Wayne

“Every time I turn around, He keeps on blessing me.” This refrain echoed through every sermon Wayne ever preached. His wife speaks about his light, describing him as a wonderful soul who lived to give love to others. Wayne preached the Word of God for thirteen years, twelve of them as a pastor at New Start Baptist Church. He had been serving in the church as an usher when he heard God’s call to preach, and he answered that call with selflessness and love.

Wayne and his wife Tara met at church, and while he was very interested in her, she was not initially interested in him. One day he called her to share some scripture, but Tara was in a mood, stuck in traffic and having a bad day. After reviewing her attitude, Tara’s call to apologize turned into dinner together which turned into dating. Wayne would later say that he never chased a woman like he chased Tara!  His persistence paid off when Wayne proposed marriage while they knelt together in prayer the day before Thanksgiving. They built a beautiful life together, and between them, they enjoyed seven children and fourteen grandchildren during their sixteen years of marriage.

Wayne owned his own HVAC business and did well financially. Wayne and Tara loved to travel. They enjoyed the beach, with yearly trips to Florida; Myrtle Beach was Wayne’s favorite travel destination, and Hawaii was Tara’s favorite. However, after years of cancer treatment, they found themselves in need of financial assistance. Tara was so grateful when their hospice social worker suggested Project 4031 to help with rent and groceries in the final weeks of Wayne’s life. 

Even in his final week, Wayne was focused on the needs of others, an inspiring example of serving through suffering. His niece came to visit him, but he was bedbound and largely unresponsive at that point. He was surrounded in his room by fellow church friends and family. When his niece explained she had been to a funeral for a young boy in her church community who had died, Wayne responded, insisted on praying, asking those around him to bear with him, and then prayed a powerful prayer that that moved every person in the room. Even then, he desired to ease the suffering of others.

When God called Wayne home, everyone who knew and loved him could confidently say that he had served God to the end, touching the lives of all around him with his generosity and his faithfulness.