Mr. Bernard James Shropshire

January 18, 1927 - September 3, 2020

Eulogy for Bernie Shropshire Bernard James Shropshire (always known as Bernie) was born on January 18th, 1927, in Camden, NJ. He died on September 3rd, 2020 In Rockledge, FL. The second son of Charles A. Shropshire & Helen Mitchell Shropshire, he grew up with his brother Bob (Robert), in a large row house in Camden. Bernie shared fond memories of his Shropshire Grandparents, spending time in Thompson’s Beach, NJ during summers of his youth. He grew up loving to sail and later built a 17’ sailing dory in the basement of the parsonage in Mullica Hill. He sailed it on the Delaware Bay with his daughters. Little did his children know, until revealed by one of Bernie’s cousins, while attending a family funeral in NJ 8 years ago, that fishing for & catching eels were part of those summers with his Grandparents. Bernie’s true compliment for a meal he appreciated, was the phrase “that was good eating!” Many of you may have heard him say it. That eel catching and cleaning story, shared by his younger cousins, brought out that phrase “those were good eating!” Bernie grew up through the Great Depression, which influenced his life as it did for all of that generation. After the USA became involved in WWII, he was drafted in January of 1945, but was deferred until June so that he could finish high school. He was in Army boot camp when the war ended and so was sent on a troop ship to serve during the occupation. He was discharged from the 311th Infantry in December, 1946. He was in the Army Air Corp Reserves until 1949. Bernie went to a diesel mechanics school, on the GI Bill. During this time, an Army buddy, Willard, talked to him about his soul. He explained the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a young man, Bernie gave his life to Christ and later had a vivid dream about hell, that convinced him his choice to follow Jesus was the right one. That choice changed his life and he followed after Jesus his entire life. Bernie met Lois Ann Baldwin when they both were counselors at a church camp. They corresponded for a year while Bernie attended his first year at Asbury College in Kentucky. During that year, Bernie shared the Gospel with Lois and she gave her life to Christ. They were married in 1951. He graduated in 1954and entered the ministry as a pastor in the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Methodist Church. Cathy was born while they were in school, Margaret and Mark were born while they pastored in Pennsylvania. They had moved to NJ by the time David was born. While living in central Pennsylvania, Bernie attended Temple University Seminary in Philadelphia. He would take the train east, stay with his parents and attend school 4 days per week. Then take the train home to be with his family and preach on Sundays. He earned a Master of Divinity from the School of Theology. During this time in their lives, Bernie and Lois felt that God was calling them to be missionaries. They applied with a mission agency in their denomination, the United Methodist Church. They were turned down and quite devastated. Bernie was then offered a pastorate in South Jersey. They moved to Camden where he pastored a UMC church. He thenpastored three small, rural churches on a Circuit. These years of pastoral service lasted until 1977; Lower Bank, Camden, Tabernacle, Mullica Hill, Aloway and Sommers Point. God fulfilled their hearts desire to be missionaries when they chose to leave the pastorate and become faith supported missionaries with Teen Missions, International. That first year of 1977, they lead a team of teenagers by driving a Teen Missionsbus out to the National Parks in the western part of our country. In the years following they travelled the world, leading teenagers and adults on evangelism and work teams. From the canals of Shropshire, England, to orphanages in Merida, Mexico & Nepal; Churches, camps and hospitals, in Peru, Poland, Alaska, Hong Kong & Kenya gave them the amazing opportunity to pour into the teenagers on their teams as well as the people of the world. They left Teen Mission in 1988 and continued to go where God led. They served as volunteers for many summers at CMTS Ministries in Bernville, PA. They went to Zambia where Bernie taught in the Teen Mission Bible School, or helped with the overseas bootcamp. Bernie & Lois joined with ELIC, to teach English in a ChineseUniversity in the Szechuan Province of China from August 1992 to June 1993. They were the oldest volunteers ELIC had ever accepted but this wasn’t all. After this they went on to help in a support role to missionaries in Tajikistan. Bernie helped with maintenance, but was also asked to teach English in the President’s Palace, to his cabinet. To serve in missions was their lifelong passion. When they celebrated their 50th Anniversary, the family encouraged them to travel back to China and also the Philippines to visit those who they had kept up with. So, in 2002, they spent 3 weeks visiting those countries, spending time with several of the people who had been their students. The Faithful God they served allowed them to see lives changed by the truth of God’s Word. Bernie and Lois prayed every day for their family and many missionaries and pastors. Bernie continued to do so after Lois passed in 2014. You can see the prayer card bulletin board on display today. Did you know he played the harmonica? And the piano? And the accordion? And even the guitar? We know that he is singing and complete in the music of heavenwith the One Who Called him as a young man, whom he served in obedience to that call.