Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-06-04
NEBRASKA HAS The
TALLEST PREACHER
Rev. Charles Wayne Ray of Lyons
Towers Six Feet and -Four
Inches.
BELOVED BY CONGREGATION


Nebraska boasts Of tile tallest
preacher in the United States, and
probably the iallcst in the world.
( The man who towers in height above
the other gentlemen OF the cloth is
Rev Charles Wayne Kay, pastor Of
the Methodist church Of Lyons, a
town in Burt county In his stocking
feet he is six feet and four inches tall,
well proportioned and a physical
giant He is as kind and gentle as
child
Rev Mr.. Ray is beloved by his
congregation, and is held tn such
esteem that at the recent Methodist
conference at Fremont there was a
petition sent from Lyons, signed by
about every man, woman and child,
asking that he be returned The pc
titioners were granted their request,
and he is nov entering upon another
term as pastor OF the Lyons Metho-
dist church.
Born on a farm in Riley county
Ind, forty-one years ago, Rev. Mr.,
Ray grew to manhood along with the
other boys OF the neighborhood. but
he had aims and ambitions higher
than many OF them After getting out
Of the graded schools Of the little
town OF Riley, he attended the com
nercial college at Tsrrc Haute, daily
driving to and from his home, a dis
lance Of twenty miles lie graduated
with honors
Worked Way Through School.
When less than 20 years OF age,
Rev. Mr.. Ray decided to enter the
ministry. He entered the theological
seminary al 6reencastle, Ind, attend
ing this school one year, finally con-
Guiding that ii he was to be sue
cessful preacher he must have a
higher education He went 10 De
PAW university, completing the lit
erary course, but IN doing so he was
hampered for funds 20 pay his board
and other expenses. IN order to raise
money TO carry himself through he
helped the Janitor, moved lawns and
carried a route on a newspaper. His
wonderful physical ability stood him
well in hand, for beside doing vast
amount Of outside work, he made up
two years and at once accepted the
pastorate OF church,
In 1000 Mr.. Ray came to Nebraska
and accepted the pastorate Of the
Methodist church at Crawford, sue
ceeding in paying off a debt that had
been hanging over the congregation
for more than twenty years Next
he was called 10 Valentine, where he
remained another year, paying oil an
other church debt. Then he was as.
signed to Alliance, remaining there
four years, going thence to the First
Methodist church Of Norfolk. In 1910
he was given the Methodist church
Of Columbus In four years he put
that church on its feet. Since then
he has been at Lyons
Since entering the ministry, Rev
Mr. Ray has devoted much time to
travel and study. In 1907 he was
the Nebraska delegate to the Worlds
Sunday School convention, held in
Rome. later making an extended trip
through Asia and a number of the
countries OF Europe. On this trip,
he visited and climbed Mt Vesuvius,
the leaning tower OF Pisa, the dome
Of ST. Peters church in Rome and the
pyramids OF Egypt
Visits Foreign Countries.
While pastor Of the Methodist
church OF Norfolk, Rev. Mr. Ray was
given a vacation OF five months. Dur
ing this vacation, as delegate to
The Worlds Missionary convention,
held in Edinburgh, Scotland, he again
.rossed the Atlantic. On this trip he
visited twenty-five foreign countries.
Again. and in 1913, Rev. Mr.. Ray
visited Europe as delegate TO the
Worlds Seventh Sunday School con-
yention, held in Zurich, Switzerland,
After the convention he journeyed to
the Holy Land. crossed the Sea Of
Galilee and followed many OF the
paths over which Christ and his dis
.iples passed more than 1000 years
ago.
On his trips abroad Rev Mr.. Ray
has gathered large collection OF
valuable eurios and relics many Of
them dating back to before the Chris.
tan era. He has written a number Of
l..