A Tribute to a Faithful Pastor

Bro. Scott Richardson

1923 - 2010

 

            When I received the call on Tuesday morning (May 4) that the Lord had taken Bro. Scott Richardson home, my immediate response was with joyful laughter, ÒBless God! IÕm so thankful.Ó Our Lord tells us to give honor to those to whom honor is due. For that reason, and because I delight to do so, I wish to offer a brief tribute to the life and ministry of my cherished friend.

 

            I first met Bro. Scott at a Bible conference in Memphis, Tennessee in the early spring of 1972. That same spring he asked me to preach in the annual conference hosted by Katy Baptist Church in Fairmont, West Virginia. We quickly became good friends, preaching together several times a year at different meetings and for one another at least once a year.

 

Faithful Pastor

 

Bro. Scott was the faithful pastor of Katy Baptist Church from its birth in 1954 until, at his insistence, the assembly called another pastor in 2003. At that time, the Fairmont church called Bro. Marvin Stalnaker to be its pastor. Never have I witnessed a better transition from one pastor to another. Brothers Scott and Marvin enjoyed a very blessed, close relationship of mutual love and respect, until the Lord graciously called his servant to glory. The congregation he faithfully served for fifty years cherish him; and that same congregation cherishes his successor.

 

Exemplary Preacher

 

            Bro. Scott was an exemplary preacher. Gifted with a brilliant mind and keen insight in the things of God, he devoted himself to the study of Holy Scripture and the preaching of the gospel. I never heard him preach the gospel without profit to my soul. He reached with God given conviction, dogmatism and power, as a man taught of God, always exalting the Lord Jesus Christ, always urging sinners to trust him, always proclaiming GodÕs free and sovereign grace in our crucified Savior. When, in private conversation, we discussed the Scriptures, I always tried to listen carefully, because I always learned something of great value.

 

At Rest

 

            My dear brother and friend is now at rest, enjoying that blessed sabbath fully of which he so frequently spoke, the rest obtained for GodÕs elect by, as he put it, Òthe doing and dying of the Lord Jesus.Ó He has entered into rest. He shall never know sin, or sorrow, or pain, or weeping, or dying again. He has taken his place in glory, seated with the white robed throng around the throne of God and of the Lamb, looking on the face of the Son of God, singing with the ransomed multitude, ÒWorthy is the Lamb!Ó How I thank God for the influence of Pastor Scott Richardson upon my life and ministry! I pray for grace to follow his example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

Listen to sermons at FreeGraceRadio.com