World Renewal International

Growing up next to my grandparents was awesome. Grandmother was a stay-at-home mom and grandmother. Grandmother Milner was the worst checkers player in the world. She always lost. I am not sure when I realized she did this on purpose. It may have been when I realized my cousins always won too. She wanted to encourage us and build us up and that was one thing she did. This was her MO for grandkids. She would listen to your problems and was so encouraging.
[Pictured right are my grandparents Paul and Luella Milner on their 50th Wedding Anniversary November 19,1975]
Grandmother was a sewer. She made a lot of clothes for my female cousins. One of the things she did each year I was in grade school was to make my costumes for Halloween. The school would have contests each year for who had the best costumes. It was a big deal. We would go single file into the gymnasium and be judged in several categories. The school would have a panel of judges who gave prizes for most creative, or most original, etc. There was not the awareness at this time about Halloween’s connections to the occult and such. It was just about dressing up, candy and parties. One year grandmother took a pair of my pants and a long sleeve shirt and sewed the Sunday comics on them. I think I had a hat as well. I was just one big Sunday Comic! I won that year, in fact, I usually won something. My favorite was being a hobo. I do not know what the prize was for being a hobo but I won several.
Our house and grandpa and grandma’s house were only about 25’ apart. There was no air conditioning in the summer when it was hot. We just opened windows and turned on the fans. Often, at night after we were in bed I would sing. I mostly sang songs I learned in church. I always liked singing. Dad sang and whistled all the time. Mom loved music but couldn’t sing. My grandparents’ bathroom was across from the room I was in. Grandma would call out to me, “Gary that sure sounds pretty!” I was an only child for my first nine years. I am pretty sure I had it made. I was well cared for by mom and grandmother and had dad and grandpa for male role models.
For some reason when I was a child, I was scared of the dark. I was certain that there was something crouching in the darkness to get me. Shadows on the ceiling and walking between the two houses after dark were frightening. So my mom taught me to call grandma on the phone and ask her to “Watch me” as I would run between her house and ours. She would “Watch Me” and my mom or dad did the same from our house. Although they tried to explain I had nothing to fear, I was never convinced. They did not make fun of me, the just “watched me” and let me outgrow it. Today, I see this as very loving and kind. I will never forget a night in Haiti when I lay in bed next to my cousin Max and thought about how dark it was in Haiti when there is no electricity for lights. Suddenly I thought about our orphans and how they had once lived on the streets without lights because most had been abandoned. I have never gotten over the awareness of their plight in the darkness. It still drives me on their behalf today.
I know I have been blessed with family who loved me and were so kind. I believe they are a part of that mighty cloud of witnesses cheering us on that Hebrews makes reference. Those four have cheered me on since birth. Why would they stop now? I do live with an awareness of not wanting to disappoint them or failing them and the standard they set. I do not see that as an unhealthy pressure. I am blessed and I just wanted you to know.

One of the best memories for me about my grandpa Milner was Christmas. Christmas Eve was usually when we would gather with my Aunt Bernice, mom’s sister, her husband Robert Wright who was dad’s oldest brother, my cousins Max, Susan, Joan and Donna. [Granpa Milner handing me a present, Donna watching and sister Joan] We would have Christmas Eve at the Milner’s house in Wilkinson.
The anticipation of this evening had been building for months. I could hardly wait for my cousins to arrive. I loved them dearly and enjoyed being with them. Still do.
The meal was fantastic. We had great cooks. However, the best was the talk and stories around the table. The adults usually told stories about the past and various events. They were usually stories we had heard before however they were told well and with great laughter. I believe it was here I fell in love with storytelling. It was so fun and interesting to me. Of course all three families loved Jesus. Parts of the stories were Him and how our family members walked with Him. Again, overhearing the gospel is so powerful. Here, we children overheard how the life in Christ was lived out and verbally expressed. Daily, back at home we saw it lived. All three families were deeply involved in ministry therefore that was a part of the stories too. It was a wonderful place to be, I think we kids knew it was and even appreciated it at the time.
It was the protocol; no presents could be opened until all the dishes were washed. It seemed to me that our family was cursed with the slowest dishes washers in the world. We children we very anxious to open presents but we had to wait. Finally, the dishes were done, but now grandpa had devotions. He was such a meticulous man and he seemed to work hard to make the Christmas story from the Bible fresh and new each year.
Meanwhile, we kids were ready for presents. Once again there was something else, prayer. After, the Bible was read grandma would ask all of us to get in a circle for prayer. They even asked us to hold hands. I could tell that even the adults didn’t want to do this. Yet we all did what the old people wanted to do. Why? We loved them so much, so we were going to do what they wanted.
I recall that circle the last several times we did it. Grandpa must have sensed that time was bringing it to an end. He looked us all in the eye with his blue eyes and said, “Now I do not want this circle broken, I want us all together in heaven.” He then made sure we knew what it took to get to heaven. Wow! It was powerful then and maybe even more now.
Well, all in that circle walk with the Lord Jesus. We are invested heavily in spreading the Jesus Joy we experienced in that little house in Wilkinson, IN around the world. Several are now in heaven and we miss them but we are trying to widen the circle with our children and grandchildren. I just wanted you to know.

