My Story #104 -- Dr. Rosco Brong

 

My Story #104

Dr. Rosco Brong

Pastor Ronnie Wolfe

As I sit here and think of what to write this week, I cannot help but think of another of one of my teachers at Lexington Baptist College (LBC).

Dr. Rosco Brong was a unique and sometimes mysterious man. I had the privilege of sitting in classes with him as my teacher. There are so many stories that I could tell about class experiences.

For example:

Once in class Bro. Brong was teaching, I believe, on Redemption. He made a point and for some reason (I cannot remember why), he fell backward in his chair and fell onto the floor. All of US students bit our tongues to try not to laugh, out of our respect for him. When he got up and sat back down in his chair, he said, "Well, you might as well go ahead and laugh." Then, we all burst out laughing. He never even had a smile through that whole episode.

Another time, he was teaching a class on Speech. He was having each student to give a short speech, and we all had to critique each speech and tell what we thought was right or wrong with each speech. He had brought a tape recorder to record our speeches. While he was talking, I, being in the front row, reached up and turned the recorded on and recorded his talk. When he was changing subjects, I said, "Bro. Brong, listen to this." To his surprise, he heard himself speaking, and he said, "I don't know how you stand it!" We had another healthy laugh out of that.

I also had the privilege with working with Bro. Brong at LBC. His office was at the front of the school building, Bro. Larry Robbins' office was next in line, then my office was next. The three of us would have discussions about theology and Bible things. Once a subject came up of which I had never heard. I said, "I've never heard of that before." Bro. Brong walked away from us into the library and returned with a book in his hand turned to a particular page opened and said, "Here; read this." In just an instant he knew exactly where to find an article on that subject.

One other time I was working in my office, and it was lunch time. We both were leaving to go downstairs where lunches were prepared for the students and teachers. As we left the office, Bro. Brong said, "Leave the door ajar." Well, my being a country boy, I had never heard the word ajar before in my entire life, so I did not know what to do; so I just closed the door, which locked. He said, "Don't you know what the word ajar means?" I said, "No, sir, I do not." He did not tell me the meaning but simply went back and put the door in the "ajar" position. I will never forget that word.

One more mention of Bro. Brong in my experience. We were in Chapel one morning, and the student who was to speak that day was absent; so Bro. Brong said (as was his wont), "Does anyone want to start anything?" I raised my hand, and he recognized me. I read a passage of Scripture and said, "Bro. Brong, what does that mean?" Bro. Brong cleared his throat (also a wont) and said, "Bro. Wolfe, it means what it says." Then he told us for the next 20 minutes what that verse meant. Don't ask me what the verse was, because I was too startled to remember.

I do not know as much as some about Bro. Brong, but I do appreciate the sacrifices he made in order to preach and teach us at LBC. We all loved Bro. Brong.

-->To be continued<--