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 Carl Richardson Has Passed Away |
shaunbwilson |
Rev. Carl Richardson, former director of Forward in Faith and a member of the Church of God Executive Council, passed away this morning, April 4, 2024, in Florida.
Richardson was perhaps best known in the Church of God for his leadership of the media ministry Forward in Faith, which he led for twelve years. During his tenure between 1972-1984, Richardson was the radio evangelist for the program, broadcast every week from hundreds of radio stations across America. He expanded Forward in Faith, launching into television, capitalizing on opportunities to reach millions with television broadcasts. Of note was the nationwide special, “New World Coming,” and “Freedom Celebration,” produced to coincide with the American Bicentennial celebration in July 1976.
Beginning his ministry in 1953, Richardson served as pastor of the Lake Wire Church of God in Lakeland, Florida, and the Church of God in Ashland, Ohio. An evangelist at heart, Richardson had opportunities to preach to millions during his ministry. In addition to the thousands who heard him on weekly Forward in Faith broadcasts and the television specials, Richardson spoke to 3 million people in Pietersburg, South Africa in April 1986, in what was described as the largest gathering in the history of Christianity at the time. In 1987 he was a featured speaker at the New Orleans Superdome during the International Congress on the Holy Spirit and World Evangelization. In addition, he ministered during “Washington for Jesus” rallies where more than 500,000 were in attendance.
Richardson’s additional service for the Church of God included six two-year terms on the International Executive Council, World Missions Board of Directors, Evangelism and Home Missions board, State Evangelism and Home Missions Director in Florida, and International Evangelist. He was also a co-founder of Operation Compassion with Dr. John Nichols, serving on its board of directors and assisting with Conferences on Care during Nichols leadership.
In interdenominational activity, Richardson was active with the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) where he served on the board for 24 years. He was also a member of the board for North American Renewal Service Committee where he assisted in planning and production of several large events in well-known venues.
“In the last 45 days I’ve lost two leaders out of my life who, next to my own father, have affected me more significantly than anyone else. Carl Richardson is one of those men,” stated General Overseer Tim Hill. “He instilled in me the heart for Great Commission completion and communications. I’ve traveled with him literally around the world and have seen first-hand the impact he has made.”
Serenity Meadows Funeral Home in Riverview, Florida, has charge of arrangements. Services will be conducted at Plant City Church of God at a date to be announced later. To learn more or support the ongoing ministry of Carl Richardson, please visit evangelismbeyondborders.com.
via https://www.faithnews.cc/?p=34060
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4/4/24 8:03 pm
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shaunbwilson |
I had the pleasure of working with Carl Richardson for many years. He led the Church of God "Strike Force" that entered Russia when communism fell, and my own father was a part of that strike force. He was among those who encouraged me to begin my ministry there in Moscow even though I was only 13 years old. He encouraged me as I pursued missions, inviting me to join him in my early 20's to provide youth training in Mpumalanga, South Africa. And he was the first Chairman of the Board for World Class Cities Ministries, the missions organization where I eventually served on the board under his chairmanship and that I now have the honor of serving as president. He certainly left a mark on my life and was a genuine friend of our family.
As he enjoys his reward, his legacy will continue as those he invested in continue to be inspired by his work and build the kingdom of God in his absence.
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4/4/24 8:16 pm
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| The most visionary man in the COG |
Aaron Scott |
So glad I got the opportunity to meet him....
He will be very much missed...but the things he has left behind--great preaching, evangelist organization, etc., will live on to Jesus comes, I believe. |
Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology
Posts: 6032
4/4/24 11:19 pm
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Nature Boy Florida |
He made me proud to be COG in the 70s.
Those two TV specials on National TV were first class - and even though it was probably ungodly - I was for the first time proud to tell folks "we" were on National TV!
Here is what is crazy.
Just a few years ago - I had a person introduce me to him at General Assembly - but not with my name - but as the Nature Boy. I had no idea Bro Carl checked in on Acts regularly and he actually could quote some of the posts the Nature Boy had made - and eagerly discussed them with me. I was blown away. He had great insight into people and why they did things.
