The Man of the Cloth

By Ruth Ann Lambe

First of all, I am highly honored to pen this biographical sketch of my favorite preacher, visionary, businessman, mentor, and leadera genuine man of the cloth, my husband. We are often told that we are in control of our own destiny for our lives, and this often helps to empower us to make key decisions in the situations that we face on our journey throughout life. It may seem at times that we are constantly faced with oppositions, which challenge us to either make us or break us. Yet at some point, it seems that doors miraculously open, and we are faced with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At that point, we begin to realize that there is a whole lot more to life than we may have previously considered, and we reflect on the providence of God to direct us to His ultimate destiny through His divine plan for our lives.

The development of a leader by God is a progressive (unique refining) process that can, at times, leave you feeling as if you are all alone. However, you continue to develop a relationship with God and sense His divine intervention gently shifting circumstances and honing into your development of gifts, talents, and abilities. Remarkably, your life is transformed, and you realize that you are no longer alone.
This is a journey of a son of the soil. He was born in poverty, raised through hardship and rejection, and yet was groomed for a divine destiny as a man of the cloth. Who would have guessed all that God had in store? This biography will provide for you a few details of the journey, the process and spiritual enrichment of Gods anointed mouthpiece, and the significant impact of his days on this terrestrial globe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 31, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503599628

Ruth Ann Lambe

Ruth Ann Lambe is the first lady of the First Church of God in Bermuda, where she serves alongside her husband, Bishop Vernon G. Lambe Sr. She is a dynamic speaker, passionate author, and esteemed educator. First lady Lambe endeavors to impact the lives of women and families through Ruth’s Legacy. She is also the founder and director of Kuria Ministries—Mentoring Elect Ladies.

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Copyright © 2015 by Ruth Ann Lambe.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 12/11/2015

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Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter One:  This Is A Godchild

The Kid In Me

Parting With Sorrow

Jobs

The Pit

Chapter Two:  First Trip

Facing The Gun

The Engagement

The Return To Bermuda

Married Life

A Family Man

Testing Time Is Here

The Family Grows

Chapter Three:  Pastor Lambe

Holy Land Tour

Fosdick And Belleview Church Of God

The Move

Our Bermuda Vacation

Announcement: Bermuda-Bound

Chapter Four:  Bermuda

Anderson Camp Meeting

To Build, We Must

Island-Wide Strike Avoided

We Continue To Expand

College

Nursery School

Chapter Five:  Cars

West Middlesex Camp Meeting

Tours

Pastor Vernon G. Lambe Received An Mbe

I Am In My Day

Family

Happy Birthday, Pastor

Grand Opening

The Eleventh World Conference

Amsterdam, Holland

Fasting

Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service

Chapter Six:  Nation-Changing Conference

The Storms

Consecrated To The Apostolic Office Of Bishop

Travels

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Columbus, Ohio

Boston, Massachusetts

Paris, France

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Phoenix, Arizona

Marriage Enrichment Seminar

Meet The Missionaries

Saint Kitts, West Indies Island

Columbia, Maryland

Passing The Baton

Chapter Seven:  Home And Gardens

Who Ate The Cookies?

The Party’s Over Here

Furniture Shopping North Carolina

Caregiver And Operations

New Furniture Arrived

Chapter Eight:  The Bricked Driveway

Sons And Daughters Of The Soil

Installation Of Daniel Webster Robinson

Opening Of Parliament

Happy Birthday, Bishop

Bermuda Independence Commission (Bic)

