I SERVED MY TERM chapter 129

1960's Time Square

My last hoorah with the International Christian Education Committee was indeed memorable. I had served my three-year term without distinction. I gave my reasons why the constitution was a bad idea and tried to communicate that as more and more professional youth pastors were hired in churches the constitution that we had spent three years on would simply be ignored. It eventually was ignored. I don’t blame the committee. There had always been a constitution. Every Christian education program in the church seemed to have a constitution. If followed, the church would have limited ways to maneuver and create new ways to minister with new names and new directions. But an approach over 50 years old was hard to shake loose and I was the new kid on the block and not in the league with the others. On the bright side, I enjoyed the men on the committee and my trips to New York City where I had my eyes opened to a big new world. Especially on this last visit.

While Air Canada denied my claim, I am convinced I got food poisoning on the flight to New York. I was getting sick the first night, my stomach was hurting and I had thrown up. I managed to cross 44^th Street to headquarters for the meeting the next morning and basically moaned and groaned my way through a couple of hours. Finally, I went back to the hotel and crawled into bed. Nothing is worse than being stuck in a hotel when you are sick. I wanted Della. (Like Della and I always said, “When a man is sick – he’s dying, when a woman is sick she still had work to do.) Well, I was dying.

I slept most of the day and didn’t eat a thing. Food sounded repulsive. Early that evening I got a call from what sounded like a young man who said, “I’m returning your call.” I didn’t know who he was and explained that I had made no calls and left no messages. “Are you Clyde Walker?” “Yes.” “Well I have a note to call you at the Madison, I’m over here at the Waldorf Astoria. I came to New York with my parents to see them off on a cruise. I go home tomorrow.”

Since I was lying in bed and had talked to no one since leaving the meeting, I mostly listened to his extended story. He was from Iowa and had never been in the big city and could he at least talk to me for a while. I was fine with that until…

He gradually moved into an area that made me very nervous. I began to feel like he wasn’t who he said he was. He was a gay man making a play to hook up with me. I tried to be kind initially. I was sick and didn’t want to see anyone. Out of curiosity, I hung on longer than I should. The more he talked the most I got the feeling that he was in the same hotel, maybe on staff. He had seen me arrive, maybe even checked me in and thus had access to my information. Not only did he want to come and take care of me, I began to believe he could potentially walk right in my room. When he began sexually suggestive directions, I slammed the receiver down in his ear. He did not give up. He called back twice telling me that I really wanted him. Well, no I didn’t and I was getting very frightened of who he was and where he might be. I got up to make sure the chain on the door was locked.

He did not call again. I managed to get to the meeting on the last morning and eat a little bit, but I was not back to my old self yet. I always caught a late afternoon flight back to the great white north and could hardly wait for departure time to arrive. I had checked out of the hotel and felt safe and secure in the C&MA headquarters. As often happened, I got stuck in Toronto while my flight to Saskatoon was delayed while some “minor” mechanical glitch was fixed. “Please do not leave the departure area as your flight may be available to departure at any time.” “Do I have time to get something to eat?” I was now hungry. “No!” Nearly two hours later we left. Yes, I left anyway and got something to eat.

What Times Square looked like when I first saw it in 1968.

What 42nd looked like in 1968 (slight exaggeration).

Saskatoon never felt so wonderful. Our move out of the city had not even entered our heads yet, but it was coming sooner than I would have dreamed. I loved the city, the church and my ministry. Nothing in me suggested that I might mover or want to move.  Les Hamm had announced that he was leaving and they were soon going to begin a search for his replacement. I didn’t know that our move would be connected to his departure, but it was. 

I also did not know when leaving the Times Square area of New York City, that my next visit to that area would take me to the new C&MA headquarters in Nyack, NY. See, they eventually invited me back. There was no constitution in my next visit and I did not serve on that committee again.