And he was very encouraging to me!
I am glad he has received his reward.
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Whether you like it or not, learn to love it, because its the best thing going today! |
Acts-pert Poster
Posts: 16619
4/5/24 8:23 am
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JLarry |
Shaun you must have got to know Doyle when you worked with Carl
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Recorded Sermons @ www.pastorwiley.com
No one who died without Christ is happy about their decision. |
Acts Mod
Posts: 3346
4/6/24 1:37 pm
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shaunbwilson |
| JLarry wrote: | | Shaun you must have got to know Doyle when you worked with Carl |
I believe my family came to know Carl and Doyle separately while my dad was the Evangelism Director for the Church of God in New York in the 80's when I was very young.
My understanding is that Carl came to New York when the COG national project was the Church of God International Church in New York City. The church was a three-story building with a COG congregation from a different country occupying each floor of the building. Carl came to see the church, and my dad received him and showed him around the city—one of my dad's favorite things to do for visitors when we lived there.
Sometime around then, Doyle and Linda moved to pastor a Church of God in New York, and that's when my dad got to know him.
After four years as Youth Director and eight years as Evangelism Director in New York, my dad was appointed as the Cross-Cultural Director in Florida. You are probably aware that the Florida State Office is relatively near where Carl ran his ministry. After serving for two years as Cross-Cultural Director (1990-1992), communism fell in Russia, and my dad was appointed as the Moscow Field Director to introduce the COG in the former Soviet Union (1992-1993). Carl headed up the project from Florida. Two of my older brothers worked for Carl to ship humanitarian aid for the project, and my mom, younger sister, and I moved to Moscow for eight months, living out of two hotel rooms. During that time, "Papa Carl" (as the Russian interpreters came to call him) and Sis. Bev were a great encouragement to our family.
In 1994, my dad became pastor of a Church of God in Baltimore, MD, and those same two older brothers who worked for Carl—who moved to Maryland to be near the rest of the family—began working as contractors for the U.S. government in DC. They eventually started their own company and hired Doyle as a real estate specialist at the company as a contractor to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) sometime around 1996 or so.
In 1998, my dad founded World Class Cities Ministries with Carl as the first Chairman of the Board. Bro. Carl served until 2012 when he was cutting back on the amount of work he was doing due to his health. We were so honored that, despite his health issues, he made a special effort to come to my dad's funeral in Lakeland, FL in 2016. I was able to keep in touch with Carl over the past few years as he would call to check in on the ministry and hear our latest metrics for the number of ministers trained, churches planted, and receiving humanitarian aid around the world. Of course, he also kept me updated on his own ministry and return to preaching.
Although our family had been doing cross-cultural and missions work for close to 20 years, our first official World Class Cities Ministries trip was to India in May 1998. Five of us went, including my dad, Doyle, and me.
After the contract that Doyle was servicing at GSA expired, Doyle moved back to Atlanta for a few years, but he came back to DC in 2009 to work on a project that our company won with the USDA Farm Services Agency. He lived with my parents near Baltimore while he looked for an apartment in DC during the first few weeks of that contract. I also "stood up" that contract, servicing it for the first four months. His desk was two cubicles away from mine. During that time, we would carpool to work together, and Doyle and I even went to Kansas City for a week together for training for the contract. And of course, I supported Doyle's Acts-celerate work by helping him with the technology side of things starting around the end of 1999.
I feel honored to have had both of these great men as family friends since before my memories really begin. They were each a great encouragement to me during the decades our lives overlapped. I feel very grateful to have had the chance to work with both of them. They were both visionaries, great strategic thinkers, and astounding relationship builders. They each did so much to build the kingdom of God. And I saw each of those qualities in my dad, too. It's no wonder to me that the three of them seemed to be so energized whenever they were in the same room, talking, and dreaming, and planning, and working hard to execute their shared vision to build the kingdom. When they were together, it was almost like 1 plus 1 plus 1 equaled 10.
