From For My Children, the memoirs of Leon's son Guy Woodward:
Leon Francis Woodward, my father, was born in Carleton, Michigan on September 30, 1890. Leon grew up as a farm boy and attended the usual one room country grammar school. This was followed by attendance at and graduation from the high school in the village of Carleton [where he met Eva Potter]. As high school classmates Leon and Eva became attached to one another. Both were good students, and both were interested in sports and participated in cross-country running and basketball on the teams of their respective sexes. They graduated together on June 23, 1909. During that summer Leon went to the state Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University) in Ypsilanti, where he took teacher training courses and passed the teachers' exams. For two years Leon taught in "the old Red School," a one room grammar school west of Carleton. Leon and Eva were married in Carleton on June 7, 1911.
That fall Leon and Eva moved to Ottawa Lake, a crossroads hamlet a few miles from Carleton, where he had accepted a position in a larger school. That December of 1911 brought the death of Eva's father. So at the completion of the school year the couple returned to Carleton, where they stayed in the house with her mother. [It was reported that June that in "Carleton, Mich., Leon F. Woodward has purchased the book and jewelry business of Dr. E. J. Potter."] Leon then taught for two more years at the old Red School. In 1914 Leon left teaching to accept a more remunerative job as a rural mail carrier. This entailed a daily drive of several miles over the rutted country roads in his own horse-drawn buggy. The roads were frequently unmanageable for automobiles. At some time during this period Leon acquired, and used briefly, a motorcycle and sidecar, which added zest to the lives of the youthful couple and excitement to the community. However, roads being what they were, this form of transportation proved to be both dangerous and impractical, and the vehicle was soon disposed of, to be replaced by the couple's first automobile --a Maxwell touring car. This evidently was a useful vehicle, although travel in those days was restricted to relatively short distances --20 to 30 miles from home on those roads represented a real undertaking. In 1918, when my personal recollections commence, the Maxwell had been replaced by a Model T Ford. This was the only model Ford made --black, 3 doors, start-with-a-hand-crank, open touring car with a collapsible top and snap-on side curtains.
In 1917 the future seemed promising to the young couple — a new home, a child, a good job, and with the respect of the townsfolk Leon was expected to move into positions of increasing responsibility in the village. But their destiny was to be elsewhere. Eva and her family had been religiously oriented, but Leon's interest was lukewarm at most. When the fire-and-brimstone evangelist, Dave Hill the Lumberjack, came to Carleton for a campaign in one of the churches, Eva and her mother were active supporters and participants. Among other things they joined in a cottage prayer group, and a principal subject of their prayers was the Christian conversion of Leon. He attended some of the evangelist's preaching services, but resisted the appeals, until one day while alone on his mail delivery route he felt an overpowering sense of conviction, and then and there yielded to Christ's call. The public commitment was made in the service that evening. Thenceforth, Leon's life was inextricably bound to the church denomination known as the Evangelical Association. Within a short time his commitment became even deeper as he responded to an unmistakable call to enter the ministry. His first pastorate was at Harper Mission on the corner of Harper and Fisher Avenues in Detroit. The Woodwards moved to Detroit on April 18, 1918. The existing community was strongly Catholic, and considerable antagonism was seen between Catholics and Protestants on occasion. During worship services catcalls would sometimes be heard outside the little mission church, and now and then a rock sailed through an open window.
At the time of our arrival, Harper Mission had about fifteen active members, all being families of modest means or less. The salary paid by the Mission was a few dollars a week, supplemented by mission funds from the Conference. This income, meager as it was, was not reliable and before long my parents had exhausted their own funds, including the proceeds of the sale of their home in Carleton. For a time Leon worked at a menial task in one of the industrial plants, partly out of wartime patriotism and partly to supplement his income.
An attack of inflammatory rheumatism completely incapacitated Leon. The source of the illness was finally found to be an infected tooth. The tooth was removed, but it was many weeks before he could again function. During much of this period he lay helpless on his back in bed.
The Harper Mission congregation also was possessed of a kind of dedication, for they were ultra-conservative in their religious beliefs, and membership was denied anyone who used alcohol or tobacco. Women who bobbed their hair were of questionable character. Needless to say, movies and social dancing were taboo. The member families were all of humble origins, not far from their rural or immigrant sources. One man, Uncle Billy Mansfield, was a full-blooded Indian, a former acrobat and stunt parachutist, who was paralyzed from the waist down due to an accident when his parachute failed to function properly. He attended services regularly and enthusiastically. He was able to do so because for a considerable period Dad would transport him by auto and by wheel chair between his home and the church. This entailed his riding on my father's back up and down the flight of stairs to his second floor flat.
Dad's preaching in those years was well suited to his hearers and was modeled on the techniques of the preacher who converted him --Dave Hill, the Lumberjack Evangelist. The Gospel was presented unabashedly and unequivocally in non-intellectual terms, using simple language and homely examples. Phrases were shouted and the pulpit was pounded when appropriate for emphasis. Members of the congregation responded with "Amens." Hand clapping to the beat of the rhythmic gospel songs was common, and more rarely an overly-emotional woman might move into the aisle to dance as well as clap. Communion services were highly emotional and many of the participants were weeping as they left the altar after partaking of the elements. Altar calls were given at every service, and the success of the ministry was gauged in large part by the occasional positive responses to these invitations. Public decisions were made to accept Christ and the Christian life, and lives were visibly, dramatically and permanently changed in character and personality.
As a result of the energetic efforts of the pastor and congregation of Harper Mission the congregation grew, and in two years they were ready to construct a permanent structure to replace the rickety wooden building where they now met. [The new building was dedicated in November, 1920]
Leon and Eva enjoyed outings and travel. There were the occasional trips back to Carleton, fishing trips, swimming at various lake and river beaches, an excursion boat ride to Bob-Lo, which was an island amusement park in Lake Erie, an all day excursion train trip to Niagara Falls, and a vacation trip a few years later to Niagara Falls in the Model T Ford. Some of these activities were undoubtedly an attempt to compensate for the rural life that they had left and that they missed. Another mode of compensation was the keeping of cats. They were never without at least one cat in their home until the time of Leon's retirement.
The Conference [of the Evangelical Association] maintained a strict seven-year maximum for the assignment of a minister to a charge. Dad stayed the full seven years at Harper Mission. During the final few months he took a part-time job as a delivery truck driver for the Bunte Candy Company. This was to earn the extra money to cover moving expenses, for neither the Conference nor the local church did much to help defray that cost. By all accounts Dad's term at Harper Mission was successfu1. The membership had grown to several times its initial size, and the congregation was dedicated, well-organized and energetic. A new building had been constructed and was paid for. Many people had been helped in times of need by his ministry. Many lives had been changed for the better by his preaching and personal evangelism. He had set a worthy and wholesome example of a dedicated servant of God.