The Thermometer Comes Down

Happy Birthday, Dr. Horace W. Sheppard

Queen’s Certificate And Badge

Farewell, Aunt Patsy

Farewell, Honorable Dame Lois Browne-Evans

Bermuda College Installation

Welcome, Bishop John Francis

New Year’s Eve Concert With Byron Cage

Double-Decker Parking Lot

Haiti’s Seven-Point Earthquake

Caribbean Atlantic Convention, Saint Kitts

Victorious Disciples

10/10/10

Farewell, Dorothy Lynn Cornelius

Johannesburg, South Africa

Farewell, Lillian Ramphele

An African Dinner And Show

A New Knee

June 2012

Recollections

The Queen Of Bermuda

Thirty-Seventh Pastoral Anniversary

Go, West, Young Man, Go West

Pastors For Angle Street Assigned

Concepts For Living

Happy New Year

Homegoing Celebration For Hubert Eaton

Chenaniah Praise Dance

Belco

Open Door Christian Assembly

Improving Your Brand: The Youth Of Bermuda

Installation And Swearing In Of Mayor And Staff Of Hamilton, Bermuda

National Day Of Prayer

God Will Provide

Team Butterfield

Leave This Earth Empty

F irst and foremost, I would like to dedicate this book, The Man of the Cloth , to my Lord and Savior, who is the source and resource of the enclosed material. He is my strength and my first love. I wish also to dedicate this book to our children and their spouses—Vernon II and Betty Ann, LaVern and the late Clarence W. Davis, Theresa M. Lambe-Christopher, Antoinette and Charles Jeffers II—and also our grandchildren, Vernon III, Vernell, Blaine, Laurin, Alexia, Courtney, and Arrington. I have been called a doting grandmother. I have always tried to make every occasion one to remember; thus, these stories involve all sixteen of us, as well as the congregations where we have served. It is my heart’s desire that those who read will be inspired, enlightened, and encouraged to see how God works in mysterious ways. This man stands out against the rest in wisdom. He has the ability, through the Holy Spirit, to interpret the Word of God, explaining what is meant by what is said. Here in Bermuda, he is the eldest of his colleagues. Bishop is my favorite preacher, teacher, dreamer, administrator, gardener, cook, and friend.

PREFACE

F irst of all, I am highly honored to pen this biographical sketch of my favorite preacher, visionary, businessman, mentor, and leader—a genuine man of the cloth, my husband. We are often told that we are in control of our own destiny for our lives, and this often helps to empower us to make key decisions in the situations that we face on our journey throughout life. It may seem at times that we are constantly faced with oppositions, which challenge us to either make us or break us. Yet at some point, it seems that doors miraculously open, and we are faced with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At that point, we begin to realize that there is a whole lot more to life than we may have previously considered, and we reflect on the providence of God to direct us to His ultimate destiny through His divine plan for our lives. The development of a leader by God is a progressive (unique refining) process that can, at times, leave you feeling as if you are all alone. However, you continue to develop a relationship with God and sense His divine intervention gently shifting circumstances and honing into your development of gifts, talents, and abilities. Remarkably, your life is transformed, and you realize that you are no longer alone. This is a journey of a son of the soil. He was born in poverty, raised through hardship and rejection, but yet groomed for a divine destiny as a man of the cloth. Who would have guessed all that God had in store? This biography will provide for you a few details of the journey, the process and spiritual enrichment of God ’ s anointed mouthpiece, and the significant impact of his days on this terrestrial globe.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I thank God for His Son, Jesus, and for the desire to write. Thank you, Dr. Myles Munroe, who encouraged me to write this book. His question to me was What is one thing you want to do before you leave this world? It is in loving memory of Myles and Ruth Ann Monroe that I wrote this book, The Man of the C loth .

I am grateful to the Lord for the main character of this book, my beloved husband—father of our four children, pastor, overseer, my covering, and my friend.

Thank You, Lord, for Tiny a.k.a. Loleeta M. C. Rogers, who has edited this material as we prepared to send it to print.

Thank you, Linette Astwood, for your ITT assistance.

Thank you, Deacon Marsh Smith, for editing the photos.

Thank you, Kim Spencer, for your encouragement and refinement.

Thank you, First Church of God and the family of God—for without you, my writings would be limited.

For forty years, Bishop and I have served here in Bermuda. On July 7, 2015 we celebrated 50 years of ministry; forty in Bermuda and ten in America, thus, we entitled the celebration Our Fortieth/Fiftieth Anniversary.

Hallelujah! All glory and praise goes to my Lord and Savior!

