His sermons were poetic, laced with humor, and resonated with the reasonings of a seasoned "man of God." We did "duets" together, as he called them. He would recite a poem in between the verses of my songs. He always said, "I can't sing; I KNOW I can't. To me, music looks like blackbirds strung up in a barbed wire fence!" But my how he could "read" a poem!  

We were seated in a Bedford, PA. restaurant after service one evening, and I said to him, 'Doc, you need to record some of your poems. It would be a shame for you to leave this world, and not have some of your material recorded.' He agreed, and suggested we do an album "together." I was in awe of the idea of recording with one of his stature, but I agreed. That was in the early 70's, when he was a young "72." I was forty years his junior. 

The first project was an album, featuring his famous poem, "OLD ZION." It was well received by those who got copies of it; one man going so far as to say, "I wouldn't take a thousand dollars for my copy if I knew I couldn't get another one!" 

We continued working together, and even when we were not "together," I used his poems in my concert, and talked about 'my friend.' As the next twenty plus years came and passed, we grew closer, and God allowed me to be with him when he crossed over to be with our Greatest Friend the Lord Jesus. 

We spent many happy hours together, laughing, discussing the Bible, world events, and helping bear one another's burdens. We expressed our regrets that our paths had not crossed sooner. He flew to New England once to appear in some of my concerts, and he was loved in that area. 

We drove to San Diego together in my van, and he registered fairly high on the old Richter Scale at Skyline Wesleyan Church, where Pastor John Maxwell treated him like an ancient prophet. No one appreciated Lon more, I suspect, than John. 

We talked about his funeral, and how he wanted things to be, but in the end it fell to me to do his memorial. The members of Glendale Presbyterian Church were like angels of mercy to Doc in his final years. God surely showed his Love for Lon when he put them in his life. 

 Lon Woodrum:

Man of God 

"Early in life I scrapped religion. Unbelief was easy to me in the wake of painful disillusionment. The divorce of my parents left me in the streets when I was a kid. Life to me appeared as a meaningless jungle, where only the tough survive." 

So begins the testimony of a "man of God." Lon Riley Woodrum was born in Illinois, and ended up in the gutter in Missouri. From the moment he stepped into that godless life of crime, no one would have held much hope for him. He drank booze, used dope and served time in jail.

It all might have ended with him making an eternal plunge into perdition, but ... he walked into a tent meeting one day. 

The evangelist had the poetic name: Sunshine Carl Walker. It intrigued Lon that such a spectacle could attract the interest of so many people. He attended more out of curiosity than a desire to know Christ. Walker talked about two thieves on crosses, and particularly of a third Man, who was spread-eagled on a cross between them. 

One of the thieves turned to the Man on the middle cross, and said, "Lord, remember me when you come into Your kingdom." And the middle Man made him an unbelievable promise:

This day you will be with Me in paradise!" The thief straightened up on his iron spikes. Suddenly, he was being made new - a hallelujah bursting forth from his soul. Lon questioned in his heart "just what all this stuff meant." 

Before he could even begin analyzing his feelings Walked said, "If any one, even the worst of criminals, should turn to this same Jesus right now, he could become a new person; filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory!" 

Lon felt that he should have stomped out by this point, and consigned all such crack-pots to the nethermost regions of the damned, but something was happening to him. He was gripped by a strange hunger for something,  but what? 

He became acquainted with the urge to know God! He wondered, "Is this the thing my tormented soul has longed for all these years?" Was it possible there was help from a higher world for the anguish of soul he had known so long?  

A stranger noticed Lon's struggle, and said, "Let's go and do it, buddy!" Lon was stunned that  his yearning was visible, and for reasons he could not understand he went forward; "But,  nothing happened," he said. 

He was embarrassed to be in such a place, and wondered what he was doing there among this rag-tag outfit of "unthinking truth-seekers!" He turned in anger and walked out, still an unbeliever, but he would never again be free from the hunger to know God. He was staying in the home of his friend Dave Adams, a mechanic, who loved Lon's poetry; and Dave was a Christian. Lon arrived back at Dave's where he found him waiting to congratulate him, and welcome him into the family of God. He, too, was at the tent meeting and saw Lon go forward. "This is wonderful," Dave said. 

Lon felt in his heart that if he didn't flee immediately, he would end up as crazy as old Psalm-singin' Dave! "I have to get out of here," he told his friend. When he realized Lon was still not in the fold, Dave's eyes revealed his sorrow; and Lon found that difficult to bear. He left the house intending never to return to Dave or  his religion, again. After walking around awhile, he found himself right back at Dave's door; and this time, to stay. 

