Howard Goss

[Sam]

The following is about a man named Howard Goss. He has been dead for over 40 years. I never met him but I have read some things about him. I don't read many books. I have hundreds of books. Some I've read, some I've only read a chapter or two and some of them I haven't read at all. But, quit a few years ago, when my kids were still small, I read a book called "The Winds of God" which was a biography/autobiography of Howard Goss. Over the years I have given away a couple copies of that book and I have read it three or four more times. Howard Goss was one of the old pioneers in the Pentecostal movement and over the years held a position of leadership in several of the Pentecostal organizations and denominations. The first part of the following is a brief bio. of the man. The second part is an article I ran across a few days ago which was written a few years ago by Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in NY.
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Goss, Howard Archibald (1883-1964)

First general superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church (UPC). Converted in 1903 under the ministry of Charles F. Parham, Goss attended Parham’s short term Bible School in Houston, TX in 1905. While riding a train with other Pentecostals in 1906, he received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. In the same year Parham appointed him to be field supervisor of the Apostolic Faith movement in Texas. After moral charges were brought against Parham in 1907, Goss separated from Parham and evangelized in Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri, establishing several Pentecostal churches. Goss and E.N. Bell were chiefly responsible for organizing the Assemblies of God (AG) in 1914, and Goss was elected to serve on the first executive presbytery and as the person issuing credentials to ministers in the South and West. E.N. Bell rebaptized Goss in the name of Jesus Christ in 1915. After the division of the Oneness ministers from the AG in 1916, Goss served on the credentials committee of the General Assembly of the Apostolic Assemblies. In 1919 he moved to Canada and established a church in Toronto, serving as its pastor until 1937. In the U.S. Goss was a member of the organizing board of presbyters for the Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance and served as the first chairman of this organization from 1925 to 1932. In 1939 he became the general superintendent of the Pentecostal Church Incorporated. At the merger that formed the UPC in 1945, Goss became the first general superintendent of the new organization and served until 1951. With his wife, Ethel, Goss wrote The Winds of God (1958), a history of the early years of the Pentecostal revival.

Page 343 of Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, Jan. 1993 edition
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The Real Thing

I was about seven years old when an unusual man of God spoke at the midweek service of the small church my parents were attending. His name was Howard Goss, and I will never forget the impression he left on my young heart. He was a huge man with a bald head and hands the size of baseball gloves. I never paid much attention to Bible preachers back then, but this man captured my interest. This large, gentle minister radiated something I had never felt before. Howard Goss didn't rant and rave to make his point. Nor did he use any emotional gimmicks as he delivered the Word of God. He simply explained the truths of Scripture in an easy conversational tone. But he also conveyed an unusual sense of the blessing of God, a fact I grew to appreciate much later in life.

I had been in the ministry for about six years when I visited the city of Manila in the Philippines to speak at a large church celebrating its anniversary. As I browsed in the pastor's study before the service, I noticed a book written by Howard Goss many years earlier. He had died since I had last seen him, but I still vividly remembered the impression he made on me. The pastor noticed the book I was leafing through and abruptly exclaimed, "You know, his son goes to church here."

"What, here in Manila?" I asked.

"Yeah, he lived away from God for many years, went through a divorce, and ended up in the Philippines. He's married to a Filipino woman, and their two boys go to church with him all the time."

There was plenty of time before the service began, so I asked if I could meet him. Within minutes a tall, hulking, middle-aged man walked in--the exact double of his late father, complete with the large, balding head and huge hands. I was stunned by the uncanny resemblance. As we sat and talked, I explained my interest in knowing more about his dad. He told me about his father's conversion, long years of preaching ministry, and beautiful marriage. Then he opened up to me even more:

"Even though I drifted away from God, I never could get away from my parents' prayers," he told me. "The farther I strayed, the more they interceded for me. Dad was always seeking God. I would so often see him on his knees in his study. His heart was so sincere before the Lord that I couldn't take being around him when I was living so terribly. One night he and Mom prayed a long time for me and waited up until I got home from my carousing.

"'Son, you're coming back to the Lord!' they said. 'God assured us in prayer tonight that it's just a matter of time. Hallelujah!' And they were right, as usual. I ran for a long time, but the Lord just got me into a corner and that was it. I surrendered my life back to him years ago, and my two boys are now fine young men of God. I just wish my dad had seen with his own eyes the answer to his prayers.

"You know, Pastor, my dad really walked with God. He was so unusual compared to most of the ministers I saw while growing up. He was quite famous in his circle of churches, and everybody wanted him to speak, especially at those huge summer-camp meetings. He was a good writer and became an elder statesman to a multitude of younger preachers and congregations. But all the acclaim and popularity, all the invitations and compliments, never affected him except to make him more humble before God.

