August 28, 2000
Ukranians honor Texas volunteer
___SAN ANGELO--Taylor Henley is gone but won't soon be forgotten by thousands of Eastern European Baptists whose churches he strengthened.
___Henley, who died Jan. 27 at age 83, was best known by Texas Baptists for his decades of leadership at Baptist Memorials Ministries in San Angelo. But he will be remembered for decades in Ukraine for building churches and training pastors.
___That legacy was confirmed after his death in a Ukrainian Baptist journal, "Life of Believers."
___Henley devoted the final eight years of his life to the Crimea, a region of Ukraine, the journal notes. "We had here 12 churches before the year of 1992. Today we have 42. And Brother Henley shares his part in this growth.
___"He loved our people so much and tried to do everything he could for us. His faithfulness to God is praiseworthy. These words could be addressed to him: 'Finished the course, kept the faith.'"
___The article recalls a pledge Henley made when he first arrived in the region in April 1992: "We shall never leave without our attention a single Crimean church. We shall bring a lot of spiritual literature--enough to meet the needs of everyone who wishes to get a word of God."
___The article cites Henley's leadership in:
___Evangelistic campaigns.
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___"Taylor was determined to do all he could to make this (Ukrainian ministry) happen," noted Ronnie Laughlin, his longtime friend and staff member at First Baptist Church in San Angelo.
___"This man had the greatest determination to do what he set out to do. He helped take light to a dark place in the world, where communism had sought to destroy belief in God. The faithful Christians in the Crimea, coupled with Taylor's personal efforts and the many people and resources that he influenced toward the Ukraine, have made a great impact that will never end."Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!