SAPELO ISLAND, Ga.- Members of Thomasville Methodist Church, along with law enforcement officers across the state of Georgia are mourning the death of the Rev. Charles Houston, who was among seven people killed when a ferry gangway collapsed on Oct. 19.

The gangway at the Marsh Landing Dock on Sapelo Island collapsed Saturday afternoon when approximately 20 people fell into the water. Seven people were confirmed dead and another three were critically injured. The ages of the deceased ranged from 73 to 93, according to the McIntosh County Coroner’s Office. Houston was 77.

Houston was an ordained United Methodist pastor and was a Georgia Department of Public Safety chaplain who provided spiritual guidance to cadets in training.
Houston began his career in public service in 1976, serving as a pastor of Plains United Methodist Church while volunteering with the City of Plains Volunteer Fire Department. He went on to serve as pastor in many other cities, including St. Marys, Centerville, Richmond Hill, and Thomasville, where he also served as chaplain of the police department in each community.

Thomasville Methodist Church Administrator Floyd White recalled the day Houston first entered the downtown church in 1994.

“I was a teenager when he came, and his son Trey was in my youth group,” White said.

While White would go on to graduate high school one year into Houston’s ministry, White said he would always remember Houston’s love for people.

“What set him (Houston) apart was his love for people,” White said. “Some pastors are good at counseling or good behind the pulpit, but Rev. Houston was good at pastoral care. He always did the hospital visits and preached at funerals. He was there when you truly needed him.”

Former Thomasville Methodist Church Rev. Leigh Ann Raynor echoed White’s sentiments.

“I’ve known Charles for 45 years and his best quality was his compassion,” she said.

Both Raynor and White believe his compassion truly shined after he retired. In 2011, he founded his non-profit, Caring Connection Chaplaincy, to support local police departments and various other agencies, including the Georgia State Patrol and the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

“He may have retired from the day-to-day operations of the church, but he never retired from his ministry,” White said.

Raynor provided a prime example of Houston’s recent compassion for a member he served during his time in Thomasville.

“One of our members had a daughter who taught at Apalachee High School and was there on the day of the shooting,” Raynor said. “When Charles learned of this, he left his home in Darien and immediately drove up there to comfort and be with her.”

This is only one of the countless stories that could be told about Houston, according to Raynor.

“I cannot tell you the number of people downtown who were impacted by him,” she said. “He was always extremely involved in the community. Everywhere he went, he was a pastor to the town.”

Raynor said she will forever be grateful to Houston for welcoming her into Thomasville in 2001 and helping prepare the congregation for a female pastor.

“I was appointed to Thomasville as he was leaving and he paved the way for me,” she said. “Thomasville had never had a female pastor before 2001.”

Since Houston departed from Thomasville, Raynor has continued to keep in contact with him.

“When I learned of his passing, I announced it to my congregation and we all stopped and had prayer time at the altar,” she said.

While Raynor is deeply saddened at the passing of her long-time friend, she is grateful for the many years she had with him and is prepared to re-unite with fellow members of the UMC conference at Houston’s celebration of life and funeral service on Saturday in Brunswick at Brunswick First United Methodist Church.