GEORGE BEAUCHAMP VICK
1901 - 1975George Beauchamp Vick was an influential pastor and Christian leader who led in the development of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International, a network of Baptist pastors and churches with a presence in more than 100 countries around the world. He was born in Russellville, Kentucky, in 1901.
From 1950 until his death in 1975, he pastored the Temple Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where attendance numbered in the thousands, and served as president of Baptist Bible College (Springfield, MO), where the library now bears his name. And on a very personal note...I was 3-4 years old when I was attending Church at this Mega Church, which I believe had about 5,000 members back then. So the Mega Church is not exclusive to just today's world we just didn't call them that. We just went to a great big Church and the people were kind and fun. On Sunday morning I always had stand in the pew, until I got caught by dad, to try and see over all the people. I had my little dress and my Sunday shoes. I was big stuff. Well my dad was not born again yet, but was under heavy conviction from the Lord. I remember Bro. Vick always shaking dad's hand and talking to him. I recall the following week and the conviction on my dad's life was just getting stronger and stronger and he was getting really hard to live with and again, back then you just took what was handed to you...literally. The following Sunday was a disaster at home. Tempers were flaring and going to Church was something I wanted to just hide from but I was always so happy after I got there because the people were great and somehow I felt pretty safe. This particular Sunday was going to be different.
As usual the singing began and I climbed up into the pew to see. So far so good until I heard the word Sunshine and people began to sing. I only knew one song with sunshine, "You Are My Sunshine." As loud as I could sing I began to sing "You Are My Sunshine." Well it was what I didn't hear or know..."Heavenly Sunshine" and I was in my little world when my dad turned snatched my arm, flung me to the floor and was going to give me the spanking of my life when I heard..."Bro. Paul don't spank her" over all those voices. It stunned my dad and he stopped and looked up and I heard Bro. Vick's voice say..."Bro. Paul don't spank her because if the people had been singing with as much heart as your little girl is singing I wouldn't have even heard her and I think she is doing a great job." I didn't know how to reason all that just happened but I knew one thing for sure. My daddy was afraid of that man and stopped him in his tracks. I didn't get spank over it but I did have to learn the song "Heavenly Sunshine" and had to learn it on the piano. All my life I never forgot, even though I didn't understand it all, but what I did understand is Bro. Vick got me out of a spanking and he was GREAT!
I was walking to my Sunday School class one Sunday not long after that and he passed me on the ramp. The Church didn't have stairs as I remember but a ramp going up to the next level. When I looked at him I felt a peace and saw his smile. He just patted me on the head and said "Are you doing good today?" I was amazed at him. He was my friend! Crystal Clear