Remembering Wayne Boyer

Knowing that the General Conference Administrative Council has appointed a Search Committee that is the CGGC version of the Catholic's College of Cardinals, I have been wondering when word will come down from them proclaiming, "Habemus Papam! (" i.e., We Have a Pope!")."

I have been wondering to what extent they will choose a Rosenberrian who will carry on Ed's distinct vision--or if they go the non-Rosenberry direction.

Very recently, however, I have been thinking a lot about Wayne Boyer and the impact of his leadership, which Ed has, by now, essentially reversed.  I have been thinking about the impact of Wayne on me personally.

And, I have also been thinking about the differences between Wayne's and Ed's radically distinct visions.  And, I also have been wishing for the next CEO to be a, well, Boyerian.?!

My last meeting with Wayne still moves me and his final words to me, as we parted, still ring in my ears.  (You may remember this because I wrote it out in an obituary of sorts that I published on Brian's blog.)

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At the time, Wayne was my Pastoral Care Worker, appointed by the ERC to stay in contact with me and to listen to and to advise me in my, um, pastoral ministry. 

I'm sure his task was daunting because, even in those days, I had ceased to function as a pastor and was exploring what it meant for me, believing that I am gifted to be a prophet, to live among the people of the congregation I was appointed by the Conference to pastor.

More to the point, though, at that time, I was doing some private study in Einstein's Theories of Relativity and in Quantum mechanics. 

I explained to a dazed Wayne that I was trying to understand what truths about God can be known from the fact that Einstein has been proved to be correct about relativity and that Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle is universally accepted.

Wayne was polite and allowed me to go on and on as, I'm certain, my eyes gleamed.

When I had finished and he'd said all he needed to say as my PCW, he paid the bill and we both began to walk to our cars.  As I reached my car, I hear my name being shouted, "Bill!  Bill!  Bill!..." until I turned in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Wayne calling out to me.

He was beaming that wonderful grin that you may still remember.  And, he shouted, "Keep thinking!  Keep thinking."  Then he waved and got into his car.

And, I have. 

I am still thinking.

I am not the same person in the Lord that I was then.  And, I will continue to take Wayne's advise.  I will be, no doubt, continue to grow in understanding, if not wisdom.

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That's the driving force I want to be the prime motivator of our next CEO. 

I want to hear that man--and we all know it will be a man--to call me up early on and say, "Bill, I want you...I want everyone in the CGGC...to keep thinking.  Keep Thinking!"