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HUGHES III: Maloney - He Had The Anointing He Preached About

Acts-celerate Owner Posts: 6957 **4/7/11 8:33 pm**

This is Part III of a Four-Part Series about the life of Dr. Ray H. Hughes and the April 7, 2011 Memorial "Celebration of Life." For 50 years he was one of the most powerful ministers in the Church of God organization which has it's headquarters in Cleveland, TN.

Here and at the end of each Part of the series there is a link to the next: http: Following is the link to Part IV: http://www.actscelerate.com/viewtopic.php?t=62431

MEMORIAL FOR A CHAMPION PART III

by Doyle Daugherty
writedoyle@yahoo.com

"HE HAD THE ANOINTING HE PREACHED ABOUT"

NORTH CLEVELAND Church of God Pastor Mitch Maloney spoke next at the Memorial proclaiming “Most of us who preach, have preached some of Dr, Hughes' material.”

He shared the respect he had for Dr. Hughes stating, “He's an Apostle in my eyes. He was a visionary. He always had a plan. He had the Anointing he preached about.”

Pastor Maloney recounted how that as a young man trying to find his way in life, he attended an Ohio Church of God Camp Meeting where Dr. Hughes was the night speaker.

“The Spirit of God spoke to me that night,” Maloney stated and “I literally ran to the Altar. That was a defining moment in my life.”

During the past 14 years and much of that with Dr. Hughes suffering great physical pain in his feet, Mitch Maloney was his pastor.

“Dr. Hughes never wavered,” Maloney recounted. “He was one of my mentors and though he attended church here at North Cleveland, he never told me how to pastor. However, he did once tell me not to apologize about the time. 'Just preach' he told me.”

Pastor Maloney shared how he had asked Dr. Hughes for one of his Bibles. During that visit, Maloney says he promised Dr. Hughes, “On my watch, the North Cleveland Church of God will not cease being a Pentecostal church. I believe the Scripture where it says 'I speak in Tongues more than ye all.' “

In his concluding remarks, Pastor Maloney read Colossians 3:1-4:

1. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God.
2. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4. When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in Glory.”

"MOM, WHO IS THAT MAN?"

Dr. Mark Williams, Assistant General Overseer for the Church of God, began his comments by quoting the Scripture “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of them who bring good news.”

“My heroes have always been preachers,” he stated and shared how at the 57th General Assembly in Dallas, as an 8-year-old boy sitting in the balcony area with his Mother, he first observed Dr. Hughes serving as Moderator of the business session of the Assembly and that night heard him preach.

As the people praised and shouted and rejoiced in worship, Williams said "I turned to my Mom and asked, 'Who is that man?"

With tears streaming down her face and her voice quaking with emotion, she replied, "That is Ray Hughes."

Williams also remembered a Texas Camp Meeting service in 1982 when Dr. Hughes preached. Over 750 copies of that sermon were purchased that night.

In 1983, Mark Williams was in a chapel service at the Lee College Auditorium. Brother Hughes preached that night and it had a major affect on Williams' life. He began a major search of what it was that made Dr. Hughes such a powerful preacher.

Over the next years he read every article he could get his hands on that Dr. Hughes had written in the Evangel and other COG publications. He searched for and purchased any sermons he could find by Dr. Hughes.

Years later, Williams was using some of Brother Hughes' sermon material and noticed that Brother Hughes had come into the meeting.

"I tried to disguise it some," he said but the disguise effort evidently wasn't very effective. After service, Dr. Hughes came by, shook his hand and softly said, "That's one of my favorites."

MENTOR

“I formed a close relationship with him” Mark Williams recounted. “I spent hour-upon-hour with him listening to the stories of his many travels and accomplishments around the world. I view him as my mentor.”

A few days before Brother Hughes passed from this life, Mark Williams says he went to see him.

“I stepped to his bedside and said 'Ray Hughes, this is Mark.' I've come to tell you the Church of God is in good hands.' ”

After the presentation by Mark Williams, the North Cleveland Choir sang “In The Presence of Jehovah.”

This has been Part III of a Four-Part Series about the life of Dr. Ray H. Hughes and the Celebration of Life Memorial for him on April 7, 2011. Following is the link to Part Four: http://www.actscelerate.com/viewtopic.php?t=62431

writedoyle@yahoo.com
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The largest room in the world is the room for improvement.