By Emily Williams
Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church and Carolyn Sloss Ratliff recently published “Life is Gift, Remembrances of John Rowan Claypool IV” to honor the life and work of the late Rev. John Claypool.
“He had such a gentle soul and he really cared about who was standing in front of him, whether he was just meeting or had known them for many years,” Ratliff said.
After finishing a book in remembrance of former Altamont School Headmaster Carl Martin Hames, Ratliff said she so thoroughly enjoyed gleaning information about her subject from the people who knew and loved him that she developed an itch to do it all over again.
She set out to gather more stories to show the effect the late Rev. Claypool had on not only members of St. Luke’s, but also on people from Claypool’s former congregations.
Born in Kentucky on Dec. 15, 1930, Claypool grew up in the Baptist church and changed denominations after the loss of his 10-year-old daughter.
“When I started out on this journey, I met so many people who loved him in the Baptist world,” Ratliff said, and they wanted to know about his life in the Episcopal world.
The book includes 99 stories provided by preachers, ministers, church members, family and friends.
According to church members, Claypool was a master at instilling hope, declaring that “an ending always brings a new beginning.” Through times of despair, Claypool reminded his congregation to keep their spirits up, using his mantra, “Life is gift.”
“He would do a sermon – which many people call a confessional – and when he spoke people would feel like he was speaking only to them,” Ratliff said. “Even in a congregation of 200 or more people, they felt he was speaking directly to them.”
Before his death in 2005, Claypool returned to the Baptist church to serve as preaching professor at the McAfee School of Theology.
Ratliff said that Claypool’s story can be inspiring to any reader, regardless of whether they met Claypool during his life.
“He just kept the faith despite the hardships,” Ratliff said. “In fact, it deepened his faith. People need to know that, because life is not always easy.”
“Life Is Gift” is available for purchase until Sept. 30. Books are $35 each and proceeds will benefit the Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church Ministries, including the Claypool Lecture Series.
For more information, visit www.saint-lukes.com or call 871-3583. ϖ
