A Persistant Young Hero
Back in the late 1930s when I was a teenager still in high school, I lived in Philadelphia, PA. These were the beginning years of the Bible Club Movement, and I began volunteering at a Bible Club taught by Mr. Millard Kilduff at the home of the Maxwells, a Christian family who lived on Paschall Ave. The Maxwells had offered to host the Bible Club for the sake of their son Richard, who at eleven years old was partially paralyzed so that he couldn’t get around easily. Later on it would be discovered that he was a victim of Lou Gehrig’s disease. But if he had limited mobility, he could still call friends and invite them to Bible Club. And so he did.
A 1930s Bible Club in Philadelphia
As I volunteered, I was deeply impacted by Richard. For one, because he had such a sweet attitude despite his disability. He loved Jesus very much and was always eager for Bible Club to learn more about God. He also cared deeply about other people. One of BCM’s programs at that time was a scholarship for Bible Club members who’d memorized at least 300 verses to attend Camp Sankanac, BCM’s first established Christian camp, located in the beautiful countryside of Pottstown, PA, not far from Philadelphia. Though he knew his disability would not permit him to attend camp, Richard decided he would like to memorize his 300 verses anyway. The BCM leadership told him that instead of a scholarship, he could choose books totaling in value the amount of a week at camp.
Campers at Camp Sankanac
Richard did memorize the verses, and I had the privilege of hearing him recite them. The last hundred verses had to be recited at one sitting to a BCM representative, usually at that time Dorothy Scott. Richard successfully completed the final section. But instead of accepting his reward of books, Richard insisted we send one of his friends, Albert Ramos, to camp in his place. He wanted Albert to experience the joys of camp for him. But Richard was also concerned for Albert’s salvation, and he felt going to camp would take care that. Sure enough, Albert accepted Christ as his Savior, so Richard had an eternal reward sent on ahead instead of those books.
Not long afterward, shortly past his twelfth birthday, Richard went home to be with his Savior. Soon after, Mr. Kilduff had to give up the Bible Club, so he asked me to take it over. By then I knew God was calling me to be a missionary one day. But it was Richard’s example — as well as his early death — that influenced me to minister with children. It made me realize that children could die and needed to hear the gospel. But also that even though young, children could share their faith and have fruit from their ministry that would go on with them into eternity. Since then I have had the privilege of leading a number of children to the Lord who did not live to grow up.