Part 2
Granddad’s lack of mobility due to his injury had to be difficult for him because he had been a powerful man physically. He played football on a small town team, Wilkinson, in high school that was the state champion his junior and senior years. He was a fullback and linebacker and the punter and kicker. He was 5’10” and weighed about 200 lbs. Yet he ran the 100 in 11 seconds flat in gym shoes, on grass without a starting block. He was fast and good. Butler University offered him a full scholarship but he had to turn it down to support his parents, brothers and sister.
He entertained all of us with great stories about the primitive days of football. He was physically tough. This was a time when they played football with leather helmets, no face guards and shoulder pads that were held together with shoestrings. His only major injury was when one of those shoestrings broke and he took a knee to the collar bone which broke. In the spring of his high school senior year they were invited to play Butler University’s varsity during the latter’s spring practice. Granddad’s team was not in shape and had not been practicing. Nevertheless, they played Butler to a tie. Grandpa said he was so sore he was unable to get out of bed the next day.

He dated my grandmother in a horse and buggy, yet would watch people walk on the moon. No generation had ever seen such change in human mobility. He was a detail man, precise and so organized. Everything had a place. I am sure that he asked God to give him strength to endure and not bring harm to my dad and myself as we were always moving his stuff and losing it. In that way, he and my dad were opposites. Dad was a good improviser and did a lot of adjusting on the go. In spite of their differences they were close in friendship and what the Bible calls fellowship. Dad came from a large family; Grandpa Milner had two daughters and no sons. I saw him treat my dad like a son. I know my dad needed that kind of love. He really embraced it.

I was told that my dad was working on the motor of his car. He got frustrated and angry and threw a wrench at the car. It bounced back and hit dad in the face. Grandpa had been watching this. Soon he walked out and said, “Gene, I’m going to the Hatfield Camp tonight. Would you like to go with me? Surprisingly, dad said yes.

The service was at the John T. Hatfield camp, Cleveland, Indiana. Hatfield was the “Hoosier Evangelist” during the early twentieth century. The camp meeting was held in a summer auditorium, the floor was fresh saw dust and shavings. The camp meeting would invite several evangelists and speakers and musicians. They would hold these services for several weeks of summer. Those services were a favorite of dad’s own maternal grandfather, Frank “Happy” Harris.

Granddad Harris had been a barroom musician and alcoholic. My dad told me many stories of granddad Harris’ drinking. I will not put them on paper. I am told that at the age of 55 he gave his heart to the Lord Jesus. The stories go that bets were made in the before attended bars that three weeks and “Happy will be back!” Those who placed those bets lost, our family won. His influence on my dad was eternal.

I guess granddad Harris [pictured along with my great grandmother Mary Harris] was emotional and passionate. Dad often said to me, “You are very much like Granddad Harris.” After his conversion he attended the Friends Church in Shirley, Indiana. On occasion when blessed while playing his many stringed instruments he would flip the instrument over his shoulder and up through his legs back into playing position saying, “I used to do this for the devil now I do it for the Lord. He also taught dad’s sisters to play and sing harmony.

He would loan his car to dad while dad was dating mom. He would say, “Drop me off at the Hatfield Camp and you can have the car and then pick me up on your way home.” He invited mom and dad to the services but they would go to the movies instead. My dad deeply loved him and I am sure it was mutual. Dad was in Germany at the end of World War II when he heard that his granddad passed away. The sadness of never seeing his granddad again, never left my dad.