In spite of Lon's aversion to religion, and religious people, and his determination to shake the shackles, something was still happening in his heart. There was an awareness of his need of help from someone more powerful than himself. 

Finally, in desperation, he dropped to his knees at Dave's place, to pray. "Just what my prayer was I don't recall, but I think it was something like this: 'Okay, God. If You're up there and listening to me -- here I am! I'm sick of myself and the life I've known. I'm ready to quit it all right now. In fact, I'm going to quit! From now on, I'm a believer!" 

There had been no flashing lights, no ecstatic utterances,  no leaping with joy, or holy laughter; no singing angels, (Not that he could hear); still, an indescribable change had begun. As he sat on a Kansas City bus three nights later, he turned to one seated beside him, and said, "Hey, are you a Christian?" The stranger shook his head 'no,' and Lon said, "Look, man, you ought to be one!" 

Thus began a seventy year walk with God; seventy years of telling people what God had done for him, and how He could change them, too. God used Lon to win more than 100,000 souls to Christ. Missionary statesman Dr. Bob Pierce of World Vision, told one audience in Toronto's Massey Hall, "Lon Woodrum has done so much in helping to shape my life and commitment to the Lord." 

World Vision and Samaritan's Purse, both started by Dr. Bob Pierce years later, were two of the ministries begun by a man whose life was turned on to a purpose higher than self-seeking, through the sterling example of Lon Woodrum. Earth's starving and desolate people who were provided food, clothing and shelter by World Vision and Samaritan's Purse, will never know the impact the poet-preacher Lon Woodrum had, even in their lives. 

He was known as "Kansas City Red," when he was a young man, and later spoke of his life in a message titled, "MAN FROM THE SHADOWS." 

He preached in 48 states, and every Canadian province, traveling more than a million miles, holding thousands of evangelistic meetings in more than twenty denominations. He lectured widely in schools and colleges.

He was a religious teacher, recognized by the National Council of Christian Education. He was director of a radio program, "The Little Church of the Fireside," in Longbeach, CA.,  and was the writer of poetry for the Alladin Lamp Man, Smilin' Ed McConnell, of CBS Radio.

 He wrote syndicated columns for Sunday School Publications, and a newspaper column, called,  "MEANDERINGS." He also had a religious column titled, "CHAPEL RHYMES." 

His work appeared in Masterpieces of Religious Verse, Principal Poets of the World, and in many other anthologies. 

He has written fiction, poetry, and articles for more than two dozen religious periodicals, including, WAR CRY, published by the Salvation Army - and the PENTECOSTAL EVANGEL official organ of the Assemblies of God. 

His novel, ETERNITY IN THEIR HEART, won Zondervan's international Christian fiction contest in 1955. 

His novel, OF MEN AND OF ANGELS, was chosen as "book of the month," for Christian Herald Family Bookshelf. 

His novel, STUMBLE UPON THE DARK MOUNTAIN, was used by the Southern Baptist Church in its general promotion program in 1956.

 His books were published by Zondervan, Broadman and Word, in the United States, and were published in foreign languages, as well.

 He worked with thousands of pastors across denominational lines, spoke more than 20,000 times, and was an ordained minister of the West Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church.

 He wrote volumes of poems and articles too numerous to mention, dozens of books, and spent a summer writing for CHRISTIANITY TODAY. His first assignment was to write an obituary for President Eisenhower, titled: "Greatness In a Time of Tempest." 

His book, 'BALLADS FROM THE BOOK,' was published by Good Shepherd Ministries, Inc., the week prior to his passing. 

Though a retired United Methodist Evangelist, he served as interim pastor of Glendale Presbyterian Church in Glendale, Florida, the final thirteen years of his life and ministry. He fell in love with the people of this community, and was laid to rest in the Glendale Cemetery to await the resurrection. 

"Brother Lon," who preached to the end in his country church pulpit gave his final witness on August 9, 1995 with friends and family at his side. It was a hospital bed pulpit, and the grim reaper stalked the room as he spoke; but he rose to the occasion in his final hours, and said:

 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death." Revelation 12:11 KJV 

I walked the trail with Lon Woodrum on many occasions during his final twenty three years of ministry, and  heard many accolades given him. Perhaps our friend Rev. John Tal Murphree, professor at Toccoa Falls College, said best what we who knew him felt: 

"It is impossible to imagine a world without Lon Woodrum. He was a giant among men! He stooped to touch us, because we were not tall enough to reach up to touch him!"