There have been several people who have found this blog and commented on the passing of Bro. Sheppard. I received an email today that had a way to respond to Sis. Shepphard and send her a message. The following is what I wrote. I don't think she will mind me sharing it:
Dear Sister Sheppard and Family,
I am one of those thousands upon thousands who came to know the Lord through the ministry and preaching of Bro. Sheppard. He preached a Youth Convention at Boyertown in 1971 and challenged the group by asking to shake the hand of the first young person that would come to the altar to accept Christ. It was my hand he shook and my life that was changed. After college at Penn State and then at Anderson, and after several years as an associate pastor in North Carolina, I came back to pastor the Boyertown congregation. Not yet ordained, I finished the process while at Boyertown and the District ordained me during Family Camp. Horace prayed the ordination prayer over me. After receiving my Certificate of Ordination I noticed that it had been signed twice by Don Murphy (he held two positions that asked for his signature) I approached Shep to request that he sign the certificate. He did. The other signatures have faded over time but Horace's remains bolder and brighter, just as he stands in my mind.
I am 6'4" tall, white and upwards of 250 lbs. Horace used to put his arm around my waist and introduce me as one of his sons. With all due respect to Horace, Jr., Paul, and Kenneth I could not have been more proud to be introduced as his son, at least as his son in the Lord. My wife and I are currently living in Pasadena, Ca. where I am attending Fuller Theological Seminary and working toward my Ph.D in preaching. My three mentors have been Dr. Massey, Dr. Hines, and Horace. I promise to pass on to the next generation what I can of those things that I learned sitting under Shep. Please know that he will continue to live on not just in the memories of all of us who loved him and were touched by him but he will live on in the lives of the next generation of preachers that I will be able to influence in the classroom.
Tomorrow, the Church of the Foothills where I am the interim pastor will be remembering you all in prayer. I only wish I could have been there for the funeral as a witness to the incredible influence he had on me and my ministry. God Bless you all.
Jeffrey W. Frymire
Pasadena, Ca. 91104
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