[Oe List ...] Salmon on Rupert Barnes

[William Salmon]

    Repert Barnes! What a blith spirit of a man. With his clipped accent and star-studded eyes behind coke-bottle eye glasses he did not cut a handsome figure, but it was his physical and spiritual energy that transformed everything. 
    Rupert and I became good friends and colleagues when we both were first assigned to the Development Office. We met as a team for 10 days getting ready for our fund-raising drive, but Rupert was uncertain about his place in this universe. After the plan was a consensus and the assignments made, then everyone got ready to "get out the door." 
    Everyone, except Rupert!
    Wouldn't you know, he and I were assigned to each other for accountability purposes. I couldn't get out the door until he was ready to go. My instructions were, "Stay here until Barnes is ready to go." It was another five days of praticing the pitch before Barnes was convinced he might be able to do this; Lord only knows that the pitch and I now were one. It was a reluctant two-by-two that left 4750 No. Sheridan the next morning. 
    As I recall, as we got into the taxi to the airport, Rupert was still rehearsing his pitch and still asking me for reassurance. Then the miracle happened -- if indeed it was a miracle, but Rupert Barnes became the wild man of development. 
    Part of the accountability structure was for each team of two to call each other every day. Rupert stopped calling the second day were out. Finally, I had a local colleague in his community flag him down long enough to call me. 
    "Rupert, what the hell are you doing?" 
    "Oh, Pastor Bill, I was making evening calls." 
    "That's wonderful. How's it going?" 
    "Extraordinarily well. My last appointment for the night was at midnight!" 
    From then on it was all down hill to success. I don't know how donors put up with his eccentricities. However, he inspired in me a desire to make a few midnight calls of my own. It's amazing how dedication transforms us.
    I was privileged to have a small hand in "getting him out the door." The rest was history. 
    For being a part of his flights of fancy, I'll forever be inspired. 
    Pastor Bill 
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