Accordingly, a week after the Annual Conference in the spring of 1924 the farewell sermon was preached and we moved to Marcellus and entered into a completely different kind of life. Leon could care for the needs of the Marcellus church on weekends, and attend classes at the Seminary on Tuesday through Friday. To the Woodward family, one of the blessings of Marcellus was the easy accessibility of out-of-door recreation free of crowds and commotion, for within 10 miles of town one could reach as many as 36 lakes encompassing a wide range of size and of variety from muddy bottoms and weed-filled shore lines to sandy bottoms with nice beaches. The fishing was excellent and was much indulged in by us and by many other residents of the area. Leon even used Goff Lake for baptismal services, baptizing by total immersion.
At that time the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville offered a course that could be completed in two academic years plus one session of summer school, and Leon enrolled in this course. The family lived in small, rented apartments in Naperville during the two school years, driving the 125 miles back to Marcellus on Friday afternoon or evening and returning to Naperville on Monday.
In due season Leon completed his work at the Seminary and now began to devote himself fully to his ministry in Marcellus. Dad's contagious enthusiasm contributed to his ministry, for he was now a popular and respected person in the town and people were attending his worship services and responding to his evangelism in ever greater numbers. But the Bishop believed that Dad was worthy of greater responsibility and a larger church. [So at the Annual Conference in May of 1928, he was charged to the larger church in] St. Joseph. Two weeks later, still confused, the Woodward family were settling in their new home in the parsonage of the Evangelical Church in St. Joe on the shore of lovely Lake Michigan, and were beginning a new chapter in their family life.
Leon was possessed of a strong sense of humor and he enjoyed hearing jokes, relating them and inflicting all sorts of practical jokes on his friends and family. Many of his favorite stories had their origins in his rural background and were, to put it gently, less than genteel. There was never a trace of smuttiness, but the stories were calculated attempts to upset squeamish stomachs, particularly when told at mealtime as they frequently were. This type of humor had been accepted and appreciated by the lower class laborers in Detroit and the rural constituency in Marcellus. The strictly middle class constituency at St. Joe had mixed reactions to the more uncouth stories, and he began to be more selective. In his conduct of worship services, informality had always been his keynote. But now, with the seminary training, and with a sanctuary with a pipe organ, a choir loft and choir, and a mimeographed bulletin and order of worship he made some concessions in the direction of a formalized structure, though he seldom felt bound by it. He also made a concession to the extent of acquiring clerical vestments.
In May 1934 Leon was transferred, again without advance notice, to the church in Lansing.
[Here end Guy's memoirs For My Children.]
**********************
A Biographical Sketch by Dr. W. H. Watson, delivered by Rev. John Hill at Rev. Woodward's memorial service at Calvary Church, Monroe, Michigan, August 19, 1955:
Leon F. Woodward was born at Carleton, Michigan, September 30, 1890, the son of Frank and Mary Woodward. His early years were spent in the Carleton community and he graduated from the Carleton High School, June 23, 1909.
On June 7, 1911, he was united in marriage with Eva D. Potter. To this union one son, J. Guy, was born, who is now a scientist in the R.C.A. Laboratories at Princeton, New Jersey. There are three granddaughters, Keitha Jane, Marcia Gail, and Lenore Beth.
Following graduation from high School, Leon taught school for four years, and later was a rural mail carrier in Monroe County, also for four years.
His conversion experience occurred at Carleton in 1910 under the ministry of Rev. Frank Yearnd. A few years later in an evangelistic service conducted in Carleton by evangelist Dave hill he became aware of a call to the ministry, to which he responded whole-heartedly. he was licensed as a minister by the Michigan Conference in 1918. he received ordination as deacon and was received into the itinerancy in 1920 and was ordained elder in 1922.
His first pastorate was the Harper Mission Church in Detroit, to which he was appointed in 1918 and where he served for seven years, the limit at that time. His second charge was Marcellus, where he served for three years. During this period he attended the Evangelical Theological Seminary at Naperville, graduating in 1927. He then served the following pastorates in the following order and for the periods indicated: St. Joseph six years, Lansing five years, Grand Rapids Griggs nine years, Dearborn four years, Monroe Calvary two years. During this final pastorate his health broke and he was forced to retire in 1954.
He was unusually successful in paying off large church debts, and much of his ministry was spent in heavily indebted churches. During his pastorate at Harper Mission a building was erected that served both as church and parsonage. At Monroe Calvary a fine parsonage was erected under his leadership. In each of the churches he served he developed a strong stewardship program that brought excellent financial results.
At nearly every church he served, one or more young men entered the ministry, though he was not one to urge them to do so. He always pointed out the problems involved and left the decisions with them. From the Harper Mission alone seven young men entered the ministry during the seven years of his ministry, five in 1923 and two in 1925. Altogether twelve men have entered the ministry during his pastorate, an exceptional record.
Brother Woodward was honored by his conference with numerous responsible positions, including Publisher of the Conference Paper, "The Michigan Evangelical," Conference Statistician, Secretary of the Conference Missionary Society, and Chairman of the important Ways and Means Committee. While he never sought preferment, every responsibility was discharged with efficiency and faithfulness. He gave unwavering loyalty to his Conference and his denomination.
He was a good pastor, an able preacher and an efficient administrator. He had unusual command of detail and was precise in handling any matter that called for his attention. He had an evangelistic passion and led many to an acceptance of Christ as Lord and Saviour.* He left an excellent record as a minister of the Michigan Conference.
Near the end of his first year at Monroe Calvary he suffered a serious break in health. Hoping for improvement in his health condition he continued for another year but labored under great physical handicap. Nevertheless, the record indicated a very fruitful year for the church. With the Conference session in 1954 retirement became imperative. But full release from labor and the milder climate of Florida could not restore the broken body. His condition grew progressively worse.
He passed to his eternal reward in the hospital at Chattahoochee, Florida, in the early morning of Wednesday, August 3rd. Funeral services were held in Bradenton, Florida, Saturday, August 6th, with Rev. J. F. Cooney, the pastor, in charge. Following the service at the Monroe Calvary Church interment will be made in the Carleton Cemetery.
Mourning his departure are his devoted wife and life companion, the son, three grandchildren, one aunt, two uncles, two nieces, several cousins, and a great host of friends throughout the Conference and the state. It is fitting to close with these words from the Scriptures: "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
**********************
See also History of the Michigan Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, Volume II, by William Henry Watson (1961) pp. 198-199, 308, 355, 385, 403, 461, 477; and Journal of the Ninety-fifth Annual Session of the Michigan Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, 1956, p. 94.
