He believed that God owned all and that man is only a steward. Even though he was eminently successful so far as this world is concerned he regarded himself as only a tenant at will. His home was modest, his clothes conservative and his liberality was manifested in many ways. Eternity alone will reveal the good he did with that which he held in trust for God. His constant sense of responsibility carried beyond his use of what he earned and included also his mind and body. He was never known to use either his wealth, mind or body to minister to vanity, love of ease or display. He believed that "it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful."

Brother Goodpasture believed that his stay on this earth was only transient. He believed that others would live in our houses, read our books, own our farms, plant our vineyards, sit in our pews, preach in our pulpits and take our bank accounts. He regarded life as one who checks in a motel and then vacates his room the next morning for a new arrival. He believed that life was a journey and his patient discipline kept fresh in his heart an ever sense of transiency. He believed that only God and the doing of his will really lasted. Like Abraham he regarded his native land as elsewhere. He kept his cares and interests in the present limited to necessary things. He believed that a traveler should not unnecessarily burden himself and the less luggage the easier to travel. He looked "for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Heb. 11:10.)

Brother Goodpasture was a man of deep devotion to and trust in God. Even though he regarded himself as only a "sojourner" in this world he believed he traveled with the King of kings. He believed his king would lead him through the "pastures" and beside "still waters." He was unafraid to stand erect and walk into the "valley of the shadow of death." He regarded himself as a guest of God and that he would not be lonely in a new and strange land.

Death, we believe, only made Brother Goodpasture nearer to our king and at home on the other side. We, too, are sojourners and we lose many of our companions in our journey. The road we have traveled may be traced by graves on either side but the Lord is ever with us. Brother Goodpasture was a great and good man and his influence will never die. May we join the countless multitude before the throne of God as they cry, "Blessings, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever" for allowing Brother Goodpasture to live and serve for so many years. He will be missed but ever loved.

—Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 247,248

He excelled in great biographical sermons, especially those dealing with Old Testament characters. He could make Abraham, or Joseph, or David, come to life as he dealt with their lives both in the broad perspective and in the often overlooked details of significance. His preaching also included moving sermons on practical aspects of Christian living, such as his great sermon on "Sowing and Reaping." There was great clarity and great power in his doctrinal sermons as he enunciated the fundamental tenets of the Christian faith. No one could misunderstand what the Lord's teachings were. His most moving sermons dealt with such subjects as "The Crucifixion" and "The Resurrection." It was sermons such as these that caused the Hillsboro church to grow and brought people from afar to hear Brother Goodpasture preach the gospel of Christ.

In June, 1951, Brother Goodpasture felt that the regular responsibilities of his local preaching were more than he could adequately handle in view of his ever increasing responsibilities with the GOSPEL ADVOCATE. Accordingly, he resigned to give his full time to his editing, writing, and holding meetings, which had become more and more demanding as his influence grew throughout the length and breadth of the brotherhood. Shortly after his stepping down from the pulpit, the elders of the Hillsboro church and the entire membership insisted that he be named an elder, in which relationship he continued to serve for the remainder of his twenty-six years of life. His influence for good, based upon his deep knowledge of the Scriptures, has been a great blessing to the Hillsboro church during the entire thirty-eight year period in which Hillsboro was his "home congregation."

In 1951, as he passed along his local preaching responsibilities to me, he said one day as we stood in the corridor of the old GOSPEL ADVOCATE building, "Brother Baxter, you will never find a finer congregation than the Hillsboro church." His evaluation has proved to be more than true during the twenty-six years that I have known the congregation. As this transition was made, Brother Goodpasture must have realized that it would be difficult for anyone, particularly a young preacher, to fill the Hillsboro pulpit, especially with him remaining in the congregation and being present for most services. He made the task so much easier for his successor by saying, "I want to demonstrate what an ex-preacher should be." So many times, by word and by action he did demonstrate what "an ex-preacher" should be. For twenty-six years he was my greatest helper and most, loyal friend.

A Towering Influence

Brother Goodpasture was born April 9, 1895, in Overton County, near Livingston, in the area now known as Standing Stone State Park. From Cordell Hull he received the name Cordell, at the suggestion of his grandfather. From Governor Benton McMillan he received the name Benton, at the suggestion of his father. At the age of fourteen he was baptized by T. C. Fox in October, 1909. On October 18, 1912, he began preaching at the Holly Springs church. If he had lived until October of this year, he would have preached for sixty-five full years. Through his local preaching at the Hillsboro church, and elsewhere in earlier years, and through his hundreds of gospel meetings, he has enlightened and strengthened the brotherhood in his generation as much or more than any other one man.

