From the speaking notes of Rev. Dr. Gabriel P. Dixon (1908-2005)
edited for reading by Sherilyn Beverly Myricks
There is a town in Alabama called Coffee County. While named after General John Coffee, the name appeared to many to be a misnomer because farmers there did not grow coffee – they farmed cotton.
By the early 1900’s, the soil in that place had long been exhausted due to the lack of crop rotation. George Washington Carver, the great agricultural scientist of color in the South, tried to persuade the farmers to plant peanuts, but it was at a time of low market price for peanuts. What the farmers did not know was that through Carver’s discoveries, hundreds of industrial uses would come from peanuts. Nor did they know that planting peanuts regenerated vital nutrients in the soil. Cotton still had too strong a grip on the traditional farmers. They became poverty stricken – still they planted cotton.
Then, disaster struck in the form of a boll weevil invasion. Because cotton could no longer grow without being destroyed, the farmers were forced to switch and were persuaded to plant peanuts. The results were so spectacular and profitable that in 1919 a grateful citizenry decided to erect a monument to commemorate the great lesson. The inscription on the monument read – “In profound appreciation of the Boll Weevil and of all that it has done as the herald of prosperity, this monument is erected by the citizens of Enterprise, Coffee County, Alabama.”
What can we take away from this lesson from history? Often, the bitter winds of adversity help more than hurt. What seemed to bring disaster brought by the boll weevil became a door of opportunity. Good grew out of what was first perceived as bad.
You and I like to avoid suffering, and we certainly do not welcome it, when we cannot avoid it. But scripture teaches a similar connection between grief and gratitude. Romans 5:3-5 NKJV reminds us that we not only “rejoice in hope of the glory of God…. but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
HIS OBITUARY (for background)
Dr. Gabriel P. Dixon was born the second son of seven children into a Church of God parsonage in Augusta, Georgia on June 19th, 1908. His parents were the late Reverend George R. and Irene Anna Dixon.
Gabriel “Gabe” established a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in his youth. In 1933 Gabriel was called to the preaching ministry and later that year became the first African American to graduate from Anderson College, (University) and theological seminary. In 1934 he married the one and only love of his life, Lollie Violet Cochran and of that union four children, Lawrence, June, Janice and George, were born.
Shortly after their marriage Gabriel and Lollie moved to Kansas City, Kansas where Gabriel accepted the challenge of his first pastorate, Third Street Church of God where he remained for 10 years. During his time in Kansas, he honed his vision for a youth conference, which emerged in 1938 as the National Inspirational Youth Convention.
In 1944, Gabriel accepted his second and final pastorate, serving the Garfield/Cote Brilliante Church of God in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1954, Gabriel received his second degree, a bachelors of legal letters from Lincoln University School of Law in Jefferson City, Missouri. He used this knowledge to serve the congregation assisting them in preparing wills, managing estates and offering notary services
He pastored the congregation at Cote Brilliante until his retirement in 1974. He jokingly said of his retirement that it meant putting on a new set of tires, for he traveled extensively, serving as the associate Pastor to the Langley Ave. Church of God and to the First Church of God in Harvey, both in Illinois. He traveled every other weekend, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for as long as his health would permit.
In addition to his pastoral ministry, he has served the Church as the first African American on the General Assembly of the Church of God and served as vice-president and as chairperson of the Business and By-laws Committee. He was a 28-year member of the Board of Church Extensions and Home Missions. He held leadership roles with the National Association of the Church of God and for one year served as first president of the National Inspirational Youth Convention (NIYC). Gabriel was president of the Inter-State Campground in Topeka, KS, and he served on numerous civic and community boards as well as the Mid-East Area Agency on Aging.
To balance his busy life of service Gabriel had a few purely pleasurable past-times. He was an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, having played baseball while at Anderson. He enjoyed time at the St. Louis Zoo and could have easily been a docent with his knowledge of animals and their habitats. And, Gabriel loved to WIN at games, Millbourne, Croquet and Chinese Checkers among others.
Gabriel loved everyone. He never met a stranger. He was always active but never too busy to lend an ear or hand. His joyous, spirited presence was a gift to all who knew him.
On Monday, February 28th 2005, after 96 years,
Gabriel exchanged life for immortality.