More information can be found in his wife's memorial.
Leon Francis Woodward, my father, was born in Carleton, Michigan on September 30, 1890. Leon grew up as a farm boy and attended the usual one room country grammar school. This was followed by attendance at and graduation from the high school in the village of Carleton [where he met Eva Potter]. As high school classmates Leon and Eva became attached to one another. Both were good students, and both were interested in sports and participated in cross-country running and basketball on the teams of their respective sexes. They graduated together on June 23, 1909. During that summer Leon went to the state Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University) in Ypsilanti, where he took teacher training courses and passed the teachers' exams. For two years Leon taught in "the old Red School," a one room grammar school west of Carleton. Leon and Eva were married in Carleton on June 7, 1911.
That fall Leon and Eva moved to Ottawa Lake, a crossroads hamlet a few miles from Carleton, where he had accepted a position in a larger school. That December of 1911 brought the death of Eva's father. So at the completion of the school year the couple returned to Carleton, where they stayed in the house with her mother. [It was reported that June that in "Carleton, Mich., Leon F. Woodward has purchased the book and jewelry business of Dr. E. J. Potter."] Leon then taught for two more years at the old Red School. In 1914 Leon left teaching to accept a more remunerative job as a rural mail carrier. This entailed a daily drive of several miles over the rutted country roads in his own horse-drawn buggy. The roads were frequently unmanageable for automobiles. At some time during this period Leon acquired, and used briefly, a motorcycle and sidecar, which added zest to the lives of the youthful couple and excitement to the community. However, roads being what they were, this form of transportation proved to be both dangerous and impractical, and the vehicle was soon disposed of, to be replaced by the couple's first automobile --a Maxwell touring car. This evidently was a useful vehicle, although travel in those days was restricted to relatively short distances --20 to 30 miles from home on those roads represented a real undertaking. In 1918, when my personal recollections commence, the Maxwell had been replaced by a Model T Ford. This was the only model Ford made --black, 3 doors, start-with-a-hand-crank, open touring car with a collapsible top and snap-on side curtains.
In 1917 the future seemed promising to the young couple — a new home, a child, a good job, and with the respect of the townsfolk Leon was expected to move into positions of increasing responsibility in the village. But their destiny was to be elsewhere. Eva and her family had been religiously oriented, but Leon's interest was lukewarm at most. When the fire-and-brimstone evangelist, Dave Hill the Lumberjack, came to Carleton for a campaign in one of the churches, Eva and her mother were active supporters and participants. Among other things they joined in a cottage prayer group, and a principal subject of their prayers was the Christian conversion of Leon. He attended some of the evangelist's preaching services, but resisted the appeals, until one day while alone on his mail delivery route he felt an overpowering sense of conviction, and then and there yielded to Christ's call. The public commitment was made in the service that evening. Thenceforth, Leon's life was inextricably bound to the church denomination known as the Evangelical Association. Within a short time his commitment became even deeper as he responded to an unmistakable call to enter the ministry. His first pastorate was at Harper Mission on the corner of Harper and Fisher Avenues in Detroit. The Woodwards moved to Detroit on April 18, 1918. The existing community was strongly Catholic, and considerable antagonism was seen between Catholics and Protestants on occasion. During worship services catcalls would sometimes be heard outside the little mission church, and now and then a rock sailed through an open window.
At the time of our arrival, Harper Mission had about fifteen active members, all being families of modest means or less. The salary paid by the Mission was a few dollars a week, supplemented by mission funds from the Conference. This income, meager as it was, was not reliable and before long my parents had exhausted their own funds, including the proceeds of the sale of their home in Carleton. For a time Leon worked at a menial task in one of the industrial plants, partly out of wartime patriotism and partly to supplement his income.
An attack of inflammatory rheumatism completely incapacitated Leon. The source of the illness was finally found to be an infected tooth. The tooth was removed, but it was many weeks before he could again function. During much of this period he lay helpless on his back in bed.
The Harper Mission congregation also was possessed of a kind of dedication, for they were ultra-conservative in their religious beliefs, and membership was denied anyone who used alcohol or tobacco. Women who bobbed their hair were of questionable character. Needless to say, movies and social dancing were taboo. The member families were all of humble origins, not far from their rural or immigrant sources. One man, Uncle Billy Mansfield, was a full-blooded Indian, a former acrobat and stunt parachutist, who was paralyzed from the waist down due to an accident when his parachute failed to function properly. He attended services regularly and enthusiastically. He was able to do so because for a considerable period Dad would transport him by auto and by wheel chair between his home and the church. This entailed his riding on my father's back up and down the flight of stairs to his second floor flat.
Dad's preaching in those years was well suited to his hearers and was modeled on the techniques of the preacher who converted him --Dave Hill, the Lumberjack Evangelist. The Gospel was presented unabashedly and unequivocally in non-intellectual terms, using simple language and homely examples. Phrases were shouted and the pulpit was pounded when appropriate for emphasis. Members of the congregation responded with "Amens." Hand clapping to the beat of the rhythmic gospel songs was common, and more rarely an overly-emotional woman might move into the aisle to dance as well as clap. Communion services were highly emotional and many of the participants were weeping as they left the altar after partaking of the elements. Altar calls were given at every service, and the success of the ministry was gauged in large part by the occasional positive responses to these invitations. Public decisions were made to accept Christ and the Christian life, and lives were visibly, dramatically and permanently changed in character and personality.
As a result of the energetic efforts of the pastor and congregation of Harper Mission the congregation grew, and in two years they were ready to construct a permanent structure to replace the rickety wooden building where they now met. [The new building was dedicated in November, 1920]
Leon and Eva enjoyed outings and travel. There were the occasional trips back to Carleton, fishing trips, swimming at various lake and river beaches, an excursion boat ride to Bob-Lo, which was an island amusement park in Lake Erie, an all day excursion train trip to Niagara Falls, and a vacation trip a few years later to Niagara Falls in the Model T Ford. Some of these activities were undoubtedly an attempt to compensate for the rural life that they had left and that they missed. Another mode of compensation was the keeping of cats. They were never without at least one cat in their home until the time of Leon's retirement.
The Conference [of the Evangelical Association] maintained a strict seven-year maximum for the assignment of a minister to a charge. Dad stayed the full seven years at Harper Mission. During the final few months he took a part-time job as a delivery truck driver for the Bunte Candy Company. This was to earn the extra money to cover moving expenses, for neither the Conference nor the local church did much to help defray that cost. By all accounts Dad's term at Harper Mission was successfu1. The membership had grown to several times its initial size, and the congregation was dedicated, well-organized and energetic. A new building had been constructed and was paid for. Many people had been helped in times of need by his ministry. Many lives had been changed for the better by his preaching and personal evangelism. He had set a worthy and wholesome example of a dedicated servant of God.
