Jack Arnold, 69, was preaching in Orlando, Fla.,  [January 9, 2005] on his life verse: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” He quoted John Wesley and pointed upward: “As long as God has work for me to do, I am immortal, but if my work is done, I’m outa here.” Moments later he spoke his last sentence about heaven, stopped, grabbed the pulpit, swayed briefly and fell backward. Medics say the heart attack killed him immediately.

My father died instantly in the pulpit two weeks ago after uttering his final words: “And when I go to heaven.” I immediately left Chattanooga for Orlando.
The story hit the AP Wire and was listed by Yahoo as the most-read story. A high school friend who lives in Sweden emailed me after seeing the report on CNN.
Jack Arnold, 69, was preaching in Orlando, Fla., [January 9, 2005] on his life verse:“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” He quoted John Wesley and pointed upward: “As long as God has work for me to do, I am immortal, but if my work is done, I’m outa here.” Moments later he spoke his last sentence about heaven, stopped, grabbed the pulpit, swayed briefly and fell backward. Medics say the heart attack killed him immediately.
“He was just all there, and then not there at all, like a hand came through the roof and snatched him out of his body,” said Chris Williams who told me he was sitting in the front row only five feet from where Dad fell.
My family is certainly sad to lose our father, but we are also glad he went out precisely the way he would want. Nevertheless, we have scratched our heads regarding why it became an international story. Our best guess is that people are concerned about the next life. Most of us have some early childhood image of the preacher urging us to prepare to meet our Maker. And when the man connected to God gets snatched away after a final warning, it makes you stop and think.
Even Paul Harvey reported the remarkable event. But perhaps he will let me go ahead and tell the rest of the story, which is far more poignant when you learn that my father was weak, flawed, and glaringly human. You don’t have to be perfect to finish strong.
I watched him lay in a hospital bed for weeks after a nervous breakdown two decades ago. As a child I remember him singing triumphant hymns early in the morning before preaching. But as a teenager I heard him cry out in rage and weep profusely in despair at 3 and 4 in the morning.
He had a temper. But to his credit, he would always come back to his kids and ask their forgiveness after losing it. He lightened up over time. He also had a streak of ambition and a desire for greatness that never quite materialized. He played basketball for the legendary coach John Wooden at UCLA, just before they won an unprecedented 10 national championships. But Dad never started and didn’t get much playing time. He earned his doctorate from the premiere Dallas Theological Seminary, won the award for theology, and later wrote volumes of material on Christian living. But it was classmate friends like Chuck Swindoll and Hal Lindsay who became household Christian names after publishing a multitude of books. Dad could never get his church beyond three or four hundred folks, and it was this failure in his own eyes to rise above mediocrity that contributed to his mid-life crisis and deep depression.
Nothing changed immediately. But over the years Dad accepted his role – fame was a privilege, not a right – and he learned to serve his Lord as a simple, faithful pastor and then missionary to third-world countries. He struggled in his marriage, but he and mom fought through the tough times and both said their last 10 years together were their best. Early on a staunch Calvinist, he still never compromised on the basic tenants of his Christian faith, but later in life he graciously worked side by side with Anglicans, Pentecostals, Baptists and many others. He was a presbyterian with a little ‘p,’ he said, and calvinist with a little ‘c.’ To the shock of me and my siblings, he even allowed us to store our small portions of wine and beer in his refrigerator the last year of his life. He, however, never drank any.
He did struggle. He would fall and get up again. Yet he also improved and persevered. Yes, his final moments were glorious, but his journey also involved much pain and failure. Ironically, he finally made national and international headlines 24 hours after his death. But this too should encourage all of us who believe our reward is most likely on the other side of the river. And even the more secular folk can be encouraged that their labor and love may finally find its fruit and fulfillment in post-mortem fashion.
When I grabbed a handful of cold dirt and threw it on my father’s grave last week, my sadness was superseded by joy. The story could have been very different for the suicidal man in his forties. I trust God’s mercy for any of us who may not finish as sensationally strong as my father did. But he provides great inspiration for all of us to persevere during our life.
Words sent by Mr. Wooden were read aloud at the memorial service. “The circumstances of Jack’s passing was consistent with how he played the game of basketball as a member of the UCLA team. He always gave everything he had right down to the very last second. He was not blessed with as much physical ability as others, but no one worked harder or was more highly respected than Jack.” Paul Harvey reported that “Pastor Jack Arnold’s last words were, ‘And when I get to heaven,’ . . . and he went!”
If Paul Harvey reported it correctly, then my father won a great victory that day – even better than 10 NCAA Championships. I’m sure Mr. Wooden would agree.
Dean W. Arnold is a journalist and author in Chattanooga. He can be reached at [email protected]. 

In 2015, PCUSA amended its constitution to change the definition of marriage to read in part, “Marriage involves a unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman, to love and support each other for the rest of their lives.” The prior year, the General Assembly had allowed pastors in the PCUSA to conduct ceremonies that united same-sex couples. This decision prompted the 2015 constitutional change.

