Page 14...The Portland Observer...Eebruary 19, 1992 Guayana Washington Heroes and Heroines Gone But Not Forgotten God and True Holiness. At the time of his death, Bishop Garlington, Jr. headed a group of 16 churches. The Church of God and True Holiness is still in exist ence today on the east coast of the United States. His father died when he was only eight years old, leaving his mother to raise her fam ily as a single parent, which she did by doing domestic work. John attended elementary and high school in Buffalo and left home at the age of 16 for Cleveland, Ohio. After three years there he enrolled in the Cleveland Baptist School of the Bible. Upon completion of his studies, he pur sued a ministerial career in the church his father had started, the Church of God and True Holiness. When not working in m inisterial related duties, Rev. Garlington Jr. supported himself and family by working as a postman and barber. At the age of 29, Rev. Garlington Jr. wasapproachedbyhisfather’schurch to be a bishop, the youngest person to date to be approached for this position. Upon accepting the office of Bishop, Rev. Garlington moved back to Buf falo, New York. In his new position, Rev. Garlington began receiving national recognition and exposure. He began to travel exten sively. It was during his travels that he began to experience different points of view, and came to see his church as rooted in old inflexible pentecostal tra ditions, resistant to change. Conse quently, he relinquished his responsi bility as Bishop in the Church of God and True Holiness, and with his congre gation he left the church and became non-denominational. BY D. BELL The late John G arlington, Jr., former pastor at Maranatha Church, was himself from an interesting family. Rev. Garlington, Jr. was bom in 1937 in Buffalo, New York, the son of a suc cessful barber. At the age of 40 John Garlington Jr. had a born-again experi ence and became saved. By the time he was 40 he owned two barber shops, one in Buffalo and one in Detroit, Michi gan. Within a few years of his becom ing saved, John Garlington, Jr. met a young woman named Valdese P ler whom he married. At this point in time they became involved with the denomination of The Church of God and Holiness, in which John Garlington, Jr. became a minister. Rev. Garlington Jr. subsequently expe rienced a religious revelation, and sev ered his ties with that church, and with his congregation founded the Church of BLACK AMERICAN HISTORY MAKERS HE DREW SPORTS amo PEOPLE GEORGE L LEE HE ARRIVED IN CHICAGO SEPT, IW FROM SEATTLE A GAR FIELD HIGHU9Z5 GRADUATE. :.-2rtC A BIG CITS’ OFFERED 5 0 MUCH.. NEGRO NEW5PAPEW HE WENT TO THE CHICAGO DEFENDER TO SEE MR. A3B OTT. NO JOB BUT SOME WORDS OF WISDOM "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR VOUf -SELF? IN 1928 A MESSEN GER FOR...PURE OILCO.I9JO MADE CONTACT WITH'BANG' >. ‘ as A A BOXING MAGA1INE AND CHICA i*T'\ GO AMERICAN. UH CREATED 'SPORTING AROUND'FOR DEFEN DER... ALSO 'VO IIR HI5TORV' FOR PITTSBURGH COURIER B?J.A.ROG ERS. IN 195 5 *8 CREATED HIS OWN FEATURE interesting people , |N 19501 DREW BOXING-PUBLICITV FOR THE 1BC(CHGO-STADIUMIRETIR- ED FROM POSTAL SER.(W.AE CAEAT- ED interesting people . RET. 6 0 YR L jul WMfc Rev. Garlington still traveled ex te n -; sively; however, it was during one of his speaking engagements at the People’s Church in Tacoma, Washington in 1975 that it was brought to his attention that the Maranatha Church in Portland, O r - : egon was looking for a pastor. He applied for the position. After one interview and an extended m o n th : long visit to the “City of Roses,” Rev. • Garlington, Jr. accepted the open p o si-: tion for Pastor. When Rev. Garlington, Jr. arrived i n ; Portland there was a bussing controversy surrounding the Portland Public Schools system and except for Rev. John Jackson, few clergy were visibly involved in so cial issues such as bussing, the possum incident where police officers threw dead possums on the door step of a black- owned cafe, and the police auditcommit- tee. To these incidents, Rev. Garlington, Jr. brought with him the ability to medi ate tense situations and the ability to find some common ground for compromise. On January 16,1986 at the ageof48, Rev. Garlington, Jr. was on a working vacation in Florida after making an evan gelical stop in Jamaica. While driving on his way to church where he was to ap pear, Rev. Garlington, Jr. and his wife were both killed in a tragic car accident. The driver of the other vehicle, had he been in Oregon, would have been consid ered legally drunk. At the time o f his death. Rev. Garlington, Jr. was the president of the Albina Ministerial Alliance. He , had » earned the well deserved reputation as a bridge builder in the cause of social issues. Rev. Garlington Jr. leaves a cherish memory of one gone but not forgotten. Black History Month February 1992 Cultivating the future o f Black Oregonians H ow T o S ell T o T he S tate 24 hours a day, 7 days Every year, ... one person can make a difference “The Challenge that we face today is to make... the world one in terms o f brotherhood" -MLK a week. If you don’t General Services buys 175 have a PC, visit our million dollars worth of network of Procure ment or target goods and services. Right now, we’re accepting bids for construc tion equipment, food, clothing and building materials; and just I about everything in Marsha Benjamin Moyer Assistant Principal Whiteaker Middle School Salem-Keizer School District Got Your Share Of The Market Oregon’s Department of between. Log on with your PC, and have instant access to hid centers, in public places throughout HERE’S HOW WE CAN HELP: wait? For more information and to receive your free “ How-to” Handbook, call our V.l.P. Outreach application information Join Us In Celebrating Black History Month: the state. Why Manager today... Oregon Department of General Services Purchasing Division 1225 Ferry Street SE Salem, Oregon 97310 Phone:378-4649 The Office of Minority, Women and Emerging Small Business • • • • • DBE/ESB Certification Publication of Directory Technical Assistance Educatioal Workshop Advocates on behalf of DBEs and ESBs For inform ation concerning certification, contact T h e O ffice of M inority, W om en and Em erging Sm all B usiness 155 Cottage Street N E Salem. Oregon 97310 Phone 378-5651 4 A * ' '