A Half-Century of Service
Harold Cathey honored for his ministries in pastorate, missions
By MARK MAYNARD
The Independent
ASHLAND
Friends and family honored the Rev. Harold Cathey recently for 50 years of service to the ministry.
Cathey, who served as pastor of Unity Baptist Church from 1975 through 1991 and is the Director of Missions for the 52 churches in the five-county Greenup Association of Baptists, started in the ministry as pastor of Cottownwood Baptist Church in Ridgely, Tenn., in 1957.
He also pastored Victory Baptist Church in Chicago (1958 through 1969) and East Baptist Church in Paducah (1969 through 1975) before coming to Ashland. He resigned as pastor at Unity to pursue foreign missions work in Uganda, where he and his wife, Beverly, served for nine years.
Cathey, 71, came to Unity’s fellowship hall on Friday with his wife, expecting to take part in a pastor appreciation dinner for Unity pastor Dr. Floyd Paris, only to learn he was the guest of honor. Several old friends from previous churches, area pastors and other peers were among the 250 in attendance at the banquet.
“It completely took me by surprise,” Cathey said. “I came in to show appreciation for Brother Floyd. I couldn’t believe it.”
Dr. Moody Adams, Dr. Laverne Butler and Dr. Bill Mackey were among some of the high-profile pastors who came to honor Cathey.
“It’s been a wonderful life,” Cathey said. “If I had a thousand lives, I’d give them all to the same thing. I’m just amazed that God can use me.”
Cathey’s work in Uganda included founding the Global Theological Seminary that has led to 800 schools built and 2,000 pastors trained. He also founded Victoria Baptist Church there, and the ministry continues to grow.
Cathey’s work in Uganda remains close to his heart. “The work is going greater now than it ever was,” he said.
When the Catheys went to Uganda, it was truly a leap of faith. They didn’t have the financial support needed but “counted on God to provide.”
They left behind two daughters, Janet Woods and Ginger Daniels, and a church he had served successfully for 16 years.
“Ginger said, ‘You know, most kids grow up and leave home. We grew up and our parents left home,’’’ he said. “It was a big decision. The hardest thing was leaving my kids. The excitement of going took away the difficulties we were going through at the time. But when I flew off in that plane, I died a thousand deaths.”
Cathey said the time between 1975 and 1980 was a highlight at Unity.
“That was the high point of my life,” he said. “We had great crowds and a great number of conversions. We were consistently running between 600 and 800 (Sunday mornings). On big days we’d have over 1,000. One Sunday we had 1,700 in a morning service.”
Cathey said he wouldn’t forget a Sunday morning revival service with J. Harold Smith when 52 were converted. “Those were the glory days,” he said.
Cathey has been the face of the dry forces twice in Ashland. He fought against alcohol ordinances in 1979 and again last spring. He said if the gambling issue continues to gain momentum, he’d stand firm against that as well. Cathey has never waivered on his convictions.
“When we had that first wet-dry issue, a lot of people — even church members — turned on me,” he said. “But I’m sure glad I took the stand I did. When the gambling issue comes up, I’ll be in the middle of that, too.”
Cathey doesn’t worry about criticism from within the community. “I consider it a compliment (when others criticize him for standing on his beliefs),” he said.
Mackey, who is the executive director of the Southern Baptist Convention, said Cathey “was a wonderful model for pastors” and a “tremendous inspiration. He puts his life behind his beliefs.”
Paris came to know Cathey on a trip to Uganda where they became great friends.
“Harold and I started together and the Lord knit our hearts together like David and Jonathan,” Paris said.
Cathey was coming back to Ashland from the mission field and wanted to rejoin Unity but he didn’t want to be a problem for the new pastor. Paris encouraged him to “come home.”
“I told him ‘You come home.’ We have no jealousy, no animosity, no turfisim,” Paris said. “When I’m gone, he’s the first phone call I make (to fill the pulpit and preach). He’s my dear brother in Christ.”
Paris said the church sent the Catheys an e-mail on Friday morning telling them of a pastor appreciation dinner that night to set up the surprise. Cathey’s wife and daughters were in on the planning.
“The e-mail kind of covered all the cars being in the parking lot,” Paris said. “And we did have a pastor appreciation … for him.”
MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648
