Bro. Carl Cecil Wolfe died on June 17, 1981 just a few days short of his 83rd birthday. Bro. Carl was well known to the brotherhood for his active service in the Lord’s vineyard for over 68 years.
Forty-four years ago he founded and became editor of a magazine which was then called The Junior Christadelphian. Some twenty years later the name was changed to The Christadelphian Tidings and in 1958 Bro. Carl turned the editorship of the magazine over to the present editor, Bro. Robert Lloyd.
David when speaking on the occasion of Abner’s death said, “Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel ?” We can certainly echo these words in applying them to our Bro. Carl Wolfe.
Carl was a tireless worker in the Truth and for many years was an arranging brother of the Pomona Ecclesia. He was a member of the first Executive Committee that began the Bible School at Idyllwild in 1955.
He Never Retired From the Truth
Bro. Carl retired from business several times but his mind was always active and he never retired from his work in the Truth. In fact in 1979 he began what is now known as the Correspondence Team Effort and he signed up his first student in January of 1979. Since then there have been 1,306 students enrolled in Bible Correspondence classes which are now taught by 149 teachers scattered throughout the United States and Canada. There have been ten baptisms as a direct result of the work Bro. Carl commenced only about 21/2 years ago. Bro. Carl began placing small ads in national magazines offering them a free Bible Correspondence course and the work has grown to its present proportions in this short time. At that time Bro. Carl was past 80, living in isolation and in poor health. Most would decide that there was little or nothing they could do for the Lord in this situation but not Bro. Carl. As a result of his enthusiasm and tireless efforts Bro. Carl enlisted Brethren Chris Barratt and David Lloyd to take it over and this work is now continuing and we pray that God will bless it with more students, more brethren and sisters teaching and more baptisms in the future until our Lord returns. There are an average of 55 new students being added each month.
We should be inspired to do what we can with what we have right where we are.
The memory of our Bro. Carl should inspire each of us to do what we can with what we have right where we are. Bro. Carl did not just preach this, he did it.
For years before this, Carl was always busy writing letters to the editors of small newspapers in which he would offer Bible courses and free tapes of Bible lectures.
Bro. Carl was staunch in his beliefs and everyone who knew him knew just where he stood on the vital truths that he held so dear.
Bro. J. Robert Magill spoke comforting words to those gathered in Red Bluff as Bro. Carl was laid to rest until he receives the call that “The Master has come and calleth for thee.”
Sis. Frankie Wolfe, his widow has requested that those who wish to remember Carl may send their gift to the Christadelphian Correspondence Team Effort, c/o David R. Lloyd, 324 North May Street, Monrovia, California 91016. Sis. Wolfe also wants to express her thanks to all who have sent cards and letters.
In Leviticus God told the children of Israel that we should rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man.” Paul admonishes us to “esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake” Bro. Carl Wolfe is now at rest and his personal work is over, but we do well to remember and emulate the love and devotion this “old warrior” had for his Lord.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One