Pastor Albert Rodriguez, founder, along with his wife, The Rev. Mrs. Hermalinda Rodriguez, of Grace Tabernacle, departed earth from his beloved San Antonio on Sunday, October 16, 2011.
The editor of Hugh's News is awaiting information about the funeral/memorial service for Albert Rodriguez, which is to be sometime Wednesday, October 19, 2011.
As of this writing, I have not received that information. The obituary is to be published in the San Antonio newspaper on Tuesday, October 18. Unfortunately, I cannot get it in Hugh's News until Wednesday. We have to do this newsletter the day before it is published.
I met Albert and Hermalinda Rodriguez in December of 1994, when I was the guest speaker for the Ministers and Wives Retreat in Houston, TX, during the administration of Bishop Leroy Baker who was the superintendent of the Texas Conference (now renamed Grace Bible Ministries Conference). Albert invited me to preach in his church in San Antonio when they were meeting in a converted automobile garage. I shall never forget the enthusiasm of the people, the overflow crowd, and the joyful and loud singing that was deafening. When the service was over, I thought I had lost my hearing forever. I remember the special chairs for guest speakers was designed and built for Hispanics, not big men from Alabama. Thank God for a folding chair that was provided for me.
I remember the people were most responsive, and made it easy for me to preach.
After church, we were taken to a famous Mexican restaurant near the Riverwalk, and it was superb. They served Sopapillas with honey. They had musicians with trumpets, guitars, and a violin in a lively band that serenaded us. I asked them to play several songs, one of which was "The Yellow Rose of Texas," and another one was "Deep in the Heart of Texas." I did not know that they expected a tip for each member of the band. Being a good sport and maybe an easy touch, I tip each member. They seemed to be pleased. "Money is not everything; but it is the next thing to oxygen."
Most of all, I was greatly impressed by Albert Rodriguez and his wife Hermalinda. They were gracious, outgoing, and well dressed people, and one could easily see they were leaders. They became instant friends.
They outgrew that converted auto mechanic shop building, and built a large church. I saw it in the midst of its construction when Leroy Baker and I were visiting with Chaplain, Major Christy Beatty Sorrow, USAF, when she was at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center as a resident in the Clinical Pastoral Education Program at that large medical center.
The good people of Grace Bible Ministries and Grace Tabernacle will greatly miss this great man of God. I understand that Albert had been in declining health for several years. I am confident that heaven has welcomed this good man who trusted Jesus as his Savior and Lord, and he is now in the presence of Jesus forever.
Posted on
Tue, October 18, 2011
by Hugh Morgan