Dick Woodward,
October 25, 1930 – March 8, 2014
Last Saturday Dick Woodward went to be with his precious Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, surrounded by family in a hospital room in Williamsburg, Virginia. Now resting in the Everlasting Arms of God amidst the green pastures and still waters of Heaven, he is free from the pain and suffering that was such a part of his daily life. Even though he always said, “my blessings outweigh my sufferings,” we are grateful that in God’s mercy he is now finally free for all eternity.
Pastor, teacher, preacher, mentor, friend, brother, husband & father, Dick Woodward will live on in our memories and hearts for many years to come. He was not one for fancy Latin words and didn’t speak ‘with a steeple in his throat,’ but we are remembering him now. If you have special memories to share, please do comment them to this blog. It has been such a blessing to read over the many testimonies sprinkled throughout this blog to know what a legacy of faith he leaves behind.
There will be a Memorial Celebration of Dick Woodward’s life at the Williamsburg Community Chapel on Saturday, March 15, 2014 at 11:00AM. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a contribution to International Cooperating Ministries to further the ministry of the Mini Bible College.
On behalf of Dick’s family, thank you for the many prayers, overflowing love, encouragement and support at this time. (The Blog Posting Elf)
THE FOUR SPIRITUAL SECRETS
I’m not, but He is.
And I am in Him, and He is in me.
I can’t, but He can.
And I am in Him, and He is in me.
I don’t want to, but He wants to.
And I am in Him, and He is in me.
I didn’t, but He did.
Because I was in Him and He was in me.
4SpiritualSecrets 
Is this what you would like for me to tweet?
-Summer J Harpold
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Very nice, Blog Posting Elf-ie, very nice.
I’m glad I got chance to see your dad a few months ago. I’m gonna miss him.
Pastor, teacher, wise counselor and friend. He has been all of these to me. We met at Mini Bible College at Walsingham and then at men’s breakfasts in Newport News and Williamsburg and then, in 1989 we started attending the chapel. I had never heard preaching and teaching like this before. When the doors were open, we were there soaking up all we could of his wonderful teaching and unconditional love. Our family has been so richly blessed by Dick and the whole Woodward family. I imagine him enjoying all heaven has to offer as he is discovering the beauty of it all right now. I’m sure he has already heard “well done my good and faithful servant!” He will be truly missed but his faithful teaching will live on in all of us who were able to be taught by him.
To the family of Dick Woodward and all his many, many friends around the world, as a result of his great ministries. I never got to meet Dick, however, I feel that I know his heart and that has been a tremendous blessing and inspiration to me. Because he has inspired a great deal more humility in my life through his online ministry of the 4 secrets. We all know where he is and, pretty much what his is doing with his now found body and his regained ability to move about as he desires, and not as he was unable to do. I pray that while you will grieve as you must because of the loss, may it be brief and complete, filled with the full grace and love of the Lord Jesus Christ who has greeted him into eternal life with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit who will also send His love and mercy to be administered by the faithfulness of the Holy Spirit. Amen & Amen.
Thank you Dick for your service to so many of us.
In His Name,
George Morrison
Clearwater, FL
I will miss Dick, but I will see him in glory!! His life touched mine and so many others, and we all grew in faith!
Rest in Peace Pastor Woodward. Your faithful and insightful and compassionate teaching of God’s Word inspired a young man from Jamaica, listening to your radio program, late at night, many years ago (on Radio Bonaire), to study the Scriptures and to apply God’s Word to his life. Thank you sir. God has used you to Bless many including me.
Reblogged this on Reflections in The WORD and commented:
Rest in Peace Pastor Woodward. Your faithful and insightful and compassionate teaching of God’s Word inspired a young man, listening to your radio program, late at night, many years ago (on Radio Bonaire), to study the Scriptures and to apply God’s Word to his life. Thank you sir. God has used you to Bless many including me.
It was 1980. I was 21. I was a soon-to-be married woman who had just left her family in NY to live in Virginia. I lived in Surry and worked at a florist shop on Jamestown Road. I asked the delivery boy if he knew of a “casual church” and he told me a small group met on Sundays at Walsingham. I went to that service and met Wally Thompson and Ginny Woodward. I also met my sweet brown-eyed pastor. I went to your home on Tam-O-Shanter and accepted Christ in your livingroom. Five kids were running up and down stairs, pretty busy with their own activities but respectful of those gathered to study. I was pretty impressed!
