral

By Bob Walters

“My wife Pam and I met at our pastor’s funeral.”

I just love the start of that story, and love even more that it’s our story to tell. 

It was November 2007 – the 15th, a Thursday, to be exact – on a day saddened by loss but buoyed with the hope and love of Jesus that beloved pastor Russ Blowers had instilled in countless Christians during 56 years of ministry at East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.  His funeral mostly filled the 2,200-seat worship hall.

Russ, 83 and retired, had died late Saturday evening the 10th, missing by a mere 10 minutes the symmetry of this proud World War II veteran’s death being marked on a November 11 Veteran’s Day.  His friend and fellow pastor John Samples, who along with Russ’s son’s Phil and Paul had prayed and watched as Russ breathed his last, woke me with a phone call and the not-unexpected news around 1:30 a.m.

A few hours later I arrived for Sunday church early as those of us who knew shared the news of Russ’s death with others, and word spread quickly.  Russ and I had grown close during my first six years as a Christian, which also happened to be his last six years as a minister.  I say “last six years”; I don’t know exactly what a guy like Russ is promoted to upon arrival at the pearly gates, but I doubt “minister” still covers it.

Anyway, in the halls at church later that Sunday morning my cell phone rang and Phil Blowers was calling to ask if I would serve his dad as a pall bearer.  I said yes as the tears I’d held back burst forth, right there in the hallway next to the reception desk.     

E91, as we call it, is a big church. At that time, Sunday mornings saw 4,000 or more worshippers in five services at two different ends of the building.  In the couple of years preceding his death, Russ and I had taken to sitting together in the 9:15 a.m. traditional service in the main sanctuary where the choir and orchestra – yes, a full, wonderful orchestra of extraordinarily talented church members – regularly performed.

I’ve often said going to church at E91 was like going to the Indy 500 … you never see or meet all the people who are there.  A cordial Sunday morning E91 greeting, “Hi, are you new here?” was often met with the response, “No, ‘been here for 30 years.”

One fellow I knew, former E91 member Dale Collie, called early Monday morning – from North Carolina where he now lived – urging me to start an online “Tribute Site” where parishioners and friends could post memories of Russ.  I was a long-time public relations guy and communicating was my business so I picked up the challenge.  We had the site up and running later that day. (see Russ Stories – link is still live.)

The daunting part of the challenge was reaching everyone who knew Russ or might want to post on the site.  Russ, for heaven’s sake, had been the chairman of the Billy Graham crusades in Indianapolis and Channel 8’s “TV Preacher” in the 1960s.  His ministry’s reach far exceeded E91, but my first goal was to gather stories from those who knew him best – and knew each other best – there in our home congregation.

It was obvious from sitting with Russ in Sunday services that the huge music ministry was a particular delight to him, and that he was adored by its many members.  But how to notify them?  An hour or so before the funeral, I recognized the orchestra’s tympanist standing in the hallway and asked her for help.  She said her name was Pam.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) married Pam June 22, 2009.  More next week.