THE END OF AN ERA

 4377

Pt. 1

The year was 1968. At the age of 18, I was a new believer. Granted, I grew up in the Methodist church with its "high" hymns, standing and kneeling, responsive readings, liturgies, etc. However, in spite of my involvement in Methodist Youth Fellowship, and three summer youth camps, it was not until I was on the verge of young adulthood that I came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

I had hardly been "saved" when I met a young married man of perhaps 30 named John Westerman. John was married to a lovely lady named Vivien, they had two children, they hailed from Indiana, and they attended the same church as I.

Within months of my decision to attend Bartow First Assembly, John and I colluded together to co-found a local chapter (outpost) of the Assemblies of God boys program referred to as Royal Rangers.

I will always remember the weekly meetings, as, in my service as an outpost commander, I taught 9-16 year olds to tie fancy knots, took them fishing, and we once spent a summer's night on Sanibel Island.

Speaking of Sanibel Island. Having pitched our tents, eaten whatever we cooked on a campfire, and settled in for the night we heard an all too familiar buzzing, and began to feel an even more familiar assault on our collective skins.

Pt. 2

Mosquitoes. Large mosquitos. Florida mosquitoes. 

The six or eight Royal Rangers with me began to murmur.

"Commander McDonald, I'm being eat up by skeeters!"

(and)

"Commander McDonald, twenty of those pesky critters have bitten me in the last five minutes!"

And while the Royal Ranger motto is:

"Ready. Ready for anything...," I had neglected to bring one very essential item...

Mosquito Spray

I made a command decision.

"Okay, guys. Get your swimming trucks back on."

(and)

"Let's do something fun."

(and)

"How 'bout we take a nice little evening swim?"

As it fell together, we spent the majority of that long tropical evening amongst the foamy island waves.

A few years later, after having served a tour of duty in the Air Force, I moved my family to Virginia, we located a church, and I had the distinct privilege of co-founding another Royal Ranger outpost in that "neck of the woods."

Pt. 3

Fast forward just short of six decades...

In recent years I had been in touch with one of my former Royal Rangers, Joseph Smothers, who went on to serve in the capacity of commander in the same outpost which I had co-founded almost sixty years earlier. (Sadly, Joe passed away in the past couple of years).

Everything seemed to be going "swimmingly" for my Bartow, Florida and Woodbridge, Virginia Royal Ranger outposts until...

In the past year the old Bartow church experienced attendance and, (I believe), financial issues, and the decision was made to allow a nearby independent church to establish a satellite work on the property.

In the past week, I decided to message Access Church, and inquire about the status of the Royal Rangers ministry in Bartow; now that it would no longer be an Assemblies of God work. Of course, I made the pastor aware of the history of the boy's program there, including my having been involved in its formation, and the many decades in which it has existed, and impacted the local community.

Following is the response I received from the current pastor:

Dr. McDonald, 

Thank you for reaching out and for your many years of dedicated service in ministry, especially through Royal Rangers. Your impact on young men over the years is truly commendable.

As we continue our transition from Bartow First Assembly to Access Church, we have prayerfully considered our ministry programs. At this time, we will not be continuing the Royal Rangers program. While we greatly appreciate its legacy and the influence it has had on so many lives, our focus will be on other discipleship opportunities for the young people in our church.

We sincerely appreciate your passion for this ministry, and we pray that God continues to bless your work in counseling and mentoring the next generation. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

Pt. 4

I immediately replied.

Pastor S.

As you might imagine, tears sprang to my eyes when I read your response. I am, admittedly, biased, but I hope you will reconsider your decision to discontinue the Royal Rangers program in Bartow.

I have struggled a bit this week as I have digested what I regard as not only bad news, but a mistake. (And who can say, perhaps it will all "turn around" in favor of retaining the Royal Ranger program).

And as I pondered the impact of this ministry, over the course of such a long period of time, I began to think in terms of "theoreticals." 

For you see, given the significant amount of time since John and I were privileged to co-found the Royal Ranger outpost in Bartow, it is altogether possible that four generations of boys have passed through that ministry. Amazingly, one or more great grandchildren of the original boys in our outpost could conceivably be attending the program at this time!

King Solomon, in all his wisdom, assures us that,

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens." 

(Eccl. 3:1)

His father, King David, dittos that sentiment.

"My times are in Your hands." 

(Psalm 31:15)

I think it helps at a time like this to consider not what we've lost, but what we've gained. Long after the tears dry, the smiles will remain.

Today I found myself opening my closet door, and moving several coats and shirts to one side 'til... I found that old khaki commander's shirt. At the top of one sleeve, some blue and gold patches. Pen. Florida 147. A bit small at this point, but looking surprisingly new; almost as if I might throw it on and pick up where I left off.

Yes, long after the tears dry, the smiles will remain.

I cannot help but smile when I reflect on that dark summer's night of 60 years hence when 10,000 skeeters drove a young commander and his six or eight young rangers out of our tents, and into the foaming surf of a small tropical island.

by Bill McDonald, PhD