T.
Eugene Herndon: Man of God
T. Eugene Herndon passed away on Thursday, October 6, 2005 at the VA Hospital in Muskogee . He was born July 27, 1923 in Vinita , Oklahoma and grew up in Oklahoma and Missouri . His father was an engineer for Frisco Railroads. Eugene was planning to follow in his father’s footsteps and become an engineer; however, God had other plans greater than he could have imagined. God was calling him into the ministry.
Right after High School, Eugene went to Electrical Engineering school in Chicago , IL . Soon after graduating, a war broke out on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor . The whole country was in shock as was Eugene . He decided to join the Army Air Core where he trained with a group of paratroopers who were destined to fight in Europe . Again God had other plans. Moments before shipping out, Eugene was reassigned to a cargo group commonly referred to as “The Biscuit Bombers.” He was reassigned because the group needed an engineer and co-pilot. Eugene was spared by the grace of God. Every person in the paratrooper squad was killed days later!
After forty-one months in the South Pacific, barely escaping the hand of death, the Biscuit Bombers were surrounded. Eugene later recounted, “We were trapped and there was no way out but death. The Japanese were so close we heard their footsteps. I lay on my face in a foxhole and didn’t move all night. One move and I would be spotted. I cried out to God and asked Him what to do. After praying all night God’s answer was evident, ‘Either surrender to my calling and serve Me or I will take you home. Unless you do my will you are of no use to me.’” Eugene surrendered to the ministry that morning in a foxhole with enemies all around and told God, “I will serve you until you take me home or I am no longer able.” Soon after this experience, the Filipino rebels wiped out the Japanese and the Biscuit Bombers were spared.
Eugene served 42 months in the South Pacific as Sergeant First Class and Flight Engineer. He received 7 Battle Stars and a Silver Star for outstanding and heroic service.
A few weeks later the war was over and Eugene returned to the United States . He was chosen to march in the victory parade and was then released to go home. The next Sunday when the pastor at his home church gave the invitation, Eugene went forward and fell on his face in front of the pulpit. When the pastor asked him why he had come, Eugene answered, “I come to give my life to the ministry.”
After surrendering to the ministry, Eugene pastored several small churches while attending OBU. After graduating from OBU, he attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary while pastoring a church in Tulsa . Every week he would ride a train to Ft. Worth to attend classes and then ride home to pastor his Church on the weekends. The churches he served as full time pastor included: First Baptist Church , Jenks , OK (1949-1958), Arrow Heights Baptist Church , Broken Arrow , OK (1958-1968), Calvary Baptist Church , Neosho , MO (1969-1970), Beaver Street Baptist Church , Jenks , OK (1971-1972), and Clayton Baptist Church , Broken Arrow , OK (1973-1983).
After 37 years in the pastorate, Eugene once again felt a calling. At the age of 60 Eugene surrendered his life to missions and evangelism and soon after founded World Wide Ministries. In 1989 Eugene was listed in “Who’s Who in American Christian Leadership” and was also honored numerous times by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. He completed 117 successful mission trips to over 76 countries of the world, all in the last 22 years. He had just returned from a mission to Kenya , Africa on July 30, 2005 . Eugene was 82 years old, yet never retired from the ministry. He was a true Man of God who had a heart for the lost and a desire to never quit serving God. He was a man who fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the Faith, and who has now gone home to hear those precious words all Christians hope to hear, “ Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” (Mat 25:23)
He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather who is survived by his wife, Margaret Herndon, daughter and son-in-law, Connie and Tom Alsop, and 3 grandchildren, Alicia Alsop, Melissa Klamm, and Ryan Alsop.
Services were held on Monday, October 10 at 10:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church Broken Arrow, OK.