Accordingly, a week after the Annual Conference in the spring of 1924 the farewell sermon was preached and we moved to Marcellus and entered into a completely different kind of life. Leon could care for the needs of the Marcellus church on weekends, and attend classes at the Seminary on Tuesday through Friday. To the Woodward family, one of the blessings of Marcellus was the easy accessibility of out-of-door recreation free of crowds and commotion, for within 10 miles of town one could reach as many as 36 lakes encompassing a wide range of size and of variety from muddy bottoms and weed-filled shore lines to sandy bottoms with nice beaches. The fishing was excellent and was much indulged in by us and by many other residents of the area. Leon even used Goff Lake for baptismal services, baptizing by total immersion.
At that time the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville offered a course that could be completed in two academic years plus one session of summer school, and Leon enrolled in this course. The family lived in small, rented apartments in Naperville during the two school years, driving the 125 miles back to Marcellus on Friday afternoon or evening and returning to Naperville on Monday.
In due season Leon completed his work at the Seminary and now began to devote himself fully to his ministry in Marcellus. Dad's contagious enthusiasm contributed to his ministry, for he was now a popular and respected person in the town and people were attending his worship services and responding to his evangelism in ever greater numbers. But the Bishop believed that Dad was worthy of greater responsibility and a larger church. [So at the Annual Conference in May of 1928, he was charged to the larger church in] St. Joseph. Two weeks later, still confused, the Woodward family were settling in their new home in the parsonage of the Evangelical Church in St. Joe on the shore of lovely Lake Michigan, and were beginning a new chapter in their family life.
Leon was possessed of a strong sense of humor and he enjoyed hearing jokes, relating them and inflicting all sorts of practical jokes on his friends and family. Many of his favorite stories had their origins in his rural background and were, to put it gently, less than genteel. There was never a trace of smuttiness, but the stories were calculated attempts to upset squeamish stomachs, particularly when told at mealtime as they frequently were. This type of humor had been accepted and appreciated by the lower class laborers in Detroit and the rural constituency in Marcellus. The strictly middle class constituency at St. Joe had mixed reactions to the more uncouth stories, and he began to be more selective. In his conduct of worship services, informality had always been his keynote. But now, with the seminary training, and with a sanctuary with a pipe organ, a choir loft and choir, and a mimeographed bulletin and order of worship he made some concessions in the direction of a formalized structure, though he seldom felt bound by it. He also made a concession to the extent of acquiring clerical vestments.
In May 1934 Leon was transferred, again without advance notice, to the church in Lansing.
[Here end Guy's memoirs For My Children.]
**********************
A Biographical Sketch by Dr. W. H. Watson, delivered by Rev. John Hill at Rev. Woodward's memorial service at Calvary Church, Monroe, Michigan, August 19, 1955:
Leon F. Woodward was born at Carleton, Michigan, September 30, 1890, the son of Frank and Mary Woodward. His early years were spent in the Carleton community and he graduated from the Carleton High School, June 23, 1909.
On June 7, 1911, he was united in marriage with Eva D. Potter. To this union one son, J. Guy, was born, who is now a scientist in the R.C.A. Laboratories at Princeton, New Jersey. There are three granddaughters, Keitha Jane, Marcia Gail, and Lenore Beth.
Following graduation from high School, Leon taught school for four years, and later was a rural mail carrier in Monroe County, also for four years.
His conversion experience occurred at Carleton in 1910 under the ministry of Rev. Frank Yearnd. A few years later in an evangelistic service conducted in Carleton by evangelist Dave hill he became aware of a call to the ministry, to which he responded whole-heartedly. he was licensed as a minister by the Michigan Conference in 1918. he received ordination as deacon and was received into the itinerancy in 1920 and was ordained elder in 1922.
His first pastorate was the Harper Mission Church in Detroit, to which he was appointed in 1918 and where he served for seven years, the limit at that time. His second charge was Marcellus, where he served for three years. During this period he attended the Evangelical Theological Seminary at Naperville, graduating in 1927. He then served the following pastorates in the following order and for the periods indicated: St. Joseph six years, Lansing five years, Grand Rapids Griggs nine years, Dearborn four years, Monroe Calvary two years. During this final pastorate his health broke and he was forced to retire in 1954.
He was unusually successful in paying off large church debts, and much of his ministry was spent in heavily indebted churches. During his pastorate at Harper Mission a building was erected that served both as church and parsonage. At Monroe Calvary a fine parsonage was erected under his leadership. In each of the churches he served he developed a strong stewardship program that brought excellent financial results.
At nearly every church he served, one or more young men entered the ministry, though he was not one to urge them to do so. He always pointed out the problems involved and left the decisions with them. From the Harper Mission alone seven young men entered the ministry during the seven years of his ministry, five in 1923 and two in 1925. Altogether twelve men have entered the ministry during his pastorate, an exceptional record.
Brother Woodward was honored by his conference with numerous responsible positions, including Publisher of the Conference Paper, "The Michigan Evangelical," Conference Statistician, Secretary of the Conference Missionary Society, and Chairman of the important Ways and Means Committee. While he never sought preferment, every responsibility was discharged with efficiency and faithfulness. He gave unwavering loyalty to his Conference and his denomination.
He was a good pastor, an able preacher and an efficient administrator. He had unusual command of detail and was precise in handling any matter that called for his attention. He had an evangelistic passion and led many to an acceptance of Christ as Lord and Saviour.* He left an excellent record as a minister of the Michigan Conference.
Near the end of his first year at Monroe Calvary he suffered a serious break in health. Hoping for improvement in his health condition he continued for another year but labored under great physical handicap. Nevertheless, the record indicated a very fruitful year for the church. With the Conference session in 1954 retirement became imperative. But full release from labor and the milder climate of Florida could not restore the broken body. His condition grew progressively worse.
He passed to his eternal reward in the hospital at Chattahoochee, Florida, in the early morning of Wednesday, August 3rd. Funeral services were held in Bradenton, Florida, Saturday, August 6th, with Rev. J. F. Cooney, the pastor, in charge. Following the service at the Monroe Calvary Church interment will be made in the Carleton Cemetery.
Mourning his departure are his devoted wife and life companion, the son, three grandchildren, one aunt, two uncles, two nieces, several cousins, and a great host of friends throughout the Conference and the state. It is fitting to close with these words from the Scriptures: "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
**********************
See also History of the Michigan Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, Volume II, by William Henry Watson (1961) pp. 198-199, 308, 355, 385, 403, 461, 477; and Journal of the Ninety-fifth Annual Session of the Michigan Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, 1956, p. 94.
More information can be found in his wife's memorial.
