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HUGHES IV: He vetoed Culpepper's Ordination Application

Acts-celerate Owner Posts: 6957 **4/7/11 9:58 pm**

This is the conclusion of a Four-Part Series about the life of Dr. Ray H. Hughes and the April 7, 2011 "Celebration of Life" Memorial service in his honor. Here and at the end of this article is a link back to Part I of the Series: http://www.actscelerate.com/viewtopic.php?t=62426

MEMORIAL FOR A CHAMPION PART IV

by Doyle Daugherty
writedoyle@yahoo.com

When Presiding Bishop Raymond Culpepper stepped to the podium as the concluding speaker at the Memorial Service for Dr. Hughes, he began by gently proclaiming, “We have not come here only to recount the acts of a man but to remember the mighty works of our God.”

Culpepper began to pray, “I cannot move forward until I've asked for the empowerment of Your Spirit. Let us hear 'What sayeth the Lord!' “ The Presiding Bishop then led the audience in a time of verbal praise to God.

“Your presence today,” he told the audience, “Is a profound statement of your respect for Dr. Hughes.”

HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE

“There is today an incredible sense of historic significance,” the Presiding Bishop proclaimed. “Greatness has moved among us."

He continued, "There is in this a great message to the Church of God. Many ships carry many different church banners (identities) but this (Church of God) is the ship to which God called Ray Hughes and us. Let the winds that fill our sails not just be winds of the times but of the Holy Spirit.”

THE HULL OF OUR SHIP

“We have not come here only to laud a man" the Presiding Bishop said, "But to celebrate a voyage. We must protect the hull of our ship; Pentecostal, Word-Based, Centered in Christ. When we get to heaven God will not ask why we were not more like Ray Hughes. Thank God for Ray Hughes but there is also a Calling upon us.”

The Presiding Bishop recounted I Samuel 13:14 where it says “The Lord sought for Him a man. He reminded the audience of where Jeremiah says “I looked for a man and found a man.” He shared the tragic situation in Ezekiel where it says “I sought for a man but found none.”

Culpepper shared about how intelligent Dr. Hughes was, about him being a powerful. praying man and how he was someone of incredible energy.

When Dr. Hughes became President of Lee College, he only had an Associates Degree. But in the next six years, while serving as President of the School and as Radio Minister for the denomination, he earned a Bachelor's Degree from Tennessee Wesleyan, a Masters from the University of Tennessee and also a Doctorate of Education. In addition, he oversaw the construction of several building at Lee including the Lois Beach Science Center.

LIGHTER NOTE

On a lighter note, the Presiding Bishop said “I heard Maloney say Brother Hughes never told him how to Pastor North Cleveland. I can't say that as General Overseer.” The audience laughed heartedly.

“Every time they told me I had a call from Brother Hughes, my blood ran cold,” Culpepper stated "But though firm, Dr. Hughes was always kind.”

HUGHES VETOED CULPEPPER'S ORDINATION APPLICATION

In a gentle reminder of the authoritarian side of Dr. Hughes, Culpepper recounted a personal incident when he was a young minister applying for his Church of God Ordination certification.

With the General Assembly drawing near and Culpepper wanting to get Ordained before then so he could participate in the Assembly business sessions, he had applied for Ordination. Instead, he got a letter back stating Dr. Hughes had vetoed his application.

“I got up the nerve and called Brother Hughes to tell him I wanted to be Ordained before the Assembly."

“There's nothing I can do about it” Hughes had replied. “You've already done it.”

“I know some of my Monthly Reports were late,” the young Culpepper stated, “But they are all there.”

“But that's not what the rules say,” Hughes had replied. “There will be no waiver.”

“Brother Hughes, that means I'll have to wait two more years.” the young minister pleaded.

“Well, by then maybe you will have learned to get your reports in on time.”

Serving now as Presiding Bishop, Culpepper recounted how Brother Hughes ended the call.

“Is there there anything else I can do for you?” he asked.

The Memorial Service audience all responded with laughter as the Presiding Bishop also chuckled with them.

Bishop Culpepper also recounted one way he learned how powerful Hughes was in leadership.

Years ago, when the area had a grand reputation for good food, along with five other ministers, Culpepper and Brother Hughes had gone to the fabled San Francisco's Fisherman's Warf to eat during a time they were in Northern California on church business.

When the salad arrived at the table, Brother Hughes liked the dressing so much that he picked up a small bowl of it and drank it. He then ordered more salad and especially more salad dressing.

Culpepper recounted how he noticed that four of the six accompanying General Overseer Hughes for that meal, also drank their salad dressing instead of putting it on their salad.

