Reverend H. L. Whittington, Eva Mae's Dad, passed away in a Nashville, Tennessee nursing center on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 23, 2001 after a very brief illness. Eva Mae had personally taken care of him for about six months -after the recent death earlier this year of Martha, Eva Mae's stepmother- until about 3 weeks ago when he was moved to the nursing center close to another daughter.

    Rev. Whittington planted over 20 churches, (We don't have the exact number yet, but we think it is 23) and was a pastor emeritus with the Church of God - Cleveland. He was the founder of the Hemphill Church of God in Atlanta, now known as the Mt. Paran Church of God, which is one of the largest churches in his denomination.

A Tribute to Reverend Harry C Whittington

    He was a Billionaire - in people won from sin to the Saving grace of Jesus Christ in Beautiful Church Buildings erected through his leadership - and in the thousands of converts who first heard of Christ the Lord through his preaching. The Rev. Harry Whittington was born July 15, 1898. He was born-again into God's kingdom in 1918 and his ministry began in 1920. Sixty-four years later at the age of eighty-five he was still pastoring in Atlanta while preaching to millions over the PTL network from Charlotte, N.C He stated that he was one and one-half miles from Heaven - we think he's been much closer all the time! Pastor Whittington began preaching in McCall, S. C., and organized five churches in that area. He entered Bible School in Cleveland, Tennessee in 1924. After graduation from what is now Lee University, he accepted a pastorate in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he built the first brick building in the Church of God. He returned to Cleveland and became the Pastor of the Headquarters Church, at that time the leading Church in the Church of God. 1930 found him servings as the State Overseer of South Carolina for a four-year period. God gave him favor with the President and owner of Cannon Mills, Mr. Charles Cannon, who remained his friend and a friend of the Church through his lifetime. He also built a brick parsonage at Kannapolis. He then accepted the State of Alabama as Overseer and the work grew and prospered, he resigned two years later because of his wife, Lydia’s ill health.

    In 1939 he became Pastor of the Atlanta Church of god. He built the largest Church Building on Hemphill Avenue for the Church of God. He also organized eight new churches in the Atlanta area. Brother Whittington was Pastor, Evangelist and friend to a listening audience of a half-million people in the area in 1939.

     In 1943 he began a series of Evangelism to the Eastern and Southern states where he built Churches and parsonages and told the story of Jesus to the masses. After a five year period he returned to Atlanta, and became Pastor-at-large to hundreds who were converted through his ministry. His last new Church 'Building was in Sylvan Hills, an Atlanta suburb. (While there he received complimentary letters from two Georgia Congressmen and one from the President of the United States, the honorable Jimmy Carter, who was a fellow-Georgian. The Mayor of Atlanta declared that day Whittington Day in Atlanta.

    Atlanta still honors the ministry and work of Reverend Whittington. He was to reach every area in the South, and indeed all over America, for his work as Evangelist took him from the Northern United States to Western California.

    He served his Church as Board member of Education and Missions and was an orphanage Committee member at large. He built and helped build 31 Churches. At 85 years of age his listening audience was still in the millions for he was a favorite with the PTL Network and its outreach.

    His work is eternal. He will always live, for his converts continue to seek the lost souls for Christ. Brother Whittington was a modern-day -Moses - he led people from bondage in sin to freedom and peace in the Living Lord throughout 3 centuries. From the Pioneer Fields in 1920 to the New Millennium he was a vibrant voice with a worldwide ministry. He remained unique; a leader, a builder, a man with the Christian message.