I can’t help but believe that all the above influenced my dad to accompany my grandfather to that camp meeting that night. I believe the evangelist was Earl Starnes. Dad said he felt like the guy was just talking to him that night. Dad said he named all the sins that dad had ever done. When the evangelist invited people to come and kneel at the altar and ask forgiveness of their sins my dad did not go. The preacher walked around in the crowd and came right to my dad. He asked my dad if he was a Christian. Dad told him, “No.” “Would you like to be? “the preacher asked. Dad said, “Yes.”
He went and knelt at the altar and began to pray. After a while someone asked him a question inquiring if he had a peace about his sins being forgiven. Grandpa Milner was close by and said to those praying, “I don’t think he’s got it yet, let’s pray some more!” They did. Dad said he heard grandpa praying, “Lord, show him the light!” He thought to himself, “If Dad Milner said I should see a light, I better be looking for one.” So he said he looked up and when he did he saw a light shining through the roof of that building and right into his heart. He immediately felt clean inside and shouted the victory of that moment. Later, as he studied the Bible he read about the light that the Apostle Paul saw on the road to Damascus. He got all excited explaining to my mother that this must have been similar to the light he saw as well.

Leaving the auditorium that night he said he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his Lucky Strike cigarettes and threw them across U.S. 40. He was a three pack-a-day smoker with a pipe in-between. He never smoked again as he felt this was something the Lord did not want him to do.

I have told you the above the best that I can remember. I heard dad share this testimony often. It seemed like he would work it into every time he spoke or preached. It was as if he just had to tell it. It seemed he never got over it. None of us should get over our coming to Christ, Amen?

My grandpa Milner mentored my dad to walk with Jesus. I remember my dad going through a difficult time when someone had cheated my dad in business. It caused my parents severe financial difficulty. Dad did not want to sue them since he was a minister and they were claiming to be Christians. I heard dad discussing it with grandpa, then I saw my grandfather put his arm around my dad and say, “Gene, we are in this together, we will get through it.” We did.

We have had great men in our family. I wish you could have met them all, be sure that you do someday.

I have been reading in the Old Testament and am reminded how important the phrase “from one generation to another,” seems to be. If you believe, as I do, the Bible is the Word of God, and that while he spoke through the personality of the many different writers of the Bible, the finished product we hold in our hands is what He chose for us to have as “His Words.” I figure if He can come up with photosynthesis and hang the planets on nothing, He can make sure we have the right words to look to as His Word.

In the Bible they are always listing that He is the “God of Abraham, Isaac”, etc. I want to remind you as my children that you have that kind of heritage. I could say with all truthfulness that the Lord Jesus Christ, He is the God of my great grandfather Frank “Happy” and Mary Harris, Gerald and Mable Wright and all their children, Paul and Luella Milne and their children, Robert and Bernice Wright and Gene and Barbara Wright, William David Addison. We have a family who has not only had faith in God-Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ has come to the center of all those lives at some point as the foundation of all things, the Source.

Let’s be clear, none of the names above were perfect people. Like us, their lives were filled with wrong choices, actions and words. However, all of them, and I do mean all of them made their choice at some point in their lives to make Jesus Lord. We all get things wrong in life. We all make some bad choices. I am sure you can enumerate some of mine, especially those that may have affected you in a negative way, but I hope you and your children do not get it wrong about Jesus Christ. He has been proven to be the life-source and the eraser of poor choices. My vocab goes bankrupt talking about Him.

It has never been difficult for me to find models to pattern my life after. We have awesome men in our family. I grew up next door to my mother’s parents in Wilkinson, Indiana. I lived there from my birth to the time I was 16. When I was five we lived for a year in the parsonage of Oak Ridge Friends Church, near Marian, Indiana. Dad was pastor of that congregation. It is now Liberty Friends but the house we lived in is still the parsonage.

My parents purchased a lot next to my grandparents, from my grandparents in Wilkinson. They built a small house that was later tuned into the car garage. That was where they lived when I was born June 11, 1951. I was born in the hospital in New Castle, Indiana. By the way, your mother was born in that same hospital and we shared the same family physician, Dr. Scott, who was a good friend of granddad Addison.

My parents later built a larger house on the lot. My first memories are of this newer house. One of those first memories is that I was playing with some dishes in a cement bag. However, by mistake I flipped the fine powder into my eyes causing instant stinging and pain. This may be my first memory as my dad came and picked me up and washed my eyes with water. Both of ]these buildings along with my grandparents’ house are still standing as of this writing.

Living so close to my grandparents all those formative years shaped my life. Grandpa Milner,[pictured as I called him was awesome. He had to retire early because of a hip injury. Almost half of his life, he walked with a cane, crutches or a walker. He was injured going to work in an auto accident. It was a car pool. He was sitting in the back seat where the impact was. He spent most of that second half setting of his life in his recliner or out on his screened-in porch. His lack of mobility at times had to be frustrating to him, but it was my gain. He was always there for me.