He loved to preach. He not only did all that he could personally, but he encouraged others to preach and was especially tender in his concern for younger preachers. At one point he wrote, "I have been able to encourage and help the preaching of the gospel in all the countries of the English-speaking world through the ADVOCATE. The editorship has offered me an opportunity to help stabilize a brotherhood torn by hobby riders and factionists. I hope that I have made a major contribution to indoctrinating and strengthening churches wherever the ADVOCATE has been read."

Brother Goodpasture's influence on the Hillsboro church was tremendous, for he was loved by both young and old. His pockets often bulged with the gum and candy that the youngsters came to expect whenever they saw him. Older members of the congregation sought him out when they had some difficult decision to make or needed some insight concerning God's teachings. He conducted hundreds of funerals during the thirty-eight years that he was at Hillsboro, continuing to be called long after his local preaching years were past. He was called for funerals, because of his stature in the church and also because of his great skill in conducting funerals. Among those he conducted were services for giants of the faith such as H. Leo Boles, N. B. Hardeman, Marshall Keeble, and Gus Nichols.

Revelation 14:13 can be used to refer to no one of our time more appropriately than to B. C. Goodpasture: "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow after them." No man will be missed more; no man will be remembered longer.

—Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 248,249

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B. C. Goodpasture's Footprints on the Sands of Time

William Woodson

Longfellow aptly said, "Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us footprints on the sands of time." These words are most appropriate to the life of our late brother, B. C. Goodpasture. For several decades he left footprints on the sands of our times. As one looks back to the path he has left, several great qualities of his life and work remain to influence and aid us.

First, Brother Goodpasture left his mark as a great preacher of the gospel. I recall the late Gus Nichols saying that he regarded Brother Goodpasture as one of the three greatest preachers he had ever heard. He often spoke of Brother Goodpasture as "the prince of preachers." I also recall a sermon at a Freed-Hardeman College Lectureship in which Brother Goodpasture discussed "Riches in the Gospel of Luke." I sat with an open Greek Testament and thrilled at his exposition and application of the great verses in Luke 12:13-21; 16:19-31; and 18:18-25. Line by line, without note or hesitation, the preacher unfolded the words of the text. He combined English and Greek studies, poetry, biography, and practical wisdom with clarity, ease, and power. Truly that was a great sermon! How appropriate that the last sermon he preached was on the topic "Preach the Word." It was the motto of his preaching life.

Second, Brother Goodpasture left his mark of leadership in the brotherhood. His work as editor f the GOSPEL ADVOCATE brought him into contact with brethren throughout America and the world. He was a man of sound faith, unflinching courage, and perceptive insight. He knew people and was acquainted with the various issues which often swirl in the brotherhood. He had a quiet strength which was not brought to panic by the belligerence of a few zealots. By word, pen, and deed he pled for soundness, faithfulness, moderation, and peace in the body of Christ. He knew how to mould thought and influence men for the good. The brotherhood was blessed by his editorial labors, writings, and encouragement of others.

Third, Brother Goodpasture left his mark as a promoter of good works. Every good cause in the brotherhood-mission work, benevolence, preacher training, radio and television work, Christian education, publication and promotion of good books, on and on-found a good friend in B. C. Goodpasture. He knew the need to oppose every false way, and spared not to do so; but his heart was always on the side of progress, building, and serving. He was always a builder, a leader; he was not a wrecker or a careless critic. The good works which he promoted and encouraged will bless this world and be remembered in eternity.

Last, B. C. Goodpasture left his mark as a man of great ability. He distinguished himself in several areas: preacher, elder, editor, and counselor. He demonstrated a great knowledge of the Bible and was always a master of the appropriate quotation from literature, ancient and modern, to illustrate and beautify a point. His anecdotes of restoration people and events were legion. His humor was quiet and dignified, but frequently evoked delicious chuckles at the time and many days afterward. From all standpoints he was a man of rare ability.

B. C. Goodpasture has passed into the hand of God. Our lives are better because he lived. He has left for us great footprints on the sands of time.

"Let us then, be up and doing, with a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait."

—Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 249

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B. C. Goodpasture—A Giant Among Men

J. M. Powell

The first time I ever saw B. C. Goodpasture was in the spring of 1928, when I was a student at David Lipscomb College. Brother Goodpasture, who was thirty-three years of age, had come to the campus for a gospel meeting. For one full week, he spoke twice daily in the upstairs auditorium in Harding Hall.