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CHAPTER ONE

This Is a Godchild

I t’s Boxing Day, a traditional Bermuda holiday! The day after the Christmas celebration when people box up food and toys to share with friends or those in need, distributing their tasty delights enjoyed on Christmas Day. But the twenty-sixth of December 1939 was a special date, for it marked the birth of a male child born to Dorothy Verlena Lambe and Fredrick George Wright. A son of the soil was born, and his name is Vernon George Lambe. It was his godma Zelda Lightbourne who took him as an infant from his sick mother and wrapped him in a warm, soft cloth. She carried him from church to church until she found a priest that would pray a prayer of dedication over him. The priest at St. John’s Church in Pembroke, in response to the humble request, inquired, Are you this child’s mother? She responded, No, I am his godmother. His mother is very ill, and they don’t think she will make it through the night. The priest laid his hands upon the infant and prayed for him and stated, This is a godchild!

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Not many days after Vernon had been blessed by the priest, his young mother died, leaving her two young children, Vernon and his sister, Betty Verlena, who was two years older than him. His godma Zelda was glad she had taken her godson to be blessed when she did. These young children would have a long, rough road to tread in life. After the death of their mother, the children, Vernon and Betty, went to live with Mrs. Thomas. Ma Thomas, as she was affectionately called, was an elderly gray-haired child of God, who was loving and full of compassion. She did what she could for these two children. Ma was strict; she demanded obedience, good behavior, and good manners as the children grew. There were times when there was no food, and Ma would send Vernon to check out the barrel in the rear of the grocery shop to search for food. Vernon would take home meat turning green, and Ma would lay her hands on that food and ask God to bless it so it would not cause any sickness. She would season and cook it, and they all ate and were satisfied. God is a wonder, and so was this matriarch. She leaned on the Lord for all her needs, and He supplied.

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Ma Thomas lived on the junction of the Church and Court Street in Hamilton on the corner across the old Dr. Smith’s office. DaDa, Eileen, and Doreen, Ma’s granddaughters, lived there also. In the back of Vernon’s mind as a young lad, he remembers taking a pail of soup to the third floor of the Angle Street Church of God to the pastor and his wife, Rev. E.B. Grant, who was from the same island as Ma Thomas. There was something about the unique flavor of their homemade soup. Ma Thomas was a cook and a seamstress. I suppose she felt as I did—one must take what you have and make what you need. Vernon’s recollection of his first Easter suit was one made of bleached flour sacks starched and ironed stiff. Keep your clothes clean was Ma’s request as she sent them off to St. Paul AME Church and Sunday school every Sunday. Later, she joined them as they sat on the first row. If they acted up, they would surely get a pinch, or when you reached home, it would be worse yet.

THE KID IN ME

It’s Christmas! Another secondhand gift—a repainted wagon or no gift at all. Or maybe it was saved for his birthday, the day after Christmas, December 26. If it were not for the Salvation Army’s donations, there would be no gift at all; he was grateful.

Vernon’s childhood was rough, growing up without his mother. How he longed to hear someone call him in from play and say Come son dinner is ready. This is what his playmates heard and ignored so often. His shoes were usually too small. While growing up, they were often women’s pointed-toe shoes, as those were in style. He was forced to wear them, and it caused his toes to overlap (his granddaughter Courtney’s toes are just like his).

Vernon and Betty went to Central School just off Parsons Road, now known as Victor Scott Primary. How many times did Vernon get in trouble and felt the rod of correction from his teacher and also the principal, Mr. Scott, who caned him. Vernon felt it was unfair. When the whipping was over, Vernon walked down the hall and left school. Four boys went after him to take him back, but he fought them off. He told of how the principal used to ride a bike, and one day, he plotted to sting him with a rock as he drove past; however, he never did hit him.

Ma grew old and weary. One day, she sat Vernon down and explained to him a condition she suffered. She said she had to go to the hospital to have cataracts removed from her eyes and that she might never see him again. She further explained, If anything happens to me, I want you to remain with Carrie and Arnold as I had made arrangements for you to help this couple, and they in turn would feed and care for you. Ma told Vernon to stay there until he could get on his feet and also to find the Lord and accept Him as his Savior. The Word of God says in 1 Samuel 10:7, Do as the occasion serves thee.

Much to this child’s dismay, Ma did not leave the hospital alive. Vernon kept his promise. He stayed with the Simons. Life was tough. Because of constant neglect and unfair treatment, this young man became hostile, which caused him to fight for his rights. Many times, he had to steal