Leaving a Legacy— by Wally Rardon
After 46 years with World Airways and 36 years of faithfully ministering in the airline workplace, Wally Rardon retired at the end of May with a life full of rich memories of God working through him in his workplace. The apostle Paul once told the Christians in Philippi that they should hold in high regard those who labor among them (Philippians 2:29). This article is a tribute to a faithful man who has much to look back on with joy and delight, and has much to look forward to as he continues in ministry. Wally tells us in his own words the joy he feels and the spiritual legacy he leaves.
FCAP has been a highlight in my life and in my career. It has been as much a part of my work, as much a part of my commitment to my job as anything else. It has helped me grow. I know that for a fact. I was a new born again Christian about the same time that FCAP started. I had claimed to be a Christian from the time I was a wee one, but I was not born again. It was around 1971-1972 when I accepted Christ as my personal Savior. FCAP has been a part of my total spiritual growth. Working in a place where I could live out my Christian experience and share with others what Christ has done for me, in me and through me has been something for which I am so grateful. I would not have wanted it any other way.
In my first 10 years with World Airways in Oakland, CA, I knew nothing about the Fellowship of Christian Airline Personnel. Also, what I didn’t know in those early days with World was whether there were any Christians out there among the employees of World Airways. Maybe some of it was that I was a brand new Christian and felt I was out there all by myself. It wasn’t until an employee named Dick Kalman came to me one day and said, “Wally, I heard that you are a Christian.” I didn’t know Dick that well, and it caught me off guard when he approached me. I even wondered if I was being charged with something. Dick went on to tell me about FCAP and how they were going to have an organizational meeting at World Airways and some people from FCAP headquarters were coming in. He invited me to come be a part of that. From that day onward, I began to know God’s people in a special way.
During our time in Oakland, we obtained executive approval to use a conference room for the meetings we had recently begun. That worked well for some time, but we lost the use of the conference room for a brief time because the company needed to use it. While they were using it, we had no place to meet, so we went out and used the crew bus parked out in front of the hanger and dispatch in Oakland. There we were, a group of people meeting in a bus. We drew strange looks as people walked by going to and from lunch. I know it was a unique witness and left people thinking.
In 1987, the company relocated from the West Coast to the East Coast in the Washington D.C. area. I don’t think any other FCAPers made the move. I thought, “How is this all going to work? Can we continue to hold our FCAP meetings?” My two co-leaders didn’t come; they left the company and went elsewhere. Now it was left up to me alone to go to company management to present FCAP. With all the confidence in the world, I composed a letter expressing our desire to have a Bible study there as we had in Oakland. Needless to say, it was difficult to accept that our request was denied. But God spoke to me in those days and said there was another channel, another way of doing this. So we did. We took it to our home for a time. It wasn’t the same, but it was a blessing. Some of the people at work could not make that meeting so it was a little disheartening. We then began holding a monthly breakfast at a hotel near Dulles Airport. They opened up a nice cozy room where we could meet. There was no charge for it, which was wonderful. We met there once a month during our time at Dulles.
After a change in management, the company found itself again relocating, this time to the Atlanta Metro area in Peachtree City, Georgia. Though some did not come with us in the move, we were still able to continue our weekly FCAP meetings and were even given a beautiful conference room in which to meet.
I have been blessed over the years of involvement with FCAP to witness how God has worked among His people in the workplace and how they have reached out to those searching. It has been a blessing to observe how people have prayed for one another. One highlight was a young lady in our Georgia Bible study who experienced serious health issues. She was off work for a prolonged period. When she returned to the workplace, she shared with me how God had worked in and through her sickness. I asked if she would share her testimony with our FCAP group. She agreed, and it was a wonderful testimony heard by fellow FCAP’ers and other friends who were invited. I believe over time there was a positive undercurrent as management observed what was taking place. Even though they rarely attended our meetings, they knew prayer was being lifted up on their behalf as well.
I enjoyed being available to mentor young believers. It was encouraging to watch spiritual growth take place with individuals over time. Their responsiveness to spiritual matters increased by their participation and willingness to be more open to Biblical discussion, and volunteering to lead the Bible study in my absence.
As I leave World Airways, FCAP will continue to exist under new leadership. It has been a long and rewarding journey, and one that continues…all in His will.
FCAP is not just about meetings or events surrounding one individual. What FCAP stands for goes into the fibers of the company and the people with whom you rub shoulders. That really is how it works. I was thinking about the people and contacts in FCAP over the years. Some have now gone on to eternity. The reunion with them is going to be great. It has been a wonderful fellowship in FCAP and my being a part of it… well, I just cannot say enough of what that has meant to me.
(Wally has faithfully labored in the airline industry and he looks back on his airline career with great delight and fulfillment. Even with all the challenges and three major moves as the company relocated, Wally saw God’s hand taking him from one opportunity to the next. On May 19th, Edward Church, FCAP Fellowship Coordinator, and Paul Curtas, FCAP General Director, went to Wally’s next to last FCAP meeting at World Airways, something he has done for 36 years. “What we saw,” shares Paul, “was a fulfilled man who invested his time and efforts in ministering to the people God put around him in the workplace for all these years. We heard others in that meeting attest to the spiritual legacy Wally provided to people for over three and a half decades.” Our prayer is that God will raise up others like Wally Rardon to continue on with workplace ministry.)