The mainline Presbyterian Church (USA) announced this week it will change the way it reports statistical information about the denomination’s membership to now include a category for nonbinary/genderqueer reporting.
The PCUSA is the largest Presbyterian denomination in America.  It claims to have 1.1 million active members and 8,813 churches.  However, less than 425-thousand attend PCUSA churches, a drop of nearly 50 percent in the past decade.
The Office of General Assembly (OGA) said the new reporting will more accurately reflect the makeup of the denomination.
“If we want to be inclusive, then we have to start asking because you should be aware of who’s a part of your church,” Kris Valerius, manager of the PCUSA’s roles and statistics said of what she called an “important change.”
She admits she is uncertain how many members will choose the nonbinary/genderqueer category because it has not been offered as an option before.
In 2015, PCUSA amended its constitution to change the definition of marriage to read in part, “Marriage involves a unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman, to love and support each other for the rest of their lives.”
The prior year, the General Assembly had allowed pastors in the PCUSA to conduct ceremonies that united same-sex couples. This decision prompted the 2015 constitutional change.
The denomination is also removing the definitions for racial/ethnic sections of the reports based on the instructions of the General Assembly.
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Regarding Item 1: No one is doubting the integrity of a man’s self-description. We believe he rightly owns that description. We believe he is a man of integrity. The major point is whether such a man is eligible to serve as an officer in the PCA. Regarding Item 7: It’s already difficult to get 2 presbyteries to request the Assembly to assume original jurisdiction, and raising it to 10% would make it nearly impossible. 

As of this writing, twelve presbyteries (out of 88) in the PCA have already voted on the proposed amendments to the Book of Church Order (BCO).  It’s becoming late in the game, but I want to make two final pleas hoping to have some influence on the votes of the remaining presbyteries and possibly at the General Assembly next year (to read the wording of each of the proposed amendments, go here).  I’ll be short and hopefully sweet.
Plea Number 1
One argument against Item #1 (from Overture #15 seeking to add BCO 7-4) regarding self- described homosexuals being qualified to be ordained as officers in the PCA has come to my attention. The concern is over the word “claim” as it appears in the proposed amendment (see in italics below).
“Men who describe themselves as homosexual, even those who describe themselves as homosexual and claim to practice celibacy by refraining from homosexual conduct, are disqualified from holding office in the Presbyterian Church in America.”
This is how the opposing argument goes against adopting the wording in Item #1.  The word claim implies that there is a possibility that the man describing himself as a homosexual is not telling us the truth, and therefore this is an unfair judgment upon the man.  The word claim is a poor or bad word, so the proposed amendment, taken as a whole, should be rejected.  Thus, elders are urged to vote against the proposed change based on the use of this one word.
However, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary lists two main definitions of the word claim.  It can mean 1) to assent on the face of possible contradiction, or 2) to take as rightful owner.
It is the second definition of the word claim that is the intent in this proposed change to the BCO.  No one is doubting the integrity of a man’s self-description. We believe he rightly owns that description. We believe he is a man of integrity. The major point is whether such a man is eligible to serve as an officer in the PCA.  To choose one dictionary definition over another equally legitimate definition of the same word in order to negate the major issue of the proposed amendment is, in my opinion, just not fair.
This is my first plea: Vote for Item #1.
Plea Number 2
Item #7 (Overture #8) seeks to amend BCO 33-1 and 34-1 regarding the number of sessions (BCO 33) or presbyteries (BCO 34) are required for a presbytery to assume jurisdiction over a session, or for the General Assembly to assume original jurisdiction over a presbytery in cases of pubic scandal where the original court fails to act (or indict under the new language). The proposal would change the number of courts required from the present 2 courts (sessions or presbyteries) to 10%. The effect of this change would increase the number of sessions needed for a presbytery to act, and in the case of the General Assembly, it would raise the number to assume original jurisdiction to 9 presbyteries. As more presbyteries are added, the number would grow since it is based on a percentage of presbyteries.
A similar attempt was made 20 years ago at the 2002 General Assembly to change the number of presbyteries needed to make the request from two to 10% (an alternative of 5% was considered but was rejected).  The 10% proposal was passed by the General Assembly but failed to be approved by two-thirds of the presbyteries.
The reason I object to this change is that the numbers 2 and 3 are used in the Bible in the matter of judicial procedures.  “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses” (1 Tim. 5:19).  This was also the basis of judicial procedure in the Old Testament (Deut. 19:15), and it is used numerous times in other places in the New Testament.  Paul even used it when referring to the necessity of his third visit to the Corinthian Church (2 Cor. 13:1).
It’s already difficult to get 2 presbyteries to request the Assembly to assume original jurisdiction, and raising it to 10% would make it nearly impossible.  Besides, it is above the minimum requirement specified in the Bible.
This is my second plea: Vote against Item #7.
Larry E. Ball is a retired minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and is now a CPA. He lives in Kingsport, Tenn.
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