From For My Children, the memoirs of Leon's son Guy Woodward:
Leon Francis Woodward, my father, was born in Carleton, Michigan on September 30, 1890. Leon grew up as a farm boy and attended the usual one room country grammar school. This was followed by attendance at and graduation from the high school in the village of Carleton [where he met Eva Potter]. As high school classmates Leon and Eva became attached to one another. Both were good students, and both were interested in sports and participated in cross-country running and basketball on the teams of their respective sexes. They graduated together on June 23, 1909. During that summer Leon went to the state Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University) in Ypsilanti, where he took teacher training courses and passed the teachers' exams. For two years Leon taught in "the old Red School," a one room grammar school west of Carleton. Leon and Eva were married in Carleton on June 7, 1911.
That fall Leon and Eva moved to Ottawa Lake, a crossroads hamlet a few miles from Carleton, where he had accepted a position in a larger school. That December of 1911 brought the death of Eva's father. So at the completion of the school year the couple returned to Carleton, where they stayed in the house with her mother. [It was reported that June that in "Carleton, Mich., Leon F. Woodward has purchased the book and jewelry business of Dr. E. J. Potter."] Leon then taught for two more years at the old Red School. In 1914 Leon left teaching to accept a more remunerative job as a rural mail carrier. This entailed a daily drive of several miles over the rutted country roads in his own horse-drawn buggy. The roads were frequently unmanageable for automobiles. At some time during this period Leon acquired, and used briefly, a motorcycle and sidecar, which added zest to the lives of the youthful couple and excitement to the community. However, roads being what they were, this form of transportation proved to be both dangerous and impractical, and the vehicle was soon disposed of, to be replaced by the couple's first automobile --a Maxwell touring car. This evidently was a useful vehicle, although travel in those days was restricted to relatively short distances --20 to 30 miles from home on those roads represented a real undertaking. In 1918, when my personal recollections commence, the Maxwell had been replaced by a Model T Ford. This was the only model Ford made --black, 3 doors, start-with-a-hand-crank, open touring car with a collapsible top and snap-on side curtains.
In 1917 the future seemed promising to the young couple — a new home, a child, a good job, and with the respect of the townsfolk Leon was expected to move into positions of increasing responsibility in the village. But their destiny was to be elsewhere. Eva and her family had been religiously oriented, but Leon's interest was lukewarm at most. When the fire-and-brimstone evangelist, Dave Hill the Lumberjack, came to Carleton for a campaign in one of the churches, Eva and her mother were active supporters and participants. Among other things they joined in a cottage prayer group, and a principal subject of their prayers was the Christian conversion of Leon. He attended some of the evangelist's preaching services, but resisted the appeals, until one day while alone on his mail delivery route he felt an overpowering sense of conviction, and then and there yielded to Christ's call. The public commitment was made in the service that evening. Thenceforth, Leon's life was inextricably bound to the church denomination known as the Evangelical Association. Within a short time his commitment became even deeper as he responded to an unmistakable call to enter the ministry. His first pastorate was at Harper Mission on the corner of Harper and Fisher Avenues in Detroit. The Woodwards moved to Detroit on April 18, 1918. The existing community was strongly Catholic, and considerable antagonism was seen between Catholics and Protestants on occasion. During worship services catcalls would sometimes be heard outside the little mission church, and now and then a rock sailed through an open window.
At the time of our arrival, Harper Mission had about fifteen active members, all being families of modest means or less. The salary paid by the Mission was a few dollars a week, supplemented by mission funds from the Conference. This income, meager as it was, was not reliable and before long my parents had exhausted their own funds, including the proceeds of the sale of their home in Carleton. For a time Leon worked at a menial task in one of the industrial plants, partly out of wartime patriotism and partly to supplement his income.
An attack of inflammatory rheumatism completely incapacitated Leon. The source of the illness was finally found to be an infected tooth. The tooth was removed, but it was many weeks before he could again function. During much of this period he lay helpless on his back in bed.
The Harper Mission congregation also was possessed of a kind of dedication, for they were ultra-conservative in their religious beliefs, and membership was denied anyone who used alcohol or tobacco. Women who bobbed their hair were of questionable character. Needless to say, movies and social dancing were taboo. The member families were all of humble origins, not far from their rural or immigrant sources. One man, Uncle Billy Mansfield, was a full-blooded Indian, a former acrobat and stunt parachutist, who was paralyzed from the waist down due to an accident when his parachute failed to function properly. He attended services regularly and enthusiastically. He was able to do so because for a considerable period Dad would transport him by auto and by wheel chair between his home and the church. This entailed his riding on my father's back up and down the flight of stairs to his second floor flat.
Dad's preaching in those years was well suited to his hearers and was modeled on the techniques of the preacher who converted him --Dave Hill, the Lumberjack Evangelist. The Gospel was presented unabashedly and unequivocally in non-intellectual terms, using simple language and homely examples. Phrases were shouted and the pulpit was pounded when appropriate for emphasis. Members of the congregation responded with "Amens." Hand clapping to the beat of the rhythmic gospel songs was common, and more rarely an overly-emotional woman might move into the aisle to dance as well as clap. Communion services were highly emotional and many of the participants were weeping as they left the altar after partaking of the elements. Altar calls were given at every service, and the success of the ministry was gauged in large part by the occasional positive responses to these invitations. Public decisions were made to accept Christ and the Christian life, and lives were visibly, dramatically and permanently changed in character and personality.
As a result of the energetic efforts of the pastor and congregation of Harper Mission the congregation grew, and in two years they were ready to construct a permanent structure to replace the rickety wooden building where they now met. [The new building was dedicated in November, 1920]
Leon and Eva enjoyed outings and travel. There were the occasional trips back to Carleton, fishing trips, swimming at various lake and river beaches, an excursion boat ride to Bob-Lo, which was an island amusement park in Lake Erie, an all day excursion train trip to Niagara Falls, and a vacation trip a few years later to Niagara Falls in the Model T Ford. Some of these activities were undoubtedly an attempt to compensate for the rural life that they had left and that they missed. Another mode of compensation was the keeping of cats. They were never without at least one cat in their home until the time of Leon's retirement.
The Conference [of the Evangelical Association] maintained a strict seven-year maximum for the assignment of a minister to a charge. Dad stayed the full seven years at Harper Mission. During the final few months he took a part-time job as a delivery truck driver for the Bunte Candy Company. This was to earn the extra money to cover moving expenses, for neither the Conference nor the local church did much to help defray that cost. By all accounts Dad's term at Harper Mission was successfu1. The membership had grown to several times its initial size, and the congregation was dedicated, well-organized and energetic. A new building had been constructed and was paid for. Many people had been helped in times of need by his ministry. Many lives had been changed for the better by his preaching and personal evangelism. He had set a worthy and wholesome example of a dedicated servant of God.