“Saying he was a leader is an understatement” Culpepper exclaimed. “He could cast a vision as large as God for planting churches.”

OTHERS WERE WISER

Because in recent years Ray Hughes had been ill and supposedly “off the scene” so to speak, some felt his influence in the organization had declined. Others were wiser.

During the Memorial Service for Brother Hughes, Presiding Bishop Culpepper recounted how he had received a call from Brother Hughes.

“I have a word from the Lord,” Brother Hughes had said. “I want to meet with you and the Executive Committee.”

When he arrived, the entire Executive Committee knelt before Hughes as he went down the line one-by-one anointing each of them with oil and prayed God would give them guidance. He prayed God would use them to help keep the Church of God as a Pentecostal force in the world and continue to be a church with a passion to reach the lost.

In his final days, as former General Overseer Hughes' health grew worse, Bishop Culpepper went to visit him. Dr. Hughes had slipped into what was believed to be a catatonic state.

According to Culpepper, he stepped to the bedside and said, “Brother Hughes, I've come to confess. I've been preaching your sermons for years and I didn't want you to get to heaven and find that out.”

As the Presiding Bishop verbally shared his love and respect for Brother Hughes, one of the Hughes family members noticed that he had turned his head slightly and a tear was flowing down his cheek. Culpepper cautioned that he didn't know if the tear appeared because Brother Hughes could hear and understand what he was saying or if it was just part of the medical situation. But the tear hadn't been there previously.

The Presiding Bishop showed some photos and video from the time Brother Hughes had prayed with the Executive Committee and also some photos and audio of Brother Hughes preaching.

WHATEVER SUCCESS

He also read a statement Brother Hughes had once made where he said, “Whatever success I've had is the result of prayer. Because of prayer I once had an angel meet with me at 1:00 AM in the morning.”

“He's home now” Raymond Culpepper stated as he concluded his remarks.

GATHERING IN

As funeral directors and honored participants prepared to wheel the body of Ray Hughes from the North Cleveland sanctuary for the very last time on this life, the audience stood and sang “When The Redeemed Are Gathering In."

"When the Redeemed are gathering in.
Washed like snow and free from all sin.
How we'll shout and how we'll sing.
When the Redeemed are gather in."

The audience then sang "Oh, I want to see Him:"

"Oh, I want to see Him look upon His face.
There to sing forever of His saving grace.
On the streets of Glory let me lift my voice.
Cares all past, home at last ever to rejoice."

THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA

Throughout the day in Cleveland, around the nation and world as Church of God people either attended the Memorial in person or watched the live-streaming by internet, one statement heard more prevalent than any other was "This is the end of an era."

Indeed an era is closing behind us but there arises upon the Church of God horizon a new day. The Scriptures proclaim "A great door is open before us."

CARRY ON

It was President Franklin D. Roosevelt who said, "The way to tell the greatness of a leader is not only to remember what he has done but by those he has left behind to carry on."

Doyle
writedoyle@yahoo.com

This concludes the Four-Part Series about the Celebration of Life Memorial Service held April 7, 2011 for Dr. Ray H. Hughes. Following is a link back to Part I: http://www.actscelerate.com/viewtopic.php?t=62426

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

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5923 **4/7/11 11:08 pm**

Thanks, Doyle, for taking the time to do this. I'm sure there were many like me who were working & couldn't take the time to watch the service today. That for letting me share those moments by writing this article.

I never had the privilege of meeting Ray H. Hughes in person, though I've heard of him all my life. He may have been in the group of men who anointed and prayed for the MIP class I graduated from with my husband in '82, but that was probably the closest I might have come. Smile

I did hear Bro. Hughes preach many times, and the thing I loved about his sermons was that he continually quoted the Word (verbatim) and never opened his Bible the whole time. He knew the Word, and he knew how to preach the Word with anointing. What a blessing he has been to so many!
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"More of Him...less of me."
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Thanks

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1702 **4/8/11 6:15 am**

Thanks Doyle.. That was great.

Made me laugh and cry. What a wonderful service.

Patrick
_________________
We are beating the bushes for mice and the lions are tearing us apart.

softened stance years later

Acts-celerater Posts: 733 **4/10/11 5:36 pm**

years later, (1994) when i got ordained, brother hughes denied my application for the same reason. however, he allowed me to go through, providing i wrote him a letter, promising to "never be late again."
i will leave it to posterity, the outcome of that promise

Darius

PS awesome service, i only wish they would have played more video of brother hughes