My impression of the brilliant young preacher from Atlanta was the same as that of William Hayden, the first time he met Alexander Campbell. Campbell was scheduled to preach at Warren, Ohio, in October, 1821, and Hayden was determined to hear him. Here is the account in Hayden's own words: "Alexander Campbell was then thirty-three years of age, the sharpest man I ever saw in appearance and in intellect."

In that meeting on the Lipscomb campus, nearly fifty years ago, the sermons that were preached are still vivid and fresh in my memory. Brother Goodpasture was young, slender and handsome. He spoke fluently without manuscript or notes. He was seldom seen except when he stood in the pulpit to preach. That he remained in his room most of the time occasioned considerable talk among the students and faculty. It was revealed that he was studying diligently every day, thus preparing himself to preach at the appointed times. Early in life Brother Goodpasture established studious habits from which he never departed as long as he lived. This self-discipline on his part accounted for the fact that he never disappointed an audience whenever he stood before it to speak.

Brother Goodpasture was a peerless pulpiteer. He was always in perfect command of every situation. He knew what he wanted to say and he said it in the best possible way. His language was always chaste and eloquent. As a preacher-of the Word, he had no superiors and few, if any, equals. In his study habits he could be compared to Alexander Campbell. The Campbell-Owen debate was held in Cincinnati in 1829. Lyman Beecher, who was living in the city at the time, heard every speech that Campbell made and was deeply impressed. At the close of the debate Beecher asked Campbell this question: "How is it that you have such a vast amount of knowledge ready for instant use?" Mr. Campbell replied by saying: "This is because I spend sixteen hours every day studying."

It was no accident that Brother Goodpasture was a recognized scholar. His scholarship was the result of diligent and constant effort. To be a scholar one must have the mental capacity for scholarship. Moreover one must be willing to pay the price of scholarship. Brother Goodpasture had the capacity for scholarship and he was willing to pay the price.

A. C. Dunkleberger, long-time friend of Brother Goodpasture's and elder of the Madison church, wrote in the Madison Marcher: "Rarely does one individual combine the talents that were his. A notable master of the spoken word, his was the power to hold and sway an audience-to teach and persuade and convert with his exceptional knowledge of the truth. He had what is called `pulpit presence,' but he used it with the singleness of purpose faithful to commission as the Lord's servant.... It would be impossible to reckon in mortal terms the value of his life. It must await the divine census to come, when an innumerable company may reveal that he helped lead them there. Beyond estimate the world is a better place for his having lived in it. Not soon will his like be seen again."

—Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 249,250

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B. C. Goodpasture Was Gentle and Kind
Willard Collins

Batsell Barrett Baxter, Ira North and I had a special relationship with B. C. Goodpasture as members of the ADVOCATE'S Second Century Committee. We have enjoyed many lunches together since 1955.

We laughed at his favorite stories, enjoyed his vivid memories of the past and appreciated his deep love and concern for the church.

He had a keen sense of humor and as one who knew him well for over forty-two years, I appreciated his kindness, gentleness and genuineness.

The full impact of his death has not been comprehended. There is a big vacant chair in Nashville, Tennessee.

I feel a personal loss in not being able to call B. C. Goodpasture when I need to talk with him about some decision I must make. His advice was priceless to me. Through the years he has helped far more than he knew, in building and preserving David Lipscomb College.

—Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 250

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A Man of One Book and Many Books
J. E. Choate

Benton Cordell Goodpasture loved good things i5 life, and he loved good books. First of all, he loved the Bible. Brother Goodpasture was a "man of the Book." How appropriate are these words from the wisest of men: "The words of the wise are as goads; and as nails well fastened are the words of the masters of assemblies.... And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making books there is no end."

B. C. Goodpasture grew up among the wild and beautiful foothills of the Cumberland Mountains. The frontier days were gone, but reminders lingered on of the harsh disciplines of frontier life just one generation removed. The child was a lover of nature and knowledge from his earliest days. His beloved mother instilled in him the desire to become a preacher. She kept before him the names of David Lipscomb, James A. Harding, and E. G. Sewell.

Rocky Mound was the first school the child attended. The building was a small, primitive log structure. The children sat on the smoothed side of a split log. It was a typical mountain school with one room and one teacher. Brother Goodpasture remembered one teacher above others, B. H. Hunt. He had the ability to inspire students and to fire them up with the ambition to amount to something in life. Friends of those years remember the boy. He excelled in whatever he put his mind to in work and play. Their memories are filled with love and respect for him. If the small boys needed someone; to climb a tall chestnut tree, he was always obliging.