Accordingly, a week after the Annual Conference in the spring of 1924 the farewell sermon was preached and we moved to Marcellus and entered into a completely different kind of life. Leon could care for the needs of the Marcellus church on weekends, and attend classes at the Seminary on Tuesday through Friday. To the Woodward family, one of the blessings of Marcellus was the easy accessibility of out-of-door recreation free of crowds and commotion, for within 10 miles of town one could reach as many as 36 lakes encompassing a wide range of size and of variety from muddy bottoms and weed-filled shore lines to sandy bottoms with nice beaches. The fishing was excellent and was much indulged in by us and by many other residents of the area. Leon even used Goff Lake for baptismal services, baptizing by total immersion.
At that time the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville offered a course that could be completed in two academic years plus one session of summer school, and Leon enrolled in this course. The family lived in small, rented apartments in Naperville during the two school years, driving the 125 miles back to Marcellus on Friday afternoon or evening and returning to Naperville on Monday.
In due season Leon completed his work at the Seminary and now began to devote himself fully to his ministry in Marcellus. Dad's contagious enthusiasm contributed to his ministry, for he was now a popular and respected person in the town and people were attending his worship services and responding to his evangelism in ever greater numbers. But the Bishop believed that Dad was worthy of greater responsibility and a larger church. [So at the Annual Conference in May of 1928, he was charged to the larger church in] St. Joseph. Two weeks later, still confused, the Woodward family were settling in their new home in the parsonage of the Evangelical Church in St. Joe on the shore of lovely Lake Michigan, and were beginning a new chapter in their family life.
Leon was possessed of a strong sense of humor and he enjoyed hearing jokes, relating them and inflicting all sorts of practical jokes on his friends and family. Many of his favorite stories had their origins in his rural background and were, to put it gently, less than genteel. There was never a trace of smuttiness, but the stories were calculated attempts to upset squeamish stomachs, particularly when told at mealtime as they frequently were. This type of humor had been accepted and appreciated by the lower class laborers in Detroit and the rural constituency in Marcellus. The strictly middle class constituency at St. Joe had mixed reactions to the more uncouth stories, and he began to be more selective. In his conduct of worship services, informality had always been his keynote. But now, with the seminary training, and with a sanctuary with a pipe organ, a choir loft and choir, and a mimeographed bulletin and order of worship he made some concessions in the direction of a formalized structure, though he seldom felt bound by it. He also made a concession to the extent of acquiring clerical vestments.
In May 1934 Leon was transferred, again without advance notice, to the church in Lansing.
[Here end Guy's memoirs For My Children.]
**********************
A Biographical Sketch by Dr. W. H. Watson, delivered by Rev. John Hill at Rev. Woodward's memorial service at Calvary Church, Monroe, Michigan, August 19, 1955:
Leon F. Woodward was born at Carleton, Michigan, September 30, 1890, the son of Frank and Mary Woodward. His early years were spent in the Carleton community and he graduated from the Carleton High School, June 23, 1909.
On June 7, 1911, he was united in marriage with Eva D. Potter. To this union one son, J. Guy, was born, who is now a scientist in the R.C.A. Laboratories at Princeton, New Jersey. There are three granddaughters, Keitha Jane, Marcia Gail, and Lenore Beth.
Following graduation from high School, Leon taught school for four years, and later was a rural mail carrier in Monroe County, also for four years.
His conversion experience occurred at Carleton in 1910 under the ministry of Rev. Frank Yearnd. A few years later in an evangelistic service conducted in Carleton by evangelist Dave hill he became aware of a call to the ministry, to which he responded whole-heartedly. he was licensed as a minister by the Michigan Conference in 1918. he received ordination as deacon and was received into the itinerancy in 1920 and was ordained elder in 1922.
His first pastorate was the Harper Mission Church in Detroit, to which he was appointed in 1918 and where he served for seven years, the limit at that time. His second charge was Marcellus, where he served for three years. During this period he attended the Evangelical Theological Seminary at Naperville, graduating in 1927. He then served the following pastorates in the following order and for the periods indicated: St. Joseph six years, Lansing five years, Grand Rapids Griggs nine years, Dearborn four years, Monroe Calvary two years. During this final pastorate his health broke and he was forced to retire in 1954.
He was unusually successful in paying off large church debts, and much of his ministry was spent in heavily indebted churches. During his pastorate at Harper Mission a building was erected that served both as church and parsonage. At Monroe Calvary a fine parsonage was erected under his leadership. In each of the churches he served he developed a strong stewardship program that brought excellent financial results.
At nearly every church he served, one or more young men entered the ministry, though he was not one to urge them to do so. He always pointed out the problems involved and left the decisions with them. From the Harper Mission alone seven young men entered the ministry during the seven years of his ministry, five in 1923 and two in 1925. Altogether twelve men have entered the ministry during his pastorate, an exceptional record.
Brother Woodward was honored by his conference with numerous responsible positions, including Publisher of the Conference Paper, "The Michigan Evangelical," Conference Statistician, Secretary of the Conference Missionary Society, and Chairman of the important Ways and Means Committee. While he never sought preferment, every responsibility was discharged with efficiency and faithfulness. He gave unwavering loyalty to his Conference and his denomination.
He was a good pastor, an able preacher and an efficient administrator. He had unusual command of detail and was precise in handling any matter that called for his attention. He had an evangelistic passion and led many to an acceptance of Christ as Lord and Saviour.* He left an excellent record as a minister of the Michigan Conference.
Near the end of his first year at Monroe Calvary he suffered a serious break in health. Hoping for improvement in his health condition he continued for another year but labored under great physical handicap. Nevertheless, the record indicated a very fruitful year for the church. With the Conference session in 1954 retirement became imperative. But full release from labor and the milder climate of Florida could not restore the broken body. His condition grew progressively worse.
He passed to his eternal reward in the hospital at Chattahoochee, Florida, in the early morning of Wednesday, August 3rd. Funeral services were held in Bradenton, Florida, Saturday, August 6th, with Rev. J. F. Cooney, the pastor, in charge. Following the service at the Monroe Calvary Church interment will be made in the Carleton Cemetery.
Mourning his departure are his devoted wife and life companion, the son, three grandchildren, one aunt, two uncles, two nieces, several cousins, and a great host of friends throughout the Conference and the state. It is fitting to close with these words from the Scriptures: "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
**********************
See also History of the Michigan Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, Volume II, by William Henry Watson (1961) pp. 198-199, 308, 355, 385, 403, 461, 477; and Journal of the Ninety-fifth Annual Session of the Michigan Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, 1956, p. 94.
More information can be found in his wife's memorial.
