Facebook Post written on October 28, 2023 by Bishop Thomas Bickerton, ’80
Throughout the day it has been a joy to read the various posts that have paid tribute to Bishop William Boyd Grove. One post, following on the heels of another, has added yet another verse to a song whose chorus is rooted in the foundational words that describe his life: grace, love, relationship and kindness. Each verse of this evolving song has revealed the countless personal stories of how his life blessed the lives of so many.
Tonight, I would add my verse to the song.
In September of 1980 I was a first year student at Duke Divinity School. That same month the West Virginia Annual Conference received a freshly elected bishop from Western Pennsylvania. His name was Bill Grove. This new bishop made the remark that he wanted to get to know the people of his new area. In a bold move, I wrote this new bishop and said to him, “If you are going to get to know the people of your Annual Conference, remember that there are West Virginia students here at Duke that would love to get to know you too.” Before I knew what had happened, he came. He made arrangements to preach in chapel and visited with the West Virginia students. To my great surprise, he came.
Thus started a 43 year journey with the man I describe as mentor, pastor, bishop, colleague, and friend. William Boyd Grove was my ordaining bishop, the bishop that appointed me, and the bishop that opened doors of possibility in my life that would never have opened had it not been for his constant grace and love. We often joked that the Shoney’s on Kanawha Boulevard in Charleston, WV was not just a restaurant, it was both confessional booth and ministry incubator. Whenever I called, he came.
Our relationship took a unique turn in the summer of 2004 when I was graced with the same title he held all these years. The night that I was elected, he asked Bishop S. Clifton Ives if he could join him and walk me to the stage after the election was announced. Once again, he came to where I was and walked alongside me into this new adventure.
I have never felt as if I could measure up to the pin placed on me that night. But he did. When the Council of Bishops met, we sat together, the coach with the player, the mentor with the mentee, the father with the son. He made me call him “Bill” but under my breath it was always “Bishop.” And when he could no longer travel, I would take extensive notes of the council meetings and immediately send them to his inbox. Each night we would burn the midnight oil unpacking the events of the day and strategizing about the day ahead. His voice of encouragement gave me confidence and hope and joy.
Last spring, as President of the Council of Bishops, I asked Bishop Grove if he would agree to serve on the council’s “futuring” task force. He said to me, “You actually think I could be helpful? If you haven’t noticed, I’m an old man.” I said to him, “If there is any visioning to be done in this council, your hope for the future is more relevant and needed than ever.” And, as always, he came to the Task Force with grace, love, kindness and humility. He came.
Another former Pittsburgher, Fred Rogers, used to say, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” Fred Rogers is gone, but his message lives on in a show called, “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.” Today, Sally and I took our granddaughter Lilly to see that show. Throughout, these costumed characters sang, “You can choose to be kind.” As tears welled in my eyes, I saw the students singing the master’s song.
The same is true for us. We who sing the song of grace, love, relationship and kindness have lost our director. But we know the song by heart. He taught us how to sing it because he lived the song in his heart and throughout his life. It is our turn to sing it for others with the same conviction he sang to us. We sing it because it matters. We sing it because he taught us how.
We sing tonight a prayerful song of intercession for Mary Lou and the whole Grove family. Our love is extended to you.
We also sing tonight a song of thanksgiving. Our lives have been touched and will never be the same. We are able to see the face of Christ more clearly because he came. Thank God he came.
Thank you God for William Boyd Grove, always my bishop, always my mentor, always my friend.