B. C. Goodpasture attended Burritt College a while in 1913. He enrolled in Dixie College (now Tennessee Tech) and studied there in 1913 and 1914. In 1914 he enrolled in the Nashville Bible School in r Nashville, Tennessee. H. Leo Boles had been the president for a short while. Boles knew who Goodpasture was from the day he came. Their fathers had been close friends in the Cumberland Mountains. H. Leo Boles began to draw the young man into his confidence and that made all the difference. Goodpasture said in later life: "He knew that I had a struggle to get there and meant business when I got there."

Charles R. Brewer recalled his impressions of those days. Goodpasture impressed everybody as a boy of high intelligence. He had a fine dignified appearance and seemed to be somewhat aloof from the other students. They were impressed with his love and admiration for books. The Goodpasture boy bought his first book with fifty cents he had earned. The book was Natural Law in the Spiritual World by Henry Drummond. The second book he purchased was a Greek grammar.

Brother Goodpasture became one of the most knowledgeable collectors of both good and rare books in his lifetime. He purchased his first books put on sale by the Methodist Publishing Company. He bought the lot and carried them out to the school and sold to the other students the books he didn't want, and got all of the original purchase price back. In 1932, the Atlanta Journal featured Goodpasture as a collector of rare books and this continued to the I end of his life.

Brother Goodpasture not only loved books, he knew the inside of books. He had an encyclopedic storehouse of knowledge. Whoever has marveled at his endless running repertory of anecdotes and quotations, running the entire gamut of classical and modern literature, needs to know that he had a bottomless memory which fastened on facts which his steel-trap mind would not let go. Brother Goodpasture spoke at the appreciation dinner honoring Guy N. Woods during the past Freed-Hardeman lectures. He stood like Moses at eighty-two with his eyesight undimmed and his memory strong as ever and still the "master of assemblies."

Brother Goodpasture gave me the greatest personal honor when I was privileged to write the story of his life, The Anchor That Holds. Brother Goodpasture never added a word or altered a phrase. This is the way he worked with his writers. If Brother Goodpasture had to re-write or write for you, a person never wrote for the ADVOCATE to begin with, which is understandable once a person understood how the editor worked with people.

It would be difficult to close without paying my debt of gratitude to J. Roy Vaughan, whom I cannot disassociate from Brother Goodpasture. Brother Vaughan was one of the closest confidants of Goodpasture. Their friendship began in David Lipscomb College. The friendship that Brother Goodpasture received from his friends was deserved. Brother Goodpasture gave unflagging loyalty to his friends in good days and bad. He ground no man's axe and served at no man's table for a morsel of bread. Brother Goodpasture could not be swayed by the emotions of the hour, nor would he give up his basic convictions.

Brother Vaughan helped me in my writing work with the ADVOCATE in many ways, just by talking with me and providing information and insights which I needed. It was Brother Vaughan who suggested to me that I write the life of Marshall Keeble, Roll Jordan Roll. He said to me, "Go in and talk to B. C. about it." And I did. Yes, a great part of the joy and worth of my life has been gratefully enriched by the "men of the ADVOCATE."

—Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 250,251

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B. C. Goodpasture
Cecil N. Wright

As a young man I was influenced considerably by Brother Goodpasture through his reproduction in the GOSPEL ADVOCATE of the writings of outstanding pioneer preachers. Already intensely interested in the Restoration Movement, I read them avidly. Also, over a period of many years I heard him speak on many occasions, always with delight and profit, and have been a guest in his home, at his table, and in his book house at his home. At different times over many years he has published articles I have written, and solicited me to write more than I ever have. So I came not only to respect him highly but also to have a warm personal regard for him, and now that he has gone from us I have a keen sense of personal loss.

But rather than write further in a personal vein, it seems fitting to reproduce parts of an article by another, published in the first number of the GOSPEL ADVOCATE that carried the name of Brother Goodpasture as editor. That was March 2, 1939, lacking only days of being thirty-eight years before his passing, which means that his tenure as editor was exceeded only by that of David Lipscomb and of E. G. Sewell, co-editors. The writer was H. Leo Boles, a member of the editorial advisory committee. His caption was: "The New Editor, B. C. Goodpasture." The parts we quote tell why he was chosen to be editor and reveal the secrets of the great success of his editorial career, as well as portray the man himself.

