Rev Horace Shepherd was a popular evangelist at Bethany Church CMA church in the late 1960-70s. He was the pastor of High street Church of God then. The members of Bethany were introduced to the singing Simpson Family (High street Church of God)...Joy, and Evelyn back in those days.
My recollection is that the young peoples choir from Canaan Baptist (116 st Harlem) Wyatt Walker) initially fellowshiped with Bethany CMA Church during the revival. In particular their were many Bethany and Canaan Baptist, & Carl Calendar, Gloria Nurse (church group) young people who made decisions for Christ. I recall that the Wyatt T Walkers young people including his daughters were "censored" for their mixed allegiances and attendance at Bethany church.
Rev. Horace Wesley Sheppard Sr., 81,
SAVE AND SHAREdies
THE REV. HORACE Wesley Sheppard Sr., a highly sought-after speaker in the Pentecostal faith who took the word of God throughout the country and the world from his base in Philadelphia, died Friday. He was 81 and lived in Mount Airy.
He was the longtime pastor of West Oak Lane Church of God in Christ, where he emphasized community outreach and achieved a number of innovations to improve the church's service to the city.
The church, which began at 69th and Ogontz avenues and later moved to Washington Lane and Limekiln Pike, was known for its programs to serve children, young adults and the elderly.
Among Sheppard's accomplishments were creation of the Evening Light Broadcast and a day-care center, established in 1972, that evolved into the West Oak Lane Christian Academy, said to be the first accredited urban Christian school in the nation.
"Community outreach was at the core of Pastor Sheppard's being and he led his congregation in giving to those in need," his family said in an obituary.
Before going to West Oak Lane Church, he was the pastor of High Street Church of God in Christ in Germantown.
He was born in Philadelphia the youngest of the 10 children of Henrietta and NathanSheppard, and was educated in the public schools.
He demonstrated a flair for showmanship while in school, performing in a number of productions, often as the star.
He might have taken some of that flair into the ministry, because he was much in demand as a preacher, from his youth, and took his message all over the country and abroad.
An example of the loving care he gave his parishioners was the time he went to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in 1996 to pray with Karen and Gerald Garner, whose daughter Candace, then 7, was in desperate condition with bleeding on her brain.
Through her pastor's prayers and the skill of surgeons, Candace beat the odds and survived eventually to return to school and a normal life.
It was typical of Pastor Sheppard to look out for those who needed the comfort of his prayers and counsel.
"He was teacher and mentor to hundreds," his family said. "He shared himself fully with others; those under his tutelage learned the meaning of servant leadership.
"He had a special gift for recognizing individual worth and a particular capacity for communicating love and respect regardless of social status or economic situation.
"He understood the human condition and his preaching and teaching exemplified that distinctive ability."
Sheppard was a respected theologian and teacher, and a man who knew his Bible and was able to interpret its messages for his parishioners.
He was also widely know for his rich sense of humor.
"The messages of Pastor Sheppard live on in the hearts and lives of those who were touched by the power and urgency of the word of God that he preached," his family wrote.
"No one was ever the same when they heard and embraced the truths that he pronounced with fervor, candor, great enthusiasm and much humor.
"He embraced life and people and changed the world around him."
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Peggy Sheppard; three sons, the Rev. Horace W. Sheppard Jr., the Rev. Paul Earl Sheppard and Kenneth Sheppard; two daughters, Patricia Carroll and Gwen Pullian; 13 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
Services: 9 a.m. Saturday at New Covenant Church of Philadelphia. Friends may call at 7:30 a.m. Burial will be in Chelten Hills Cemetery. *
He was the longtime pastor of West Oak Lane Church of God in Christ, where he emphasized community outreach and achieved a number of innovations to improve the church's service to the city.
The church, which began at 69th and Ogontz avenues and later moved to Washington Lane and Limekiln Pike, was known for its programs to serve children, young adults and the elderly.
Among Sheppard's accomplishments were creation of the Evening Light Broadcast and a day-care center, established in 1972, that evolved into the West Oak Lane Christian Academy, said to be the first accredited urban Christian school in the nation.
"Community outreach was at the core of Pastor Sheppard's being and he led his congregation in giving to those in need," his family said in an obituary.
Before going to West Oak Lane Church, he was the pastor of High Street Church of God in Christ in Germantown.
He was born in Philadelphia the youngest of the 10 children of Henrietta and NathanSheppard, and was educated in the public schools.
He demonstrated a flair for showmanship while in school, performing in a number of productions, often as the star.
He might have taken some of that flair into the ministry, because he was much in demand as a preacher, from his youth, and took his message all over the country and abroad.
An example of the loving care he gave his parishioners was the time he went to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in 1996 to pray with Karen and Gerald Garner, whose daughter Candace, then 7, was in desperate condition with bleeding on her brain.
Through her pastor's prayers and the skill of surgeons, Candace beat the odds and survived eventually to return to school and a normal life.
It was typical of Pastor Sheppard to look out for those who needed the comfort of his prayers and counsel.
"He was teacher and mentor to hundreds," his family said. "He shared himself fully with others; those under his tutelage learned the meaning of servant leadership.
"He had a special gift for recognizing individual worth and a particular capacity for communicating love and respect regardless of social status or economic situation.
"He understood the human condition and his preaching and teaching exemplified that distinctive ability."
Sheppard was a respected theologian and teacher, and a man who knew his Bible and was able to interpret its messages for his parishioners.
He was also widely know for his rich sense of humor.
"The messages of Pastor Sheppard live on in the hearts and lives of those who were touched by the power and urgency of the word of God that he preached," his family wrote.
"No one was ever the same when they heard and embraced the truths that he pronounced with fervor, candor, great enthusiasm and much humor.
"He embraced life and people and changed the world around him."
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Peggy Sheppard; three sons, the Rev. Horace W. Sheppard Jr., the Rev. Paul Earl Sheppard and Kenneth Sheppard; two daughters, Patricia Carroll and Gwen Pullian; 13 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
Services: 9 a.m. Saturday at New Covenant Church of Philadelphia. Friends may call at 7:30 a.m. Burial will be in Chelten Hills Cemetery. *
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