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
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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
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Every year,
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Phone:378-4649
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