As we've previously talked about, churches can be cornerstones of the communities that they reside in. The leaders of those churches are no exceptions. The Rev. Jethro Ward Gayles founded the Gospel Temple Baptist Church in 1956 at the age of 34. In 1970, the church moved to its current location on W. 103rd St., and it was led there by Gayles himself. By the time Gayles was 72, he had become as much a part of the church as the choir. On March 26, 1994, Gayles was hard at work compiling his sermon for Palm Sunday, which was to be that coming Sunday. But then disaster struck. An unidentified man snuck into the church and assaulted Gayle. In the scuffle, Gayle was stabbed several times, and he ultimately died. Even worse, the crime was never solved.
But that is not where the story ends. In the confusion and grief that followed Gayle's murder, a neighboring church sent over a 25 year old assistant pastor named Bishop Smith. Within a few months, the church was so confident in Smith's abilities that it offered him the pastoral position. Smith initially turned down their offer, but he later reconsidered and accepted the call. There were a few early bumps in the road, but within 4 years time, the church was doing great under the stewardship of Rev. Smith. But while the church is now thriving, Rev. Gayles' memory lives on. Both as a larger than life painting that hangs permanently behind the altar, and also in a named street. The city officially renamed the area at 10300 South Aberdeen Street to Dr. Jethro W. Gayles Drive. This way, the name of Rev. Gayles will live on long into posterity.
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