M o n t h l y N e w s f r o m F P C Ty l e r • Vo l u m e 1 1 , I s s u e 1 0 : N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 9
The Story of Swanson Yarbrough by the Rev. Dr. Stuart Baskin
Have you heard the story of Swanson Yarbrough? If you’ve been around long enough, you have, but let me remind you who he was. Swanson Yarbrough was a member of our church from 1946 until his death in 1956. Not long by many standards, but long enough to have made an indelible impression and lasting impact. According to former pastor Sherrard Rice, Swanson was once hospitalized with a serious illness. During his hospital stay he made a vow to God that if he survived his illness, he would give more time to the church. In fact, he did survive, but like a lot of us, he promptly forgot his vow. Later on, he was on a ladder picking figs when he fell and hurt himself again. His wife reminded him of his vow, and this time he made good on his vow. For the next several years he spent time every day visiting newcomers and finding names of potential new members. It is said that until his death in 1956, he was responsible for bringing in 100 new members a year.
weeknight to visiting potential new members. And apparently, he had a sense of humor. John Anderson, pastor from 1945 to 1951, said that when he returned from vacation one summer, Yarbrough needled him into having an “altar call” at the end of worship one Sunday. In spite of Anderson’s hesitation—Presbyterians don’t generally do altar calls—he did it, and 25 people came down the aisle. Anderson says he thought he had preached a really great sermon, but he later discovered that Yarbrough had recruited them all and waited until Anderson’s return from vacation to have them join. Swanson Yarbrough is an example of what one committed Presbyterian can do. Whether it is evangelism, or mission, or teaching—great things happen when we focus our energies and get to work. Great story.
Yarbrough discovered that visiting people between 5:30 and 8:30 in the evening was a good time to catch people at home. According to our 125th Anniversary history, he devoted each
i n t h i s i s s u e | H I GH LI GHT S & F E ATU RE S O Sing unto the Lord | pg 3 Tyler Civic Chorale and Rabbi Neal Katz explore the Book of Psalms with music.
PW Thank Offering and Tea | pg 3 Presbyterian Women celebrate God’s blessings in a service of dedication followed by a tea.
Evensong for Christ the King | pg 3 Celebrate the end of the liturgical year with a service of choral evensong. First Presbyterian Church of Tyler, Texas 230 West Rusk Street, Tyler, Texas 75701-1696 (903) 597-6317 | www.fpctyler.com