Tribute to Jonathan N. Thigpen- 195-2001

The Funeral of Jonathan Thigpen

May 23, 2001

 

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in, want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil for you are with me;

your rod and your staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23)

 

He surprised me! On one of my "Tuesdays with Jonathan" he declared, "We're going OUT for lunch today. . . if you will drive." As we sat on the sun-drenched deck at Cantigny Golf Club, I asked, "What will we talk about today?'' "Well," Jonathan answered, "Today, let's discuss my funeral." The pause that followed foreshadowed the reality of this day. He explained, "You see, Daryl, so many of my friends have not heard the story of how good God has been to me. Could you help me out with this?" I am honored indeed with this privilege to praise God for His goodness and faithfulness to my friend, Jonathan.

 

The duration of one's life has no direct correlation to the impact one makes. We may feel cheated that this vibrant young man fell short of 50 years, but let me assure you that Jesus' words still ring true, I have come that you might have life and have it to the full! And have it to the full, he did!

 

Jonathan Thigpen's life intersected mine at a boy's dormitory prayer meeting at Free Will Baptist Bible College in the Fall of 1970. He challenged us with a caution, "Do not be rash in making vows to God." I had heard about this whiz kid and here I was sitting at his feet. Jonathan was gifted to make the text come alive and suspend it in mid-air, while the Holy Spirit would take the text and brand the truth on hungry hearts. Jonathan was an expositor. I had just met the Free Will Baptist wonder boy.

 

But, God had been working long before that encounter. Growing up in the atmosphere of a godly home, Jonathan trusted Jesus for the forgiveness of his sins as a mere lad of five. In the aftermath of his commitment he sensed the call of God on His life for something unique.

 

On one of his father's trips to Texas, Jonathan tagged along. The man they were visiting had come to the conclusion that although he was a follower of Christ, he had missed out an experienced God's best. This remorseful gentleman pleaded with Mr. Thigpen to challenge those gathered for the worship service never to settle for less than God’s best. Just recently, Jonathan reminded his father of the impact of that service on his very own life. God was at work.

 

Nurtured by annual opportunities at youth camp, Jonathan answered the call to preach at the tender age of 14. Jonathan honed his unique style of communication with numerous speaking engagements. When he was a teen, just 17 years old, Jonathan was the keynote speaker at the National Association of Free Will Baptists in St. Louis. Jonathan was a communicator.

 

He was a. bright light in high school, speaking boldly for the Lord, while participating in a broad range of activities. A lover of sports, Jonathan finally came to grips with reality- he did not have a football body! (As a footnote, I must add that in our college intramural sports program, his slim, slippery body darted through charging lineman, even danced away from my grasp, to ruin our impending perfect season with a demoralizing 62 yard TD run. It took me a long time to forgive him for that!)

 

Undeterred by his physical size, he channeled his energy into track. Are we surprised this enthusiastic kid leaped into the high school record book with a soaring high jump? True greatness does not stem from individual accomplishment Jonathan was a mentor. The same energy that fueled his own efforts was directed to a fellow runner who had not reached his potential. Jonathan delighted in the progress of this boy to the ultimate stage- the protege eclipsing the mentor God was at work.

 

Free Will Baptist Bible College was the backdrop for the next chapter in this story. Vernon Whaley became Jonathan’s prayer partner in October of '69. They met each week at 9:00 p.m. for prayer and it snowballed into more frequent meetings of intercession. They sensed God's urging to form a two-man singing and preaching, evangelistic team, The Conquerors, highlighting one of his favorite verses, Romans 8:37, We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. They stuffed their calendars with weekend services. Many young people came to Christ and dedicated their lives to the Lord's work. Jonathan was an evangelist. Their prayer partnership blossomed as they interceded for Vernon's brother, Rodney. Finally, on May 1, 1970, Rodney came to Christ. The two-man team grew to three.

 

They cris-crossed the South during the summer and weekends. These three unique individuals coalesced into a cutting edge team engaging youth on their level, utilizing drama and music.