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4/7/24 3:13 pm
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georgiapath |
| shaunbwilson wrote: | | JLarry wrote: | | Shaun you must have got to know Doyle when you worked with Carl |
I believe my family came to know Carl and Doyle separately while my dad was the Evangelism Director for the Church of God in New York in the 80's when I was very young.
My understanding is that Carl came to New York when the COG national project was the Church of God International Church in New York City. The church was a three-story building with a COG congregation from a different country occupying each floor of the building. Carl came to see the church, and my dad received him and showed him around the city—one of my dad's favorite things to do for visitors when we lived there.
Sometime around then, Doyle and Linda moved to pastor a Church of God in New York, and that's when my dad got to know him.
After four years as Youth Director and eight years as Evangelism Director in New York, my dad was appointed as the Cross-Cultural Director in Florida. You are probably aware that the Florida State Office is relatively near where Carl ran his ministry. After serving for two years as Cross-Cultural Director (1990-1992), communism fell in Russia, and my dad was appointed as the Moscow Field Director to introduce the COG in the former Soviet Union (1992-1993). Carl headed up the project from Florida. Two of my older brothers worked for Carl to ship humanitarian aid for the project, and my mom, younger sister, and I moved to Moscow for eight months, living out of two hotel rooms. During that time, "Papa Carl" (as the Russian interpreters came to call him) and Sis. Bev were a great encouragement to our family.
In 1994, my dad became pastor of a Church of God in Baltimore, MD, and those same two older brothers who worked for Carl—who moved to Maryland to be near the rest of the family—began working as contractors for the U.S. government in DC. They eventually started their own company and hired Doyle as a real estate specialist at the company as a contractor to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) sometime around 1996 or so.
In 1998, my dad founded World Class Cities Ministries with Carl as the first Chairman of the Board. Bro. Carl served until 2012 when he was cutting back on the amount of work he was doing due to his health. We were so honored that, despite his health issues, he made a special effort to come to my dad's funeral in Lakeland, FL in 2016. I was able to keep in touch with Carl over the past few years as he would call to check in on the ministry and hear our latest metrics for the number of ministers trained, churches planted, and receiving humanitarian aid around the world. Of course, he also kept me updated on his own ministry and return to preaching.
Although our family had been doing cross-cultural and missions work for close to 20 years, our first official World Class Cities Ministries trip was to India in May 1998. Five of us went, including my dad, Doyle, and me.
After the contract that Doyle was servicing at GSA expired, Doyle moved back to Atlanta for a few years, but he came back to DC in 2009 to work on a project that our company won with the USDA Farm Services Agency. He lived with my parents near Baltimore while he looked for an apartment in DC during the first few weeks of that contract. I also "stood up" that contract, servicing it for the first four months. His desk was two cubicles away from mine. During that time, we would carpool to work together, and Doyle and I even went to Kansas City for a week together for training for the contract. And of course, I supported Doyle's Acts-celerate work by helping him with the technology side of things starting around the end of 1999.
I feel honored to have had both of these great men as family friends since before my memories really begin. They were each a great encouragement to me during the decades our lives overlapped. I feel very grateful to have had the chance to work with both of them. They were both visionaries, great strategic thinkers, and astounding relationship builders. They each did so much to build the kingdom of God. And I saw each of those qualities in my dad, too. It's no wonder to me that the three of them seemed to be so energized whenever they were in the same room, talking, and dreaming, and planning, and working hard to execute their shared vision to build the kingdom. When they were together, it was almost like 1 plus 1 plus 1 equaled 10. |
What a great post, I'm impressed. Thank you for all you are still doing. |
Acts-dicted
Posts: 7587
4/7/24 8:22 pm
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shaunbwilson |
| georgiapath wrote: | | What a great post, I'm impressed. Thank you for all you are still doing. |
Thanks for the encouragement. 
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Signature Themes: Connectedness | Futuristic | Ideation | Intellection | Learner |
Site Admin
Posts: 3211
4/8/24 7:27 pm
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