Theodore Arrowood
By Eddie Le Sueur
Contributor
newsroom@johnsoncitypress.com
Theodore Roosevelt Arrowood climbed the steps to the podium.
He stood, motionless and silent before the throng. Those preceding him had exhibited their talent for song, dance and country music, and now it was his turn.
He grasped the makeshift podium as the bespectacled announcer exclaimed, “And now, ladies and gentlemen, Theodore Arrowood will preach for us.”
The orator took a deep breath. “My b-b-beloved brethren,” he stuttered to a start. “I am a unlarnt, hard-shell Baptist preacher, of whom you’ve no doubt hearn afore, and I now appear here to expound the Scripters and point out the narrow way which leads from a vain world to the streets of Jaroolsalem.”
The crowd roared to laughter and applause for the 12-year-old speaker, their fellow student from the Poplar Station community of Mitchell County, N.C.
Theodore was following in the footsteps of his beloved father, Sam. He had watched and listened, and rehearsed his recitation for over a month, according to his own son, Henry, who recounted the story of Theodore’s bravest moment nearly a century before.
“He thought he was ready, but when all those eyes focused on him, he was scared,” Henry said. “The fear of making a fool of himself and embarrassing his father was excruciating.”
When Theodore reached the end of his sermon, the audience sprang to its feet, clapping and whistling.
“Little Theodore” was a hit. But they had no idea where his newfound courage would lead.
Though he might have been scared when he started, Theodore became comfortable behind the podium. In time, his voice would ring out to believers, and the depth of his commitment to them, and the needy, would be difficult to measure by modern standards.
Theodore was ordained as a Brethren Church minister in 1936 and preached a circuit of five churches — plus a sixth on that hard-to-cover fifth Sunday — in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee for the next two decades.
He did not depend on the churches for his livelihood. Instead he also worked full-time jobs at Southern Maid (Foremost) Dairy and Tri-Cities Beverages in Johnson City.
The path of his preaching led him to Reecie Tipton, one of eight children from a family in Limestone Cove, and they were married when she was 18. The Arrowoods had seven children — Mary, Teddy, Betty Lou, Joseph, Henry, Nancy and Brenda.
In the early years, Reecie would pack up their children on Saturday and travel with him to wherever he was preaching. Over time, that became too hard to do and she reluctantly let him “go it on his own,” Henry said.
Theodore and Reecie found another calling, almost by accident.
Reecie began taking their children to church at the Salvation Army while Theodore was away.
Soon he joined them on Wednesday nights, and before long “fell in love with the organization,” Henry said.
“It started with a tent revival that was supposed to last one week, but the crowds kept growing night after night. Because it lasted so long, other preachers were brought in to keep things going. Daddy was one of them.
“A Mr. Range, who was a prominent community leader and philanthropist, was impressed with dad’s ability to ‘speak the people’s language.’ ”
Range saw the need and gave the money to build the outpost in the middle of the Johnson City community known as Maupin Row. Theodore gave up his churches and was commissioned as Corps Sergeant Major, the chief lay officer, and Reecie’s dream was fulfilled when she and her husband commenced their new ministry.
For the next quarter-century, they served the Salvation Army. Theodore became a fixture in the community, especially during the holidays, when he rang the familiar Salvation Army bell, raising money for those in need.
Theodore continued to serve even to his later years, when health problems made it difficult for him to stand. He became a legend as the top collector of charity for the Salvation Army drive and participated in his final one less than a month before he was “promoted to Glory” in December 1994.
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Theodore Arrowood was the son of Samuel Arrowood,Jr.
Samuel Jr. was the son of Samuel Arrowood, our 2nd Great grandfather.
Samuel Jr. was a brother to our Welzia.