 

After all, Jonathan was an innovator. The summer of '71 hid a pleasant surprise for Jonathan. A scheduling quirk resulted in an open Saturday. The opportunist Rodney promptly arranged for a fun-filled weekend in St. Louis. A recent acquaintance of Rodney's had a friend who might just allow herself to go out with a young man. Rodney coaxed a reluctant Jonathan to go. This blind date opened his eyes to a new possibility. Yvonne Howard was that girl, who eventually would marry him after his graduation in 1973.

 

Jonathan, Rodney, and Vernon held what seemed to be their final meeting as a three man team in Albany, Georgia that summer. The chapter closed, but the story continues.

 

Churches and youth camps were not enough. Although Jonathan’s camp experiences as a youth drove his desire to minister at camps, his heart ached for those outside the religious circle So, he opened up a coffee house on
West End Avenue
in the shadow of Vanderbilt University. This was a challenge to the fundamentalist mindset, but he persisted, meeting the lost on their turf with wonderful results. No doubt he embraced the truths of Psalm 37, Trust in the Lord; Delight yourself in the Lord, Commit your way to the Lord. One of the young converts would pursue a strong discipleship program and then nurture young men in the Army. Fast forward to 1996.

 

Rodney, while on a mission trip to Guatemala, met a Southern Baptist Missionary. Can you believe this? That missionary had been discipled by the young man won to the Lord at that coffee house. Now, a fruitful ministry was blossoming in Central America.

 

Jonathan followed his passion for youth to the Church Training Service Department of Free Will Baptists. After three years, Jonathan decided to pursue a master's degree in religious education at Tennessee Temple in Chattanooga, TN. While in school, he pastored a nearby church.

 

In spite of a life of visible success, Jonathan and Yvonne would experience their own grief. While in Chattanooga they lost their first child due to miscarriage. And then later, in Nashville, they would endure that familiar pain, once again. That is why Jonathan, when contemplating his death, cherished the thought of seeing his two children who were never born. Like David of old, "I will go and see them!"

 

His graduate degree landed him back at Free Will Baptist Bible College where he taught Christian education for six years. The evangelist, educator, innovator, expositor, mentor and cheerleader molded young lives to impact eternity

 

Publishing possibilities pulled him across town to serve our denomination at Randall House Publications. Within two years, this chapter would close to make way for another one in northern Illinois.

 

Oh, by the way, remember that last revival in Albany, Georgia in 1971? It was recreated with a reunion of sorts as Vernon, Rodney and Jonathan teamed together for one last time, 28 years later in 1999. Jonathan oozed with anticipation of that date on his calendar. He relished the thought of joining those men, who had shaped his life. Jonathan joked when he returned, "I think I'm on my farewell tour!"

 

Being in Chicagoland with Jonathan afforded me the pleasure of spending many wonderful hours with him. We chased the little white ball at St. Andrews; we dissected the denominational deliberations; we elaborated on the educational opportunities for the local church. Through it all, he was the master teacher giving me insight, encouragement, and challenges.

 

Weeks before his death, laboring to speak, his eyes lit up as he shared how a particular educational model would apply to my church and many others. Of course, he would often say, "To make a long story short . . , " I'll miss that.

 

Perhaps the most impressionable time of our times together was on one of those Tuesdays, when we were reviewing his life, and all of its wonderful happenings. As each achievement started piling up, he saw the amazement sweep across my face. Almost apologetically, he said, "But Daryl, I am just an ordinary guy doing God's will."

 

We might be tempted to elevate Jonathan to pedestal rank, assessing him as an extraordinary man. If we did, he would be out of reach, someone to be admired, but impossible to emulate. We would be assigning excessive attention to a man siphoning praise and glory due at to our gracious God.

 

So, Jonathan was right . . . again.

 

He was just an ordinary guy, willing to do God's will.

 

Daryl W. Ellis, May 23, 2001