by Claudia A. Whitworth
It was truly an affair to be long remembered when a near capacity crowd assembled in High Street Baptist Church’s Anchor of Hope on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 19 to honor one of their own. The 2-fold occasion was in celebration of the 90th birthday and Pastoral Retirement of Rev. Ulas N. Broady after 33 years as pastor of Lapsleys Run Baptist Church in Fincastle, VA. The huge audience of loving genetic as well as church family members also included numerous local and area ministers, friends and associates who hold the honoree in highest esteem.
Following the musical prelude by Ms. Maxine Hunt, the 4-hour event began, skillfully orchestrated with Rev. Lee E. Suggs, pastor of Schaeffer Memorial Baptist Church of Christiansburg, VA, presiding. Numerous local and area ministers were present, aside from the seven included on the program, further attesting to the love, respect and high esteem in which Rev. Broady is held. The delicious dinner (also expertly orchestrated) that preceded the program included honoree/family video slides.
After dinner the spiritual atmosphere was set by the Rev. Dr. Tommy London who began the program with a beautiful solo. Councilwoman Anita Price officially presented the honoree with a Gold Star from the City.
The sequence of a dozen or more reflections that followed, listed and unlisted, would be indescribable, even if time and space permitted. So let’s start with an abbreviated beginning of . . .
A Life of Service
Rev. Broady was born in 1925, the third of ten children of the late Frank C. and Lonnie J. Broady, in Smith County, VA where he received his early education. His GED was received from Roanoke City Public Schools, studied at Shenandoah and Washington Bible Colleges and in 2002 was presented the Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Richmond Virginia Seminary. In 1943 he entered the Armed Forces and served 22 months in the European Theatre. Following his Honorable Discharge in 1946 he joined his family that had moved to Roanoke and soon went to work at the Veterans Hospital in Salem where he received several outstanding awards before retiring in 1980 after 34 years of dedicated service.
In 1947, he joined High Street Baptist Church where he was blessed to have been mentored by the Revs. Noel C. Taylor, Frederick G. Sampson, Robert J. Smith and David Chapman. There he continues to work in different capacities having served as Ass’t. Sunday School Superintendant; member, Senior Usher Board, Sanctuary Choir and Missionary ministries as well as a Deacon for 25 years (as chairman for 12 years). He was selected as “Man of the Year, 1970” and as “Father of the Year, 1976” through his innumerable contributions to the church and community including with Hamlar-Curtis Funeral Home, with youth services, the Valley Baptist Asss’n. and numerous Boards, and other services. Shortly after Pastor Broady accepted his Call to the Ministry in 1980 he was called to pastor Lapsleys Run Baptist Church, Fincastle, VA where he has remained for 33 years! This pastorate, he states, has afforded him greatest joy, enhanced his spiritual growth and afforded him many invaluable life experiences while earning him additional respect from many others that he may never otherwise have experienced.
As a family man Rev. Broady cherishes his wife (of 61 years!), Delois Clements Broady; mentors his loving grandchildren, Nathan and Ashliegh; encourages his daughter and son-in-law, Yvonne and Chris, as well as other family members. His primary purpose in life, he states, is serving the Lord, loving his family and ministering to the needs of others. . .
Immediately following dinner, Program Presider, Rev Suggs, individually introduced the long line-up listed to offer reflections, giving each a 2-minute time limit–from which he declared himself independent of. All things considered, each did a fantastic job of not straying far beyond. At the end the mike was first given to the honoree’s wife, Mrs. Delois Broady, who offered expressions of love and gratitude to all for the grand occasion honoring her husband’s achievements and of her appreciation of their lifetime together. Upon turning the mike over to her husband–with due warning of what might follow (timewise)–for those who didn’t already know.
Rev. Eulas Broady approached the podium practically speechless! As he began to find words for so great an honor, shared by so many, “while I’m still here,” the words began to come, and come, starting from his early childhood.
“I’m sorry about World War II,” he humbly stated at one point, “but that’s the best thing that ever happened to me…” proceeding to tell of the advantages gained from his broad military experience at home and abroad. Each time he tried winding down, new thoughts that he wanted to share would crank him back up again¬–and all present loved every minute of it.
“When I’m stretched out at Hamlar-Curtis, you don’t have to say a word about me,” he ended his heart-filled comments with. “You’ve said it all here today!”
For your unique, exemplary life of humility and complete servitude so indelibly carved into the sands of time throughout this Roanoke Valley and far beyond, Rev. Ulas N. Broady, may we just say, “Here’s to love, Here’s to life; Here’s to YOU.”
