[Excerpts of her acceptance speech during the Distinguished Diaconia Award, given by the Silliman University Divinity School]
Seventy two years ago after a piano recital, a missionary, Miriam Gaines Palmore approached me and asked whether I would be interested in learning how to play the Hammond organ. No payment, she continues. Just a promise to serve… the rest of your life.
First church assignment with the Rev. Salvador Vista was at UCCP Libmanan in Camarines Sur.
At that time, when a local church hires a pastor, there is a tacit understanding that the wife accepts responsibility for whatever else needs to be done… like buy-one-take-one-free sort of a deal.
One Sunday, just before a worship service would begin, Pastor Vista makes this announcement in Bicol, “Those who have small babies and little children, please take them to the other room.”
As soon as he ends his announcement, a loud wail comes from the direction of the congregation… his six-month-old baby, Boyben, let out a loud wail, and would not stop crying. I signaled the teenager who was baby sitting to bring the baby to me. I was at the reed organ… those small instruments one has to pump in order to produce a sound.
As soon as the baby sat on my lap, he stopped crying. Now… how to play the instrument with a baby on your lap?
At Roxborough Baptist Church in Pennsylvania, we had a walled-in three-manual pipe organ with a full pedal board sitting at the bottom of the chancel, equipped with a mirror so the organist can see the doors.
Before the start of the worship service, 10 minutes of organ music for meditation was requested. On my first Sunday at the church, I saw members of the congregation come in but they would walk towards the organ, stand around for awhile, and go back to find their seats.
I asked our Pastor about it after the service, and he laughed, “Oh, many of them thought the organ was playing by itself because they could see no one!”
I must have said ‘Yes’ to Miriam Gaines Palmore 72 years ago because tonight, I stand before you to accept the Distinguished Diaconia Award.
Thank you to the faculty of the Divinity School for this award which I humbly accept for myself, and in behalf of the many in this upper room who said ‘Yes’ to the call to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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