"The purpose of this brief article," said Brother Boles, "is to call attention to some of the characteristics which are outstanding that caused him to be considered for this very responsible position.... It was thought that he was competent in every way to fill this position; hence, he was sought and prevailed to occupy the editorial chair of the GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

"He has been a staff writer on the GOSPEL ADVOCATE for several years. He was assigned to write under the general theme, `Echoes from Pioneer Pulpits,' and the readers of the ADVOCATE are familiar with the many articles that he has reproduced from the accurate and brilliant pens of these pioneer gospel preachers. He has been interested in the literature of the early days of the Restoration Movement, and has gathered some rare volumes, pamphlets, and papers, which belong to that period. Perhaps no preacher in the brotherhood has such a voluminous and rare collection in library form of the literature of the Restoration Movement as has Brother Goodpasture. He is quite familiar, not only with the work of the pioneers, but with the biographies and varied incidents of the great men. He knows `the ancient order of things' and the efforts that these pioneers made to `speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent.'

"Brother Goodpasture is eminently qualified for the duties to which he has been called. He is familiar with all the problems that now confront the brotherhood, and knows prevailing conditions in the brotherhood. He is educated, well informed, cultured, intelligent, conservative, and yet aggressive in his work as a preacher of the gospel. He knows the Bible, loves it, preaches and teaches it; he is no weakling; he never compromises with error; he does not seek popularity; he never attempts to `play politics'; he is always kind and courteous with those who may differ with him. He is strong in his convictions, humble and meek in his bearing; he is scholarly and thorough in his treatment of subjects; always courteous and cultured in his manners; deeply spiritual and humble in his nature. He loves the church of our Lord; he is willing to sacrifice for the cause of Christ. It is the judgment of his friends that the Gospel Advocate Company is fortunate in securing the services of such a scholarly, Christian gentleman to fill the editorial chair of the GOSPEL ADVOCATE that has been honored by such men as Tolbert Fanning, David Lipscomb, E. G. Sewell, J. C. McQuiddy, and others."

We would add that it will take a good, great, and wise man indeed to fill his shoes at a time even more crucial than when Brother Goodpasture became editor. God's richest blessings upon whomever is chosen for such task and upon J. Roy Vaughan, the interim editor; also upon the family that Brother Goodpasture leaves behind.

—Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 251, 252

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The Editorials of B. C. Goodpasture
Dan Harless

Many years ago, along with a number of young preachers, I was invited to the home of H. Leo Boles. Brother Boles was asked, "Who's going to edit the GOSPEL ADVOCATE?" In his well-known, forthright manner he replied, "B. C. Goodpasture."

—Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 252,253

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B. C. Goodpasture As I Remember Him
J. Noel Merideth

The late B. C. Goodpasture was a towering figure in the history of the church and the Restoration Movement in the South and around the world. Born and reared in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains; he was educated in subscription schools and the old Nashville Bible School, now David Lipscomb College. In his life he influenced and touched deeply the lives of thousands of persons. In death he is honored by many who mourn his passing as the falling of a great "pillar" in the church. Brother Goodpasture is remembered and loved by many. So many knew him and had dealings with him in so many different ways as he was a man of many talents and interests. Many will tell of conversations, dealings, and anecdotes about him for years to come and all will remember him in their own special way.

Gospel Preacher

We remember Brother Goodpasture as a faithful gospel preacher. He preached the gospel for sixty-four years, preaching his first sermon at the age of seventeen. Having heard him preach in his later years, we found his sermons were scriptural, timely and well illustrated. He preached from the heart, without notes, and with power, the unsearchable riches of Christ. Brother Goodpasture, like the apostles, preached not himself, but Christ. He gloried in the cross, he hid behind the cross. He believed that "The sound preacher is one who does not deviate from the `pattern of sound words.' He must be sound in motive. His motives must not be selfish and sinister. He must be sound in conduct. He must be sound in teaching. He must speak `the things which befit the sound doctrine.'" Brother Goodpasture felt that "God never intended that men should preach doubts." He felt that preachers should "preach the word," pleasing not men but God. His sermons on the "Inspiration of the Bible" and Bible characters linger in our minds. The sermons he preached and the anecdotes he told will be appreciated more and remembered longer than anyone else we have known.

