The announcement last Sunday of Joe Holland’s resignation from the eldership brings mixed emotions (and lots of fond memories). Unfortunately, due to the decline in Joe’s health, he decided a few weeks ago that it was time for him to resign. After 42 years, it was not an easy decision for him to make or the church to hear. We have been truly blessed!
Having grown up at Palm Beach Lakes as a child, I have very early memories of Joe Holland. He was appointed as an elder when I was very young, so he has always been “one of my elders.” My earliest memories are of a great tenor voice singing behind my family in worship and of him fill-in preaching when Bill Hatcher was out of town. Later, I remember Joe making announcements in worship and the all-time classic request that involved the “white cards” and the “blue cards.” (For some reason I don’t remember Joe making the announcements much after that.) As a teenager, I fondly remember Joe teaching our Bible class. That’s when I came to appreciate “Overhead Joe.” He never taught a class or spoke publicly without his overhead projector, transparencies, and vis-à-vis pens.
When I began working for the church in 1994, Joe Holland took on a whole new role to me. Because he worked full-time for the church, he and I interacted quite a bit. His history of preaching in his younger years (pre-IBM) created a special relationship between him and this preacher. In many ways, he became a mentor. I remember personal advice that he gave me that upset me at the time, but later I realized how spot-on he was. His devotion to THE truth (and his great knowledge of it) inspired me and motivated me to study more. He has always pushed me to greater heights.
As the years have passed, Joe became an even greater teacher to me and a treasured mentor. But eventually he has become a dear friend. He epitomizes Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times,” particularly when my “faithful friend” has told me what I needed to hear (Prov. 27:6). Joe has proven to me that there is nothing that he will not sacrifice for the good of the church and the advancement of the cause of Christ. He has shown me, through our friendship, how to be a friend of God (Jas. 2:23).
Thank you, Joe, for your lifetime dedication to the Lord and to the work of the church! Thank you for leading by example (1 Pet. 5:3)! Thank you for living out your faith in front of me (and everyone), in such a way for me/us to imitate (Heb. 13:7)! Thank you for standing for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! Thank you for caring for souls in and out of the church! Thank you for being “my elder”!