Warlick, Thomas J.
11/5/1933
Sept. 18, 1857-Nov. 5, 1933 |
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| Rev. Thomas .1. Warlick was born in Asheville, North Carolina, September 18, 1857. He was one of thirteen children, one of his brothers being also a minister of the Methodist Church, and all the family Christians and active workers in the Church. His father’ s family moved from Asheville to Ellijay, Ga., during his early childhood. His early life was spent in the neighborhood of Ellijay. I am informed that be gave evidence of a deep interest in religion early in life, and his first presiding elder, Brother Walter Branham. describes him as a young man of fine character, diligent and earnest in his religious life. During these days of his association with Brother Branham he sought license to preach and was admitted into the North Georgia Conference, at Dalton, November, 1883, Bishop Pearce presiding. He was admitted into full connection and ordained deacon by Bishop McTyeire, December 1886. He was ordained eider by Bishop Keener, December, 1888, at Milledgeville, Ga. He located at this Conference, in order to attend college, at Emory College, Oxford, Ga., and was re-admitted into the traveling connection at Washington, Ga., December. 1890. He served the following charges in the North Georgia Conference: Morganton Mission, Dablonega District. 1883-1884; Clayton Circuit, 1885; Jasper Mission, 1886; admitted into full connection and ordained deacon by Bishop McTyelre, December, 1886; appointed to Appling Circuit, 1887; located, 1888; re-admitted to tile traveling connection at Washington, Ga., December, 1890, and appointed to Shadydale Circuit, Shadydale, 1891; Woodbury, 18?1-1893; Chipley, 1894-1896; Hartwell, 1897; St. James, Atlanta, 1898; Lawrenceville 1890: Social Circle, 1900-1901; St. Luke, Augusta, 1902. In November, 1903. he was transferred to the Louisiana Conference by Bishop Joseph S. Key and served the following appointments: Minden, 1903-1905: New Orleans District, 1906; Shreveport District, 1907-1910; First Church, Baton Rouge, 1911; Lake Charles, 1912; Homer, 1913-1914; Bogalusa, 1915-1916; Columbia, 1917-1919; Lake Providence, 1920-1921; Dubach, 1922; Lake Providenc~I&23; Zachary and Slaughter, 1924. He was superannuated at Crowley, November, 1923. Brother Warlick was diligent and courageous in the discharge of his duties as pastor and presiding elder. Brother Warlick suffered a stroke something over ten years ago and was compelled to take the superannate relation in the Louisiana Conference. He moved with his wife to Georgia, and since that time has lived in the home of his daughter, Mrs. James Hinton. He died November 5, 1933, at Oxford, and was buried the following day in the Oxford cemetery. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Nicholson in 1889. and is survived by his wife, his daughter, Mrs. James Hinton, Professor Ashley Warllck, Lake Providence, La., and Harold Warlick, who lives in’ Oxford, Ga. After Brother Warlick moved to the home of his daughter, on the Emory campus, I visited him frequently and can bear witness to the beautiful spirit shown by him during these last years of growing feebleness and weariness from disease. He loved to meet his brethren and talk with them of the work of God. He was a constant reader until the latter period of hi~ invalidism. He hailed with delight any book I could bring him that opened up new and richer fields of knowledge in the religious life. His mind, dwelt especially upon the higher experiences of a Christian as he prayed and thought about the experience of the Spirit’s indwelling and the life of sanctification through faith in Christ, our .Saviour. He ,had a very child-like faith, trusting God for everything. There was no murmuring and no sadness, but a bright smile Illuminated his face as he sat by his window with a good book nearby, and the radio, a source of continual delight to him as it enabled him to keep up with the world. He was a man of very positive convictions and stood by the great fundamentals of our Christian faith and our Methodist Church life. He was an ardent Methodist, believing in and cherishing his Church as a God-given agency for the conversion of the world. I was much Impressed with his quiet courage and unswerving love for God and man. In the early days of his invalidism he seemed to have a yearning to be an efficient worker, but eventually he recognized what seemed to be the final phase of his life and accepted It without a murmur and continued to live in the joy of his Lord. His end came in peace. He fell asleep and ceased to breathe, in keeping with his genuine, simple life. FRANKLIN N. PARKER
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| Source: Annual of the Louisiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Pages 82-83, 1933 | |
