Vestal Announces His Retirement

[Ed Pettibone]

[Gene Scarborough]

Ed---are you kidding me with this "nit to pick?"

[Ed Pettibone]

[Gene Scarborough]

[Stephen Fox]

Latest issue of the Fellowship Newsletter

http://issuu.com/fellowship/docs/2012february.march/1
Page two, just inside the cover.

I think it shows the heart of the fellow, and its a good heart.

I called him last Friday for a brief conversation.

Suggested two more.

Giberson and Stephens The Anointed

And Charles Marsh's upcoming bio of Bonhoeffer.

I think he'll read both of them sometime this year

Maybe even American Dervish

[Gene Scarborough]

[Stephen Fox]

Here is some Baptist History of which I was unaware.

I never knew Vestal and Leonard were two grades apart in the same school in Texas.

Great personal History.

http://www.abpnews.com/opinion/item/7585-out-on-a-limb

In February of 88, right after Vestal was on the Bill Moyers God and Public Battle for the Bible program--Moyers assistant Gail Godwin called me on the phone the day before Thanksgiving in 87, about four months before my Mother died to thank me for background assistance on the program--I took an hour long ride with Vestal in Bham. He was at Dawson Memorial for a Revival and had heard I was looking at the religious right some and had seen an article I was associated with in Baptists Today.
We took one of the most fascinating conversational roamings of my life in the Old Ford Fairlane. Vestal was still in Midland at the time and his parishioner the oilman Jim Lacy early treasurer of Mainstream Baptists, was thick with George W. Bush, but knew his Baptist. Bout as close as I ever got or ever will with ridin around with the ghosts of Marney and Lyndon Johnson.
I called Vestal once when he moved to Dunwoody and he asked me who was gonna be 41's VP. I said Dan Quayle before it became the surprise choice.
Vestal has been a believer ever since

Again, God Bless Dan Vestal. I'm all in with Bill Leonard on this one.