He stayed positive, was never bitter, and made the best of a really difficult injury that would cause him great pain, discomfort and inconvenience for the rest of his life. He made it clear that Jesus was the Lord of his life. He could be caught everyday reading and studying the Bible. He was a great teacher of adults at Sunday School. He was also a church vocalist and singer. He was built like our Jonathan. He had a powerful voice when he sang. Most importantly he lived what he taught and sang. He was clearly a man of God.

I wanted you to know these things.

Things I Want My Children And Grandchildren To Know.
One of my earliest memories is the day I asked the Lord Jesus to forgive me of my sin, and then I asked Him into my heart.
My dad [pictured holding me] pastored Grant City Friends Church north of Knightstown, Indiana. He was making a pastoral call to an elderly lady in the church who was home but dying of some illness. I think her name was Maude Chew. She lived near Shirley, Indiana. It was only about 5 miles from our house in Wilkinson. She lived on a farm and had barnyard animals.
I was four years old. I do not know the date but I think it was a Saturday. Dad was a stone and brick mason during daylight hours of the week. However, since his call to preach, he was always “on” when it came to ministry. I think he was making this ministry call on the weekend. This was dad’s first pastorate. He started the year I was born.

Dad was reading scripture about heaven to the dying woman. She was a believer so it was encouragement to her. My father was good at talking about heaven. I remember, them laughing and talking joyfully about her near future in heaven.

However, the talk was not received with joy by me as I overheard the “gospel”. I was overhearing this as I went in and out of the house, I was interested in the barnyard animals. I found the talk of death and end of life troubling. Soon we were back in the car and headed home.

I remember standing up in the back of the car leaning over the front bench seat as dad drove. No, there were no seat belts then. I was greatly troubled and distressed about what I had overheard. They were rejoicing about her dying and going to heaven. I just felt guilty about my sin. Heaven was not a place I felt I was going.

As we reached the curve on the Shirley-Wilkinson Road I said, “Dad, I want to get saved.” It must have caught him off-guard as he said, “Well, do you think you can wait until we get home?” I said, “Yes,” but I remember dad stopping at the intersection of St. Road 109 and the Shirley Road in Wilkinson and thinking, “Dad don’t pull out in front of anyone, I am not ready to go to heaven!”

We pulled up in front of our house in Wilkinson and we went in. Dad dragged the old gold footstool out and suggested we kneel and pray. I remember with his encouragement, I asked Jesus to forgive my sin and come into my heart. Then dad assured me I had done what God required of me according to the Bible. I remember standing up and thinking, “That was too easy.” Looking back, it is too easy compared to the cost at Calvary. Jesus Christ has made it as easy as possible for us.

Now, you may think, “How could a child of four understand such things?” Let’s, just say that if you were raised by Eugene and Barbara Wright, you were immersed in Jesus talk and expression. I have also come to believe that overhearing the gospel is one of the most effective ways to encounter Jesus Christ.

My dad was just doing his job; he was making a pastoral call. But as was his habit, he took me with him. God truly blesses us when we are doing right things even when it is just what seems required of us. Erwin McManus calls it miracles in the mundane of everyday life. I call it the day my dad influenced me to give my heart to Jesus. My mom had been doing daily devotionals with me. She was a stay-at-home mom who read children’s stories about children who lived for Jesus, “Little Susie and Friends” was just one series she used.

That day, and the good in the days of my life since, are a direct result of these two Jesus passionate people I call mom and dad. I miss them every day. They are just in a “country” [Hebrews 11:14-16]" a prepared place, a heavenly homeland" that does not receive phone calls. I really would like a phone call though.

I just wanted you to know these things.

What a wonderful way to start the New Year! I got a call from Haiti and our children in the orphanage. Pastor Luc and I exchanged New Year's greetings and then the children started singing "Lord I lift your name on high." Wow!

They also called and sang to Joy Clouse who donated the funds to purchase the land for the new dormitories that were built by offerings from Brandywine Community Church and others.

BCC's Pastor Paul Galbraith was given a tour by the children of the new dorms. He said they were so excited as many had their own bed for the first time.

The team, led by WR-Haiti Field Director Max Wright, Pastor Paul and Pastor Wes Ireton who is the grandson of Jesse and Dori Ireton. The Ireton House is the name of the dorms as Jesse and Dori encouraged the first connection between WRI and Pastor Luc Joseph.

The team is installing new water filters purchased by Brandywine Community Church in the orphanage and Luc's house which is also World Renewal-Haiti headquarters.
Thanks for stopping by.