He Made It Home

I got another one of those calls this morning that caused me to stop in my tracks. I was traveling in Mississippi when the call came. When I saw the caller ID and realized the caller was David McLeighton, I knew somebody had passed away. David is now the owner and operator of Goddard Funeral Home. And if you have read much of this blog you know I have roots and connections in the service area of Goddard Funeral Home that are very deep and long lasting.

So I just held my breath as I answered my cell phone. David quickly told me Rannie Gaultney was found dead this morning. This preacher man who I called “The Right Reverend” was my friend. We spent many hours together from the middle seventies to the late eighties.

I swallowed hard.

He began working at our funeral home with my dad and my brother when I was at UGA. When I came back from college and mortuary school and began running the funeral home in Reynolds, Rannie was there. For a period of about 12 years he made almost every death call with me and worked every funeral with me.

We traveled many hours and miles together at all hours of the night. And we discussed every subject that could possibly be discussed.

At an early age Rannie was called to be a preacher and he never wavered from that call on his life. He was always prepared to preach in season and out of season. If anyone has ever been faithful to the call on his life it was Rannie Gaultney.

After I graduated from Mortuary School, I gave all my books and study materials to Rannie so he could take the test to become a licensed Funeral Director. I even tutored him while he was studying since I had just come out of Mortuary School and the material was still fresh on my mind. He took the test and he passed. He was in the last group who was able to get a license without attending Mortuary School.

They changed the rules after that. But Rannie was proud when he got that license. And I was proud for him.

The Right Reverend Gaultney was a Baptist Preacher who turned Charismatic. He left the main stream Baptist Church and started a new church that met in his home. That growing church eventually moved to a store front building and finally built a church building.

I knew him when he was Baptist and I knew him when he was Charismatic. Although he was misunderstood by some, I always understood him.

He was considered as somewhat controversial because his members came from the main stream churches from around the county. They didn’t like losing their members.

He was also controversial because he never minced his words. He always said what he thought whether in the pulpit or out of the pulpit. Sometimes that got him in trouble but he didn’t have a “politically correct” bone in his body. He never preached what his hearer’s “itching ears” wanted to hear.

People either loved him or they left him alone.

I loved him.

His “not mincing” his words had a major impact on my life at a very crucial time in my life when I needed some plainly spoken words. That impact was during the time when I just came out of college and was about to begin this thing called life in the real world. I had questions and I was searching for answers.

He was not bashful about providing those answers as he knew them.

He told me many times in later years that he wanted me to speak at his funeral service when he died. I got a call this afternoon asking me to do that.

If I’m breathing I will be there.

It is a sad day for his family, his church members and all the rest of us he is leaving behind. But for him, it is the day he has looked to and preached about for most of his life.

He has fought the good fight. He has finished the race. He has kept the faith.

Now there is in store for him the crown of righteousness.

The Right Reverend Rannie Gaultney has made it home.