Leon Francis Woodward, my father, was born in Carleton, Michigan on September 30, 1890. Leon grew up as a farm boy and attended the usual one room country grammar school. This was followed by attendance at and graduation from the high school in the village of Carleton [where he met Eva Potter]. As high school classmates Leon and Eva became attached to one another. Both were good students, and both were interested in sports and participated in cross-country running and basketball on the teams of their respective sexes. They graduated together on June 23, 1909. During that summer Leon went to the state Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University) in Ypsilanti, where he took teacher training courses and passed the teachers' exams. For two years Leon taught in "the old Red School," a one room grammar school west of Carleton. Leon and Eva were married in Carleton on June 7, 1911.
That fall Leon and Eva moved to Ottawa Lake, a crossroads hamlet a few miles from Carleton, where he had accepted a position in a larger school. That December of 1911 brought the death of Eva's father. So at the completion of the school year the couple returned to Carleton, where they stayed in the house with her mother. [It was reported that June that in "Carleton, Mich., Leon F. Woodward has purchased the book and jewelry business of Dr. E. J. Potter."] Leon then taught for two more years at the old Red School. In 1914 Leon left teaching to accept a more remunerative job as a rural mail carrier. This entailed a daily drive of several miles over the rutted country roads in his own horse-drawn buggy. The roads were frequently unmanageable for automobiles. At some time during this period Leon acquired, and used briefly, a motorcycle and sidecar, which added zest to the lives of the youthful couple and excitement to the community. However, roads being what they were, this form of transportation proved to be both dangerous and impractical, and the vehicle was soon disposed of, to be replaced by the couple's first automobile --a Maxwell touring car. This evidently was a useful vehicle, although travel in those days was restricted to relatively short distances --20 to 30 miles from home on those roads represented a real undertaking. In 1918, when my personal recollections commence, the Maxwell had been replaced by a Model T Ford. This was the only model Ford made --black, 3 doors, start-with-a-hand-crank, open touring car with a collapsible top and snap-on side curtains.
In 1917 the future seemed promising to the young couple — a new home, a child, a good job, and with the respect of the townsfolk Leon was expected to move into positions of increasing responsibility in the village. But their destiny was to be elsewhere. Eva and her family had been religiously oriented, but Leon's interest was lukewarm at most. When the fire-and-brimstone evangelist, Dave Hill the Lumberjack, came to Carleton for a campaign in one of the churches, Eva and her mother were active supporters and participants. Among other things they joined in a cottage prayer group, and a principal subject of their prayers was the Christian conversion of Leon. He attended some of the evangelist's preaching services, but resisted the appeals, until one day while alone on his mail delivery route he felt an overpowering sense of conviction, and then and there yielded to Christ's call. The public commitment was made in the service that evening. Thenceforth, Leon's life was inextricably bound to the church denomination known as the Evangelical Association. Within a short time his commitment became even deeper as he responded to an unmistakable call to enter the ministry. His first pastorate was at Harper Mission on the corner of Harper and Fisher Avenues in Detroit. The Woodwards moved to Detroit on April 18, 1918. The existing community was strongly Catholic, and considerable antagonism was seen between Catholics and Protestants on occasion. During worship services catcalls would sometimes be heard outside the little mission church, and now and then a rock sailed through an open window.
At the time of our arrival, Harper Mission had about fifteen active members, all being families of modest means or less. The salary paid by the Mission was a few dollars a week, supplemented by mission funds from the Conference. This income, meager as it was, was not reliable and before long my parents had exhausted their own funds, including the proceeds of the sale of their home in Carleton. For a time Leon worked at a menial task in one of the industrial plants, partly out of wartime patriotism and partly to supplement his income.
An attack of inflammatory rheumatism completely incapacitated Leon. The source of the illness was finally found to be an infected tooth. The tooth was removed, but it was many weeks before he could again function. During much of this period he lay helpless on his back in bed.
The Harper Mission congregation also was possessed of a kind of dedication, for they were ultra-conservative in their religious beliefs, and membership was denied anyone who used alcohol or tobacco. Women who bobbed their hair were of questionable character. Needless to say, movies and social dancing were taboo. The member families were all of humble origins, not far from their rural or immigrant sources. One man, Uncle Billy Mansfield, was a full-blooded Indian, a former acrobat and stunt parachutist, who was paralyzed from the waist down due to an accident when his parachute failed to function properly. He attended services regularly and enthusiastically. He was able to do so because for a considerable period Dad would transport him by auto and by wheel chair between his home and the church. This entailed his riding on my father's back up and down the flight of stairs to his second floor flat.
Dad's preaching in those years was well suited to his hearers and was modeled on the techniques of the preacher who converted him --Dave Hill, the Lumberjack Evangelist. The Gospel was presented unabashedly and unequivocally in non-intellectual terms, using simple language and homely examples. Phrases were shouted and the pulpit was pounded when appropriate for emphasis. Members of the congregation responded with "Amens." Hand clapping to the beat of the rhythmic gospel songs was common, and more rarely an overly-emotional woman might move into the aisle to dance as well as clap. Communion services were highly emotional and many of the participants were weeping as they left the altar after partaking of the elements. Altar calls were given at every service, and the success of the ministry was gauged in large part by the occasional positive responses to these invitations. Public decisions were made to accept Christ and the Christian life, and lives were visibly, dramatically and permanently changed in character and personality.
As a result of the energetic efforts of the pastor and congregation of Harper Mission the congregation grew, and in two years they were ready to construct a permanent structure to replace the rickety wooden building where they now met. [The new building was dedicated in November, 1920]
Leon and Eva enjoyed outings and travel. There were the occasional trips back to Carleton, fishing trips, swimming at various lake and river beaches, an excursion boat ride to Bob-Lo, which was an island amusement park in Lake Erie, an all day excursion train trip to Niagara Falls, and a vacation trip a few years later to Niagara Falls in the Model T Ford. Some of these activities were undoubtedly an attempt to compensate for the rural life that they had left and that they missed. Another mode of compensation was the keeping of cats. They were never without at least one cat in their home until the time of Leon's retirement.
The Conference [of the Evangelical Association] maintained a strict seven-year maximum for the assignment of a minister to a charge. Dad stayed the full seven years at Harper Mission. During the final few months he took a part-time job as a delivery truck driver for the Bunte Candy Company. This was to earn the extra money to cover moving expenses, for neither the Conference nor the local church did much to help defray that cost. By all accounts Dad's term at Harper Mission was successfu1. The membership had grown to several times its initial size, and the congregation was dedicated, well-organized and energetic. A new building had been constructed and was paid for. Many people had been helped in times of need by his ministry. Many lives had been changed for the better by his preaching and personal evangelism. He had set a worthy and wholesome example of a dedicated servant of God.
