One night many years ago, Ed Spencer, a student at a seminary near Lake Michigan, was awakened by shouts that there had been a shipwreck offshore from the campus. An excursion boat from the nearby Chicago harbor had collided with a freighter and was sinking. Spencer ran down to the lakeshore from which he could see lights from the boats. A strong swimmer, he plunged into the icy water and started searching for survivors.
For six hours Spencer swam out and back pulling people ashore, battling stormy waves and powerful under-tow. By dawn, he had personally rescued 15 people in his many trips. Exhausted, he sat down until someone spotted two more still in the water. Spencer dove in again and found a man and a woman clinging desperately to a piece of wreckage. He brought them in, too, and collapsed on the beach.
Fewer than one-fourth of the 400 passengers on that boat survived the shipwreck, 17 of them rescued by Ed Spencer. His own health, however, was irreparably damaged by his act of heroism, and he was never able to return to school, ultimately living out his days as an invalid.
Years later, a reporter doing a story on Great Lakes tragedies found Spencer as an old man in a nursing home in California and asked for his recol-lections of that night. He said bitterly, “The only thing I remember is that not one of the 17 ever thanked me.” I share this story with you as a re-minder that I don’t want to be negli-gent in expressing heartfelt thanks to you for the recognition of 10 years of ministry together. You so blessed Joyce and me by every act of kind-ness. We are blessed by the beautiful plaque, the kind words on every card, the video tributes, and the generous love offering given to us.
As I told you during the recognition, I was a man still in the throes of grief when I came as your Pastor. You have loved us, accepted us, and have been a joy to serve. Hebrews 13:17 says, Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. I can say with-out reservation because of your fellowship and follow ship, I can give an account for this church with joy.
I truly wish every Man of God could be the Pastor of a church like First Baptist Church of Batesville. I look forward to what the Lord has in store for us as we move forward for the glory of God.
Love in Christ,
Bro. Tommy