"I'll never forget one big camp meeting up in Canada when I was a kid. Every famous preacher was invited, and the crowds were tremendous. Our family arrived a day early, and the leaders were making out the schedule for the speakers. Meetings were held all day long-morning, afternoon, and night-and the visiting preachers all wanted to speak during the night rallies when the crowds were largest. The preachers actually jockeyed around, hoping to get the biggest meetings for their preaching assignments.

"Suddenly one of the leaders asked where my father was. He was in the prime of his ministry and was highly respected by everyone. They wanted to consult with him, but no one seemed to know where he was. They finally heard that he was last seen in the kitchen and dining hall area, so I went with them to find him.

"They could scarcely believe their eyes when they got to the kitchen. There was my dad on his hands and knees scrubbing the floor with some of the other workers!

"'Brother Goss,' they said, 'what are you doing here? We're making out the preaching schedule and wanted to know your preference.'

"'Oh, brothers,' my dad replied, 'you've got so many good preachers here that you don't need to worry about me. But I found out that they're short of help here in the kitchen so I thought I'd lend a hand."'

Tears welled up in our eyes as the son reminisced about his father, whose godly heart had left such a deep impression on so many.

"My dad was sure different, Pastor;" he said. "He was the real thing. His heart was so humble before the Lord that he had a special power in prayer and in preaching. The Lord was really with my dad."

Cymbala, Jim. The Life God Blesses. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan,
2001, p. 82-86.

[CC1]

I wonder if Howard Goss's son is still alive? I also wonder what the grandsons are doing and if they are in church or perhaps even in ministry.

I don't know how old Jim Cymbla is or at what age he entered the ministry but I am guessing his Manilla story must be at least 25 years ago and the son was "middle aged" then.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by CC1

I wonder if Howard Goss's son is still alive? I also wonder what the grandsons are doing and if they are in church or perhaps even in ministry.

I don't know how old Jim Cymbla is or at what age he entered the ministry but I am guessing his Manilla story must be at least 25 years ago and the son was "middle aged" then.

Jim Cymbala is probably about late 50's to early 60's. He has pastored Brooklyn Tabernacle for 25 years. His wife is the director of their famous choir.

[CC1]

Originally Posted by pelathais

Jim Cymbala is probably about late 50's to early 60's. He has pastored Brooklyn Tabernacle for 25 years. His wife is the director of their famous choir.

Yup. I have heard him preach twice in person. Once at my church, Christ Church Nashville, and once at a Global conference in Nashville.

I would love to visit BT some day and hear the choir.

[SDG]

I know of such men ...

"My dad was sure different, Pastor;" he said. "He was the real thing. His heart was so humble before the Lord that he had a special power in prayer and in preaching. The Lord was really with my dad."

[Barb]

Sam, once again, you have posted a wonderful thread.

Bro. Goss sounds like he was great man...

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by Barb

Sam, once again, you have posted a wonderful thread.

Bro. Goss sounds like he was great man...

Here's a front page from his newspaper - Word and Witness 1913

I've got a couple of gigs of scanned images of W&W, E.N. Bell's paper The Later Rain Evangel (now the official pub of the AoG and shortened to The Evangel) and others. The page below is from a time when we were all still "brethren."

[RevBuddy]

As a young man, my father drove Brother Goss to many scheduled meetings. Most of which were scheduled through the South. One of the impressions that he made on Dad was the fact that he was so friendly and caring regardless of the area of the country or the particular types of fellowships he visited.

It must have been very special to spend the many hours of travel having long conversations with Brother Goss. I don't know how to really explain it in words, but those pioneer men were different in spirit and temperment than today. And I'm not certain that I have an explanation of why, but there was a uniqueness to each of them. And while they discussed serious matters of doctrine in those days (and there were profound issues then, too), they had an ability and desire to maintain friendships and brotherly love, in stark contrast to more recent argumentative, and sometime bitter debates.

I have been told by my father that after serious and important debates in ministerial meeting, in which serious matters were carefully discussed, and often stark differing opinions were offered, those who were on opposite sides of an issue were see leaving the meeting with their arms around each other, trying to decide what restaurant they would go to. My father is now 87 so those days, unfortunately, are far in our Apostolic past.

Also, just a personal note, Brother Goss pastored, for a short time in the '50's, the same church that I pastored in New York City. It is probably during this time that Jim Cymbala had the opportunity to be in a church service with him. Jim's parents were also close friends with the Chambers there. And Brother Goss and Brother Chambers were close friends in New York. Brother Chambers attended the "92nd Street church" in those days and met his wife, Cathrine, there. She was from Brooklyn where Jim's parents also lived.

[Coonskinner]

Great article, Brother Sam.

Thanks.

[OP_Carl]

Touching, inspirational, and aspirational.

Thank you for sharing it.