Example of Love

In his devotion to God and his personal dealings with others, Brother Goodpasture displayed his great love. He was that "friend" that "loveth at all times." Though older and wiser than those of us who were younger preachers, he was always patient and kind to us. His encouragements to preach and write often turned our disappointments into renewed zeal and determined effort. His, "Give an account of yourself," or "What is going on?", or "How are things in the church where you are?", were followed by engaging conversations and usually concluded with a cheerful note and a gift of a pen, or calendar, or measuring cup for the wife, or a rare book which he had saved for you. Children liked to ease up to him and looked with eyes of wonder as he would pull from his pockets some candy or small toy. It was that he cared for you and was kind. Solomon said, "That which maketh a man to be desired is his kindness." Brother Goodpasture's monetary gifts to those in need went unnoticed; he did not sound the trumpet when he gave alms. For his compassion to stricken men he looked to God for his reward.

A Man of Books and a Paper

One of the ways which Brother Goodpasture will obviously be remembered is his editorship of the GOSPEL ADVOCATE for thirty-eight years. He held a steady course for the paper in troublesome times, veering neither to the right nor to the left. We are grateful for the fact that he was willing to run our articles. He said, "make it accurate" and "loyalty is very important." His policy for the ADVOCATE was: To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. To advocate no claims of any party but to present the teachings of Christ and the Holy Spirit in the perfection and fullness of all their parts. To give the readers what they needed rather than merely what they wanted. To preach the word without compromise, or fear, or favor, and to defend it and the Lord's church against all assaults from within and from without. To do everything with the most kindly feelings toward all men, and in the spirit of love and meekness.

Brother Goodpasture was an amazing man with books. His personal library consisted of over 10,000 volumes. He had a book collector's routine. He would carefully examine a volume, look at the spine, glance at the title pages, and leaf through the contents. He "had very little lost motion, or loose talk." He helped many of us select good books and find rare books that we could not locate. He often admonished us to buy and use good solid books. He would tell about a certain passage in a book and would usually quote it from memory. We have precious memories of his turning the pages of some biography or scholarly work and give his timely comments upon them. He taught us to read systematically, closely, thoughtfully, analyzing the subject as we go along, and laying up what we read carefully and safely in our memory. He would quote Bacon that "Some books are to be tasted; others swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested."

But now our editor has laid down his pen and proofed our last articles. He has fought his last battle in this world, he has finished the course, and we believe he kept the faith. Farewell, Brother Goodpasture, until we meet again beyond the river of death.

— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 253,254

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B. C. Goodpasture
Hugh Fulford

B. C. Goodpasture, a tower of spiritual strength in the brotherhood, has gone home to be with the Lord whom he served so long and so well. He suffered a stroke in the driveway of his home in Nashville on Thursday afternoon, February 17, and died in Baptist Hospital in Nashville on Friday, February 18, around 8:30 A.M. Had he lived until April 9 of this year he would have been 82 years of age.

It is hard to realize that Brother Goodpasture is gone. Many of us had visited with him and heard him speak at the Freed-Hardeman College lectures just the week before his death. In fact, the last sermon he ever preached was the one he delivered in the chapel service on Tuesday morning, February 8, at the Freed-Hardeman lectures. Fittingly enough, that last sermon was a powerful presentation based on Paul's charge to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1-5 to "preach the word."

In the passing of Brother Goodpasture I have lost a real friend. Over the years he has been exceedingly kind to me in my efforts to serve the Lord. In 1973 he extended to me an invitation to become a staff writer for the GOSPEL ADVOCATE. Through l writing for this great publication, and through Brother Goodpasture's personal encouragement for me to write, my work for Christ has been greatly enlarged. I am indebted to him for that.

One month to the date before his death, a group of us gathered in Nashville on the campus of David Lipscomb College to celebrate the one hundred twenty-second anniversary of the GOSPEL ADVOCATE. Brother Goodpasture had asked me to speak at the anniversary dinner, and I had been honored to do so. Little did we know at the time that that would be his last ADVOCATE dinner ̶ that exactly one month later he would slip away from us.

Brother Goodpasture, from 1918 to 1920, was the first full-time minister of the Main Street church of Christ (now Fairlane) in Shelbyville, Tennessee. This was his first full-time work. When Paul Matthews, who had served the Fairlane church for twelve years, passed away in 1975 and the elders were seeking a minister, it was my good fortune that Brother Goodpasture recommended me to the elders. I am happily serving the Fairlane church today largely due to the recommendation of B. C. Goodpasture.

