The Writing of The Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow
My dad, Joe E. Brumbelow (1930-2002), was a pastor for many years. He was never famous, powerful, wealthy, but like all faithful pastors he had a profound impact on a number of lives.
He died suddenly, unexpectedly in 2002. We usually remember stories for one or two generations, then they are forgotten. There were too many stories from his life and ministry that should not be lost.
About six months after his death, on a drive to Damon, Texas, dad’s hometown, I discussed with mom plans to write a few of his stories and sermon illustrations and make several copies. The booklet would probably be 20 or 30 pages.
I began to write the first stories that came to mind. Stories he used in preaching, incidents that happened in his life and ministry. His advice, his humor, his experience, growing up in a small town in the 1930s, his passion for revival and telling the lost about Jesus. His strong stand on the racial issue, his commitment to the inerrancy of the Bible and the SBC Conservative Resurgence. He was a strong inerrantist and premillennialist, yet he had good friends who disagreed. He was faithful to his wife and three boys, his boys are now all pastors. There was never a hint of moral scandal in his ministry. Brother Joe had a great love of people and a love for preaching the Word of God.
The stories (well over 200) are brief, most less than a page. So if you only have five minutes at a time to read, you can enjoy it. Several couples have told how one read it to the other in bed at night, or as they drove across country. One would tell the other, “You’ve got to hear this story.” One man recently said he was getting a copy for his son; he thought it could be of help to him. Another related that he wished he could live the kind of life that his son would want to write a book about him. Wit and Wisdom has been given to a number of young preachers at HBU, ETBU and elsewhere; I pray that it will especially be a help and encouragement to them. Some have already said it has been a help to their ministries.
Wit and Wisdom has hunting and fishing stories, history, folklore, sermon illustrations, stories of lives changed by the Gospel. It contains a lot of humor. It will make you laugh; it may also make you cry. I know that in its writing, I did both.
I asked mom, Mrs. Joe E. (Bonnie) Brumbelow, to write a chapter to women and preacher’s wives. Several pastor’s wives said they wished they had read her chapter when they first began their ministries. Bonnie even includes some favorite recipes in an appendix, and has her own best selling Cookbook (sold over 400 copies at the local Christian Bookstore, Sonshine Shop, Lake Jackson, TX); now in its second printing.
After about a year and a half, the “booklet” had grown from 20 pages to 240 pages. Louis and Kay Moore of Hannibal Books were extremely helpful in getting my book, The Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow, published in 2005. It has been recommended by Adrian Rogers, Ed Young, Franklin Atkinson, Jimmy Draper, T. C. Pinckney, R. L. Sumner, Paige Patterson.
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Some Recommendations of Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow
“You will enjoy this book. Some of the funniest stories you will ever read are contained in the pages of this volume. As I read these stories I laughed and you will laugh, too. You will laugh out loud…”
-Foreword by Dr. John A. Hatch, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Lake Jackson, TX.
“Dear David, Thank you, my friend, for the finished product - The Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow. I spent much time this morning reading, smiling, amening, and just nodding my head. It is a beautiful book, easy to read, and full of genuine spiritual wisdom. God is love. Jesus is wonderful. In His Dear Name.”
-Adrian Rogers, Memphis, TN. June 21, 2005
“David, it is a great book. Like you I am a pastor’s son. My father was a simple country pastor for more that 50 years. The kind of wisdom that he passed to me from many years of practical ministry is found on every page of this book. You did a great job of pulling it together…Let me say as boldly as possible, this book would be a great addition to the resources employed in the training of every young pastor. In fact, it probably ought to be mandatory reading and re-reading for us all.”
-Kevin Stilley, Fort Worth, TX; kevinstilley.com
Additional Comments on The Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow
Already it has been a source of illustrations for me.”
-Paige Patterson, President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, TX.
“I laughed, I wept, I praised God repeatedly in its reading…This is the kind of book you can sit down and read from ‘kiver to kiver’ (and many will, too engrossed to put it down), but at the same time it is the kind you can read a little, quit, pick it up later and not miss a beat. Or you could pick it up and start reading any place: front, back or middle.”
-Dr. R. L. Sumner, The Biblical Evangelist, NC.
“Throughout, you will be laughing, crying, and reaping lessons and anecdotes to use in your own ministry or with your own family. Wit and Wisdom is an easy read, an enjoyable read, and very helpful to both laymen and ministers.”
-T. C. Pinckney, The Baptist Banner, Virginia, April, 2007.
“His sense of humor was contagious and his seriousness about the things that really counted was remarkable.”
-Jimmy Draper, President, LifeWay Christian Resources, Nashville, TN..
“Delightful reading of this book will refresh, teach, and inspire God’s people. ”
-Franklin Atkinson, Th.D., longtime Bible professor at East Texas Baptist University, Marshall, TX.
“You will enjoy the warmth and emotion that permeate the pages.”
-H. Edwin Young, Pastor, Second Baptist Church, Houston, Texas.
Referring to how she laughed, “This book is better than going to a psychologist!”
-Esther Cline, DeLand, Florida.
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HOW TO ORDER:
The Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow can be ordered directly from:
your local bookstore
hannibalbooks.com
amazon.com
A signed copy can be ordered at: David R. Brumbelow, P.O. Box 300, Lake Jackson, Texas 77566 USA; $12.95 postpaid, 10 or more copies $8 each. 240 pages.
If you get it, I think you’ll enjoy it. If you read it, I’d love to hear from you.
Mrs. Joe E. (Bonnie) Brumbelow’s Cookbook, Masterpieces From Our Kitchen, can also be ordered from the same Lake Jackson address for $10; 10 or more $6 each.
233 recipes, some of the best food you will ever wrap your lips around! All recipes have been personally used and endorsed by Bonnie, a pastor's wife and mother of three boys. Recipes include Sugar-Free, Tamales, Eggrolls. Includes Mexican & Chinese recipes. Most recipes are easy with simple ingredients.
-by David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, September 5, AD 2009.
I love this book. It's fun for a re-read too. selahV
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