by Delia Pruitte
How can you properly thank someone who has made it their life’s work to be your spiritual “watchman on the wall”? How do you show sufficient appreciation to someone who, year round, makes themselves available to the saints and to the Spirit of God, constantly working to pull the church closer to the vision God has given him? Someone unafraid to tell you when you are wrong, and equally unafraid to praise you when you have made the right decision? It has become more evident in 2010 than ever that God has chosen an extraordinary man to lead Holiness Tabernacle to higher heights and deeper depths.
Every October, we the members of HTC are granted a special opportunity to express their gratitude and appreciation for our leader, Pastor Eddie B Pruitte Jr. All through the summer and late into the fall, the various auxiliaries worked to prepare a spectacular affair for our Pastor. Car washes, bake sales and competitions were only a few examples of the different fundraising methods used to accomplish this. Each auxiliary had a financial goal, from the youngest child to the oldest adult. Some of Pastor’s closest friends and associates in the brotherhood were called to come and pour into our pastor spiritually and to fellowship.
The first Sunday night in October brought Superintendent Tony H. Campbell and the entire “Yeshua” COGIC church family. Elder Campbell admonished HTC to always remember that God placed the role of “Pastor” in the church for a reason. We would be blessed as a church as long as we continued to uphold and respect our pastor, and trust in the vision God has given him. Assistant Superintendent Geno Thomas, accompanied by the Reconciliation COGIC family, blessed HTC a few weeks later from a seemingly simple scripture found in 1Timothy 3:16 – “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” In his unique way, Elder Thomas broke down the context of the scripture and explained the charge of the pastor to his church. It is a role that cannot be given to everyone; one must be chosen by God.
Sprinkled around the main entrées of each service, HTC members from the auxiliaries were given space to express their love and thanks to Pastor directly, as well as to his devoted, hard-working wife, Mother Pruitte. During the last service, when all had had their say, our very own Pastor Pruitte stood behind the podium with a face overcome with emotion. When he heard the final numbers announced, you could nearly see him swell with pride. Leaning into the microphone to make his final remarks, he could have said anything, but what he did say was a mark of the true man of God he is…
“I feel honored that God has found me worthy to serve so great a people.”
Truly, God has chosen our beloved Pastor Pruitte for such a time as this