Accordingly, a week after the Annual Conference in the spring of 1924 the farewell sermon was preached and we moved to Marcellus and entered into a completely different kind of life. Leon could care for the needs of the Marcellus church on weekends, and attend classes at the Seminary on Tuesday through Friday. To the Woodward family, one of the blessings of Marcellus was the easy accessibility of out-of-door recreation free of crowds and commotion, for within 10 miles of town one could reach as many as 36 lakes encompassing a wide range of size and of variety from muddy bottoms and weed-filled shore lines to sandy bottoms with nice beaches. The fishing was excellent and was much indulged in by us and by many other residents of the area. Leon even used Goff Lake for baptismal services, baptizing by total immersion.
At that time the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville offered a course that could be completed in two academic years plus one session of summer school, and Leon enrolled in this course. The family lived in small, rented apartments in Naperville during the two school years, driving the 125 miles back to Marcellus on Friday afternoon or evening and returning to Naperville on Monday.
In due season Leon completed his work at the Seminary and now began to devote himself fully to his ministry in Marcellus. Dad's contagious enthusiasm contributed to his ministry, for he was now a popular and respected person in the town and people were attending his worship services and responding to his evangelism in ever greater numbers. But the Bishop believed that Dad was worthy of greater responsibility and a larger church. [So at the Annual Conference in May of 1928, he was charged to the larger church in] St. Joseph. Two weeks later, still confused, the Woodward family were settling in their new home in the parsonage of the Evangelical Church in St. Joe on the shore of lovely Lake Michigan, and were beginning a new chapter in their family life.
Leon was possessed of a strong sense of humor and he enjoyed hearing jokes, relating them and inflicting all sorts of practical jokes on his friends and family. Many of his favorite stories had their origins in his rural background and were, to put it gently, less than genteel. There was never a trace of smuttiness, but the stories were calculated attempts to upset squeamish stomachs, particularly when told at mealtime as they frequently were. This type of humor had been accepted and appreciated by the lower class laborers in Detroit and the rural constituency in Marcellus. The strictly middle class constituency at St. Joe had mixed reactions to the more uncouth stories, and he began to be more selective. In his conduct of worship services, informality had always been his keynote. But now, with the seminary training, and with a sanctuary with a pipe organ, a choir loft and choir, and a mimeographed bulletin and order of worship he made some concessions in the direction of a formalized structure, though he seldom felt bound by it. He also made a concession to the extent of acquiring clerical vestments.
In May 1934 Leon was transferred, again without advance notice, to the church in Lansing.
[Here end Guy's memoirs For My Children.]
**********************
A Biographical Sketch by Dr. W. H. Watson, delivered by Rev. John Hill at Rev. Woodward's memorial service at Calvary Church, Monroe, Michigan, August 19, 1955:
Leon F. Woodward was born at Carleton, Michigan, September 30, 1890, the son of Frank and Mary Woodward. His early years were spent in the Carleton community and he graduated from the Carleton High School, June 23, 1909.
On June 7, 1911, he was united in marriage with Eva D. Potter. To this union one son, J. Guy, was born, who is now a scientist in the R.C.A. Laboratories at Princeton, New Jersey. There are three granddaughters, Keitha Jane, Marcia Gail, and Lenore Beth.
Following graduation from high School, Leon taught school for four years, and later was a rural mail carrier in Monroe County, also for four years.
His conversion experience occurred at Carleton in 1910 under the ministry of Rev. Frank Yearnd. A few years later in an evangelistic service conducted in Carleton by evangelist Dave hill he became aware of a call to the ministry, to which he responded whole-heartedly. he was licensed as a minister by the Michigan Conference in 1918. he received ordination as deacon and was received into the itinerancy in 1920 and was ordained elder in 1922.
His first pastorate was the Harper Mission Church in Detroit, to which he was appointed in 1918 and where he served for seven years, the limit at that time. His second charge was Marcellus, where he served for three years. During this period he attended the Evangelical Theological Seminary at Naperville, graduating in 1927. He then served the following pastorates in the following order and for the periods indicated: St. Joseph six years, Lansing five years, Grand Rapids Griggs nine years, Dearborn four years, Monroe Calvary two years. During this final pastorate his health broke and he was forced to retire in 1954.
He was unusually successful in paying off large church debts, and much of his ministry was spent in heavily indebted churches. During his pastorate at Harper Mission a building was erected that served both as church and parsonage. At Monroe Calvary a fine parsonage was erected under his leadership. In each of the churches he served he developed a strong stewardship program that brought excellent financial results.
At nearly every church he served, one or more young men entered the ministry, though he was not one to urge them to do so. He always pointed out the problems involved and left the decisions with them. From the Harper Mission alone seven young men entered the ministry during the seven years of his ministry, five in 1923 and two in 1925. Altogether twelve men have entered the ministry during his pastorate, an exceptional record.
Brother Woodward was honored by his conference with numerous responsible positions, including Publisher of the Conference Paper, "The Michigan Evangelical," Conference Statistician, Secretary of the Conference Missionary Society, and Chairman of the important Ways and Means Committee. While he never sought preferment, every responsibility was discharged with efficiency and faithfulness. He gave unwavering loyalty to his Conference and his denomination.
He was a good pastor, an able preacher and an efficient administrator. He had unusual command of detail and was precise in handling any matter that called for his attention. He had an evangelistic passion and led many to an acceptance of Christ as Lord and Saviour.* He left an excellent record as a minister of the Michigan Conference.
Near the end of his first year at Monroe Calvary he suffered a serious break in health. Hoping for improvement in his health condition he continued for another year but labored under great physical handicap. Nevertheless, the record indicated a very fruitful year for the church. With the Conference session in 1954 retirement became imperative. But full release from labor and the milder climate of Florida could not restore the broken body. His condition grew progressively worse.
He passed to his eternal reward in the hospital at Chattahoochee, Florida, in the early morning of Wednesday, August 3rd. Funeral services were held in Bradenton, Florida, Saturday, August 6th, with Rev. J. F. Cooney, the pastor, in charge. Following the service at the Monroe Calvary Church interment will be made in the Carleton Cemetery.
Mourning his departure are his devoted wife and life companion, the son, three grandchildren, one aunt, two uncles, two nieces, several cousins, and a great host of friends throughout the Conference and the state. It is fitting to close with these words from the Scriptures: "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
**********************
See also History of the Michigan Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, Volume II, by William Henry Watson (1961) pp. 198-199, 308, 355, 385, 403, 461, 477; and Journal of the Ninety-fifth Annual Session of the Michigan Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, 1956, p. 94.
More information can be found in his wife's memorial.
Family Members
Children
