One day in the past year during a time of personal and spiritual depletion, I was taking up the offering at St. Matthews Baptist Church. As I came to the last row, I saw Dr. Oates sitting on the end where he usually sat. As I gave him the offering plate, he passed it to Mrs. Oates, then he reached for my hand. He never looked at me. He never spoke a word. He simply held my hand for a few moments.

In those brief moments, I felt loved. I felt encouraged. I felt empowered. I felt ministered to. I felt strong. I felt cared for. I felt hope. I felt the unexpected joy of God’s presence.

Dr. Oates was in touch. He was in touch with himself. He was in touch with God. He was in touch with people. And, God used him to bring these three together in amazingly holy ways.