This post is a bit different than my usual writing. I wanted to do something to honor my friend, Rev. William I. Winegarner. If you knew him, I hope my reminiscing will bless you. If you didn’t know Bill, maybe my thoughts will spur your memories of someone special to you. I am dedicating this post to the legacy of Bill’s life.
Bill Winegarner fell asleep on October 27, 2021. It was a great loss not only for his family but also for the body of Christ. It was a personal loss for me because I counted him as my friend and brother. Many of my readers may have known Bill as an active force in the Way Ministry. If you were a WOW Ambassador or attended the Rock of Ages, even if you didn’t know him, you probably heard of him.
Bill was many things to me.
He was my brother in Christ, and my big brother in the Word. He was my friend and the husband of one of my best friends. He was my boss and my real estate broker. He was my trusted counselor and my confidant.
In addition Bill was a great example of the believers. He was a wise teacher and a faithful minister. Bill was a dedicated husband and a loving father and grandfather.
I first met Bill in the early 1970’s. It was at a time when God’s Word was making a great resurgence and many of us kids were turning-on to It. Poor Bill was charged with raising all of us from the central Ohio area in God’s Word. I say poor Bill because I guess there were over a hundred of us hippie kids in our late teens and early twenties who all were zealous for the Word, but clueless about life. It must have been like herding cats for him.
Bill taught us many things back then, but there is one lesson that I have never forgotten. He was running a meeting and when he began to speak, it was obvious that he had a bad cold. I for one was perplexed — being so young in the Word, I couldn’t understand how a leader could get sick. I must not have been the only one with those thoughts racing around in their head, because Bill paused his agenda and sternly addressed the group, “Don’t you dare judge God’s Word because I have a cold. You need to get to the place that you believe the Word is truth regardless of what your senses say!” I took his admonishment to heart.
I remember when Mary told me that she was going to marry Bill. I was surprised and a little puzzled. I thought, “But Mary, he’s a grown up!” She said that he was the kindest, most unpretentious man she had ever met. So, I gave her my blessing – not that she needed it – and I was very happy for both of them.
Bill and Mary moved to the Way headquarters in New Knoxville, Ohio, where Bill served in positions of great responsibility. Our lives moved in separate circles for many years. But then as God would have it, we ended up in close proximity again, and Mary and I reconnected. When we started spending time together, it was like we had never been apart. And to me, Bill was still my leader in the Word.
My husband and I asked Bill to be our real-estate agent when we wanted to buy our first house. Boy did we look at some unusual houses together! However, what I remember the most was the absolute confidence we were able to have with Bill on the job. He was genuinely more concerned about us getting the best house / deal than he was about making his commission. He was honest and trustworthy. I remember thinking, “Why would anyone choose another real-estate agent instead of Bill??” Later, we called him again to sell that house and find us a new one, and eventually to sell that one. As a real-estate broker, Bill really knew his stuff and he was a shrewd businessman.
It just so happened around the time we sold our first house, and were buying our next one, I needed a new job. Of course I mentioned that to Bill. And after the new house deal was done, he hired me to work for him at a retiree organization of which, he was the Administrator.
I worked for Bill for about 6 years in that organization. During those years, our brother-sister relationship grew. I would unload all my problems on Bill – I mean really, isn’t that what big brothers are for? And he would always counsel me with God’s Word and sometimes with other tidbits of wisdom. One day after having had an argument with my husband the night before, I was complaining to Bill about how hard marriage is. And he gave me one of those tidbits that was the best advice EVER! He said, “One thing you must always remember about your spouse is, their best quality is that they put up with your raggedy ass.” He referred to himself in that same manner and those were the perfect words to get me back on track. I have repeated his advice many times, not only to others but also to myself.
Another thing I learned about Bill during our time working together is that he loved a good debate. I learned to never casually say, “The Word says…” without making sure that I knew what I was talking about! It was such good training for me to “study to show myself approved unto God”, rather than just repeating something I had heard. I learned so much from all of our debates!
Another one of my favorite memories happened after Bill got the Board of Directors to approve 3 days of paid leave for employees for snow each year. He did this not only for me because I had a long commute, but also for an older employee because he didn’t want her driving in bad weather either. Well, one year we had a terrible ice storm, which was especially bad out in the rural area where I lived. I missed three days of work because everything was engulfed in 2 inches of solid ice. I actually had to use a hammer and chisel to get the ice off my car. Well, the next week when payday rolled around, I was not paid for those days because the Treasurer said that my absence was due to ice and not snow. What?? So I marched right into Bill’s office ranting and raving. I told him that he could keep his stupid snow days because there was no way that I was going endanger my life driving on in icy roads to get to this job whether he paid me or not. Bill sat quietly and listened to my tirade, then grinned and said, “I just wanted to see if you were going to fight for yourself.” I got paid for those days.
My time working for Bill ended because my husband got a job in New Jersey, and we moved. During those NJ years, Bill and Mary remained part of our lives. I would often visit with them when I returned to Ohio to see our kids. We would get together whenever possible. They came a couple times to visit us while we were camping with our son’s family for the Fourth of July. Those visits were particularly special to me.
This year, Bill and Mary joined our online fellowship on Sunday evenings. It was always great to see them even though it was just video conferencing. On Sunday, October 17, I had the privilege of sharing God’s Word with the group. Bill was online that night. He liked my sharing. That was our last interaction. I will always cherish that memory.
We all may have experienced losing someone. So we know how sad this time can be. BUT – praise God that we have The Hope. We know that our loved ones are asleep awaiting the sound of the trumpet. There is no consciousness of time for them. The next thing they will know is their getting up and meeting the Lord. And if we are still alive at that time, we will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (ref: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)
Everything in this life is temporal. Knowing the truth of God’s Word about our future brings great comfort to our hearts, especially at these sad times. We know that right now, God is nigh unto the broken hearted,* and we know that all of our tears shall be completely wiped away by the absolute glory and joy that we will have for all eternity being together with the Lord.*
1 Thessalonians 4:18, Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Note to my readers: Mine was only one of the many lives that Bill touched. I hope my memories gave you a glimpse into the wonderful man that he was. Thanks for reading.
** ref: Psalm 34:18, Revelation 21:4