Today I am 54. I had five children of my own. The marriage failed after 25 yrs but I managed to keep the faith and lean hard on the God who loved me through the storm. Many times I recalled the sermons and mini bible college teaching while working the tape table with Lorene and Wally. It saved me. It held me together when the going got tough. Your husband and father ministered to me and continues to minister to me.
I know you will recognize my name as Kathleen Skeens. I have four sons and a daughter. I am a grandmother. I loved your husband and father. Thank you for sharing him at a great personal cost.
You will remain in my prayers.
He is running and I love that image in my minds eye! I hope you have the same glimpse.
Kathy
“The best is yet to be.”
Thank God for all what He has done through pastor Dick to me.
I recently have downloaded his teachings and kept on listening to him through my phone. I was so fascinated with the way he preach. Through the voice I could imagine a not really old man is teaching, but I didn’t know that he was that old already. I intended to see him there once in the US someday to tell him how much God used his life to change my life. I was almost crying as watching his video and knowing that he is that old. and suddenly now I know he passed away already. Rest in peace pastor! I will see you there eventually. Ill try to listen carefully all of your teachings, and hope that the word of God will change me more, day by day.
To pastor’s family, thank you so much for all of your inspiration to Pastor Dick, as you are still living here on this earth, I hope you can feel all the love of God more to compromise with the lack of your one family member. May our Lord bless you and keep you firmly in His so that with one heart and month you may glorify God, our Father, who gives us internal encouragement to do His deeds and works!
The word from the true heart of a Vietnamese student studying in The Philippines!
As a child his sermons captivated me. He had a way with bringing it down to a level anyone could understand. I was 10 years old. Those seeds took root and as an adult I had the privilege to spend many hours with him over the years studying many topics. It has been this time in my life that has deepened my faith and expanded my vision of God. He and his family are my cherished friends whom I love beyond words. I am so grateful that God sent the Woodwards to Williamsburg so many years ago, it has changed me for eternity.
As members of Tabernacle Church we knew of Dick and heard him several times before we moved from Tidewater to pursue aviation training. We prayed for him, the family and the Virginia Beach Community Chapel when we learned of the onset of the mysterious illness that was to mark the rest of his life. Dick was such a great encourager to me and Pat as we began our missionary journey with JAARS and Wycliffe way back in 1981. I remember being invited to an evening meeting of the Williamsburg Community Chapel, meeting in Wally’s home to share about our upcoming ministry as a missionary pilot. WCC was the first church, even before Tab, to join our partnership team and stood with us for many years. Then on our first furlough, with WCC meeting at Walsingham Academy, Dick would give our kids, Joshua and Elizabeth rides down the hall of the academy on his motorized wheel chair. There was a library of Mini Bible College videos at our missionary center in the southern Philippines. A real touch of home and great teaching for us on the other side of the world. Thank you Dick, and Ginny, for your support and love over the years. We love you, you are remembered.
In the late 70s, I don’t remember years well, but I was not going to church after having attended all of my first 18 years of life. I have a picture in my mind of a pastor on the Mildred Alexander show that gave me a picture of a God who loves me. Although baptized at 9, I had never let go of my idea of personal responsibility to embrace grace and forgiveness. There was something about Dick Woodward that helped me see a loving God, despite the fact that my rabbit ears often let me only hear and not see the program. I don’t remember a word he said, but his radiant love of God and love for people came through loud and clear. Later in the 90s I somehow came across the breakfast at the Ramada Inn on Friday mornings and got permission to leave work as an assistant principal and go to hear the word of God shared. I bought the guide books and my wife bought the mini Bible college on cassette tapes. Many times I refer to what Dick Woodward has to say on a passage of the Bible. When I befriended a sex offender in prison, I bought the series on DVD and sent it to him. Although I had to send a few at a time, now every letter from the prisoner includes several references to what Dick Woodward says. I never met Dick Woodward personally, but I am ever grateful for his teaching and his being for influencing my relationship with God. I pray peace and blessings on each of you. Mark Dixon
Dick’s 4 spiritual secrets have been instant drop down boxes in life’s daily struggles. He lived them along with his family.. He was a gentle giant in our congregation who we will dearly miss.