Last October when the Fairlane church celebrated her "Homecoming," Brother Goodpasture was with us as the featured speaker and preached a masterful sermon on "Heaven." At that time we, presented him with a plaque in tribute to his great contributions to the cause of Christ over the years. His presence with us on the third Sunday in October was his sixty-fourth anniversary as a gospel preacher. I am so glad we honored him as we did ,on that occasion, because now he is gone from us. However, through the eye of faith we believe he is enjoying a Homecoming with the Lord and with the redeemed of the ages. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them." (Rev. 14:13.)

— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 254,255

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What B. C. Goodpasture Meant to Me
T. B. Underwood, Jr.

When I came to the ADVOCATE, Brother Goodpasture welcomed me into the ADVOCATE family, and from him I learned many things, but perhaps that which stands out most clearly from daily association with him is this. He spoke sparingly. His philosophy, as he stated it to me, was, "As long as you do not speak you control your words, but when you speak your words control you." He did not need to speak for others to be aware of his presence, for his erect, stately carriage of himself spoke eloquently.

Those of us who were daily associated with him at the ADVOCATE office deeply feel the great loss. he "Sage of Nashville" rests from his labors. In thinking of what B. C. Goodpasture meant to me, these things come to mind. He was strong without the outward show of power. He was humble without pretense of piety. He was generous without expecting applause from men. He was a Christian gentleman without the open show of his Christianity.

A great and faithful servant of God has gone from the earth. His memory and works will continue to live.

—Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 255

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B. C. Goodpasture
Fred E. Dennis

When I opened up the ADVOCATE yesterday the first thing that drew my attention was the death notice of B. C. Goodpasture. "It is appointed unto men once to die." "Man born of woman is but of a few days." It brought a tinge of sadness to my heart.

I am just a few months older than Brother Goodpasture. I was born June 20, 1894, and he was born April 9, 1895. When he became editor of the GOSPEL ADVOCATE in 1939 he asked me to be a staff writer. This I did for twenty years. While on the staff I wrote more than four hundred articles, and since then an occasional article.

I was never intimately associated with Brother Goodpasture. I heard him preach a time or two. We are here for a little while between two eternities. May God help us all to strive to enter into the rest that is prepared for the faithful.

— Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 255

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How Are The Mighty Fallen!
James M. Benson

Truly B. C. Goodpasture was a prince among preachers, a champion of the right, a fearless foe of Satan, an able proclaimer of God's marvelous grace in the gospel plan of salvation. Well may we exclaim with David, "There is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel." (2 Sam. 3:38.) It can be truly said of him that "wherever he sat was the head of the table." Again, "there were giants in those days!" With a brilliant mind and a dedicated heart, he was a scholar of the first rank. We shall not soon see his like again. But with J. Roy Vaughan in the editor's chair there will not be even a ripple in the ADVOCATE's battle line for truth and righteousness. For over forty years I have known him to be as sound and solid as the rock of eternal truth.

—Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX Number 16, April 21, 1977 page 255

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An Epitome of B. C. Goodpasture
Foy E. Wallace, Jr.

A conscientious Christian; a genteel gentleman; a versatile scholar; a prince of preachers; a worthy writer; a firm friend; a faithful father; an honored husband; an efficient elder—and an erudite editor. We shall all miss him.

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B. C. Goodpasture

I was a young college boy when B. C. Goodpasture assumed the editorship of the GOSPEL ADVOCATE. He ably steered the "Old Reliable" through the tempestuous seas of legalism and liberalism. E. A. Elam's words at the funeral of David Lipscomb apply to the late ADVOCATE editor, "His courage reminded one of Elijah, his loyalty to that of David, and his walking with God to that of Enoch." J. S. Shouse commented at the funeral service for J. W. McGarvey, "So self-poised was his life, so serene in its trustfulness and devotion, so high-toned in its ideals of conduct and thought that one drew an inspiration from the very presence of the man." Those words equally apply to Brother Goodpasture. This multi-talented preacher possessed the lofty dignity of Alexander Campbell, the tenderness of T. B. Larimore, the bold thrusts of James A. Harding, the rustic humor of "Raccoon" John Smith and the sage wisdom of David Lipscomb. His encouragement motivated me to study and to write in the field of Restorationism. We shall not likely see his kind again soon.  —Dabney Phillips.

•        •        •

The black Christians across the nation have lost a great friend in the death of Brother Goodpasture.

Brother Goodpasture encouraged every preacher, every school, every good work he knew of among my brethren. We loved him most for his love and support of the late Marshall Keeble and the Nashville Christian Institute.

I loved him for the advice and the support given me in my efforts to establish the Marshall Keeble Christian Institute.

