Annual homecoming planned at Good Hope Baptist

“What man is a man who does not make the world better?”

That is a quote from the movie Kingdom of Heaven, a few words that came to my mind after hearing about the death of the Rev. Henry Yarborough.

He was 95, had pastored churches in both Carolinas and served as chaplain at the Bethea Baptist Home in Darlington.

Rev. Yarborough had also served in the military, and much of that experience has been recorded, along with other parts of his life.

For 56 years, he was married to Jessemine, a prim and proper lady that you couldn’t help but love. She died a few years ago, and he was fortunate to have the children they created together, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren to love him in his last years.

As a young girl, I was blessed to have the Rev. Henry Yarborough as pastor of Good Hope Baptist Church. He tended his flock and helped them through births, marriages, deaths, and daily troubles.

I could never count the ways that Rev. Yarbrough made the world better. I know he made it better for me when I was 16 and he spoke at my 20-year-old brother’s funeral. He knew the words to say to bring some solace to a devastated teenager convinced that there could be no life after that; it was so horrible that it had to be the end.

But it wasn’t, and his wise words played a large role in that.

I imagine that there are thousands of people who have held onto words he spoke, which at the time they were spoken were lifelines that kept them from drowning in a sea of sadness.

But life isn’t all about sadness and despair, and Rev. Yarborough brought the other side to his congregation, often with one of his famous poems that might have been inspired by a church member or anyone else.

On October 1, Good Hope Baptist is having its annual Homecoming, a time when all who have called Good Hope their home church, and others, are welcomed back for a day of worship, good food and camaraderie. Rev Yarborough will be remembered, along with many others who played a role in the long history of the church.

Finally, as I think on Rev. Yarborough’s impact on the world around him, I am reminded of the words of a poet.

“You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and breadth.”

This story was originally published September 21, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Annual homecoming planned at Good Hope Baptist."