Rev. Washington
Throughout his life and ministry, the Rev. Jack C. Washington was driven by a passion to help those in need – and he had a special place in his heart for children.
Whether it was a little girl standing at a bus stop on a frigid morning wearing no coat or socks, a hungry boy with no option for a healthy meal during the summer months when schools were closed, or a young man struggling to stay in school while taking care of his younger siblings – Rev. Washington was there for them all.
That commitment to helping the youngest among South Carolina’s most vulnerable will continue beyond Rev. Washington’s passing in 2019, thanks to the creation of The Rev. Jack C. Washington Endowed Fund at Epworth Children’s Home.
Rev. Washington’s spouse, Johanna Anderson Washington, established the fund to support the educational needs of the residents of Epworth.
“Jack was big and bad, but his weakness was for the children,” said Johanna Washington, who herself was orphaned at birth. “Children would mellow him out in a flash. When Jack christened a child, his sermon to the parents would always be, ‘You cannot push a chain, you have to pull it. If you pull a chain, it will go wherever you go.’
“Jack loved Epworth, and we hope others will help us continue to pull that chain with Jack by supporting his legacy through this endowed fund.”
The Rev. John E. Holler Jr., Epworth’s president and CEO, was Rev. Washington’s longtime friend and colleague. In more recent years, they would josh each other about whether it was time to retire or not.
“He would flash that smile of his and say, ‘I don’t ever plan to quit!’” Rev. Holler recalled. “That was Jack: warm, approachable, dependable and always working to lift up those who needed a little help to get them through tough times – and he never quit.
“We are grateful for what Jack did for children and for Epworth during his ministry, and for his family’s kindness in providing a way for others to extend his warm legacy of caring into the future.”
Since 1896, Epworth Children’s Home has been a place for children to grow, to learn and to be loved. Children ages 12 and older from severely stressed family systems come to Epworth to be safe and to receive education, counseling, medical care and spiritual enrichment.
Want to help?
There are two ways to honor Rev. Washington through The Rev. Jack C. Washington Endowed Fund:
- Go to epworthchildrenshome.org/give, set “Designation” option to “Other,” and type in “The Rev. Jack C. Washington Endowed Fund.”
- Mail a check (payable to Epworth Children’s Home) to Epworth Children’s Home, P.O. Box 50466, Columbia, SC 29250. Please write “The Rev. Jack C. Washington Endowed Fund” in the memo line.
