Tony
Vance
February 18, 1924 - October 27, 2017
In
the past few years and especially the last few days I’ve heard great accolades
about my dad Tony Vance. But let me tell you how he came to know the Lord.
When
I was a boy of about 6 or 7 years old someone invited me to Vacation Bible
School at Dillon Chapel Methodist Church. During that week we were all taught
to say the Pledge to the Christian Flag, to pray before we went to bed, and say
a blessing over our meals. After that week I asked my dad if I could pray over
our food.
Having
been brought up by a widow woman in a small Baptist Church, Dad said Sure, it
would be good. As I prayed over our meals for the next few days my brother
Charles, about two and a half or three years old, said, Why don’t you pray over
our food, Dad? Dad didn’t really know how to pray. So he told my mom that it was time for us to
start going to church somewhere. They started looking for a church in
Huntington. Mom had gone to the Mallory Church of God when she lived with my Aunt
Rinda and Aunt Blonde as a teenager.
They
called Brother Jennings at the Tenth Avenue Church of God. He sent Kelly Weaver
and his daughter Dora to visit our house. Less than two weeks after they
started going to church, Dad and Mom were saved. This was the beginning of the most important
people in our Christian Life. And Kelly and Vernie
Weaver’s family became the first members of my dad’s church.
I
don’t remember that person who invited me to Vacation Bible School. But because
of that invitation our dad became a Christian and touched so many lives.
Mike Vance
Your dad was an inspiration to many. I loved seeing him from time to time, and his demeanor and integrity were clear indications of a Godly character. Praying for your family!
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