Congrats on 40 years at VHBC, Henry!

It was about this time of year in 2000, twenty years ago, when we celebrated Henry White for twenty years’ service on our church staff. Henry is more than our Facilities Manager—he is family to us. He has, in one way or another, been part of most of the 50th Wedding Celebrations, weddings, funerals, and Vacation Bible Schools for forty years. We cannot describe the gratitude we feel for his loyalty. I count Henry as my friend. He has the greatest attitude you can imagine—always willing to pitch in and help.

Most of us, though, think of his distinctive laugh. I love to tell a story about when gets Henry “tickled” as we say here in the South. Because once he crosses over into that laughter, it just keeps growing and getting more uncontrollable. The next thing you know, tears are rolling down his cheeks. He loves to laugh.

What makes him a joy to work with and have as part of our church family, though, is a steady, level spirit. I know he’ll be here no matter what. We have been through some things, and we remember a lot more these days. Many of us know, too, that he came from a loving, hard-working family of faithful Christians. His mother and father raised them to work hard and do right by others.

Last Sunday, we had a tribute for Henry’s fortieth anniversary in our online worship. In case you missed it, or perhaps turned off the service after the closing hymn, we thought we’d put it back up again online to express our love and appreciation for this man who has done so much for our church through the years. Watch the clip below.

You can tell a lot about someone by how they treat children. Children love “Roe-Roe,” as the little ones started calling him, after watching him wield a vacuum cleaner. And Henry loves them. He calls their names, cuts up with them, and his affection for children is authentic. Thank you, Henry. You’ve made a difference in our lives, and we’ll never forget you. Stay well. We still need you.