To the bereaved family of Brother Goodpasture, and Christian friends everywhere, may this prayer comfort your hearts:

Our Father; our help in ages past, our strength today, our hope in time to come, teach us to say, "Thy will be done." Grant us the spiritual strength to accept. In Jesus' name, Amen. —Alvin S. Simmons, Sr.

•        •        •

On December 27, 1967, I arrived in Nashville. I needed employment in order to make it possible for me to attend the Nashville School of Preaching. I went directly to the Gospel Advocate Bookstore. It was a momentous day and I shall not forget my first meeting with B. C. Goodpasture.

The GOSPEL ADVOCATE family will never be the same again this side of eternity. Everyone knew when he arrived each morning. Regardless of the weather, he would say, "Good morning, a beautiful day!" When anyone in the office was ill, he constantly inquired as to their progress. Many times he came to their aid financially.

The tears which freely flowed on the morning of his death were for a man who cannot be replaced in our hearts. We lost a dear friend. —Dove Wilson.

•        •        •

I esteemed, appreciated and loved B. C. Goodpasture.

Though we did not see each other often, we did have some wonderful experiences together.

Brother Goodpasture moderated for me in a debate in 1930 at Savannah, Georgia, on instrumental music with David Kyndall of the Christian Church in that city. He was of great help to me in that debate.

Kyndall offered me $500 if I could show one scripture that told of the church singing without the instrument. Brother Goodpasture suggested I use Hebrews 13:15, which I did. It had been thirty-six years since I had seen him when I visited the ADVOCATE office. Upon seeing me he said, "Hello, Brother Phillips, did Kyndall ever send you that $500?"

When he conducted a meeting in Detroit when I was minister for the Dearborn church, I drove him over the city looking for old and used books. He knew their value.

I am thankful for my association with him and feel my life has been made better by that association. —T. W. Phillips II.

•        •        •

Like thousands of people in our nation and in other nations, I grieved the departure of our beloved Brother Goodpasture. But we should not grieve too deeply: for our loss is his gain! It is written, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them." Brother Goodpasture, who worked so hard over the years, is now at rest. Like the apostle Paul, he fought the good fight, he finished the course, he kept the faith. Now, I truly believe that he has been lifted to a land of a higher level where joy is unmixed with sorrow. —Frank L. Cox.

—Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX, Number 17, April 28, 1977 – page 258,264

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B. C. Goodpasture
D. Ellis Walker

In a lifetime it is a rare thing to hear a man receive and deserve the manifold praise that was heaped upon B. C. Goodpasture. From the first time I met him as a young man in his early thirties until he left us I recognized that he was a man among men.

His poise, his continual presence of mind, his grace and tactfulness were developed to a degree that he became a model for us to follow.

He had the ability to hold the friendship and confidence of brethren who did not always love one another. Each knew that he would be treated fairly, with kindness and impartiality.

His magnanimity and graciousness toward his critics were healing factors in our brotherhood and contributed to peace among us.

He seemed to possess the attributes of a Christian to the point of surpassing excellence and that is why we loved him and gladly worked with him.

I will miss B. C. Goodpasture as I missed my friend and teacher, H. Leo Boles, when he passed away. His passing, like the falling of a gigantic oak, has left a great empty space among us.

—Gospel Advocate, Volume CXIX, Number 17, April 28, 1977 – page 259, 260

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Rex A. Turner Remembers The Life Of B.C. Goodpasture

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Sermons By B.C. Goodpasture

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The Bible Is Inspired (1.9 Megs; 31:13 Min.; Feb. 6, 1970, F-HC Lectures)
Joseph And Daniel (2.0 Megs; 33.16 Min.; Gospel Meeting at Riverdale, Georgia. Early 70s.)
The Three Crosses (2.0 Megs; 33:45 Min.; Gospel Meeting At Riverdale, Georgia, Early 70s.)

See Other Audio Sermons Here

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Directions To The Goodpasture Grave

Woodlawn Cemetery, Nashville, Tennessee, is located behind the 100 Oaks Shopping Center that faces I-65 just south of the I-440 Interchange. From 100 Oaks travel east on Thompson Lane and turn right at the first entrance to Woodlawn's South Side Park (across from main part of cemetery). Take the first left and you will pass Parkview on your left. Resthaven is on your right. Go into the curve to the right around Resthaven and stop the car. Look a couple of grave in toward a tree. If you get to the tree you've gone too far. Between the drive and the tree is Goodpasture's grave.

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