On Thursday, March 31, 2016, at 3 a.m., Bro. Wayne Fleming completed his last earthly mission and entered the presence of the One he had been telling us about for close to 50 years. Edgar Wayne Fleming was born in Vardaman on May 14, 1939, to William and Saleta Cook Fleming. During high school, he excelled in basketball and football and was a Golden Glove State Champion in boxing. He graduated from Delta State University and was an elementary teacher before graduating from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He married his lifetime help mate and great love of nearly 53 years, Nina Sue Mason, on June 20, 1963. He pastored five years in the U.S. before being called by God to serve in Mexico--first at Shore Line Chapel, Bay St. Louis, then Bell Haven in Ocean Springs, and lastly in Donna, Tx. at Bautista Mission.
Following the call of God, in the summer of 1972, the Flemings moved to El Cerrito, a small village near the city of Allende, Nuevo Leon in northeastern Mexico. They did not have national workers during those early years nor was their Spanish very good, so the work of sharing the Gospel began rather slowly. Their children were a blessing to them, and at an early age they began to take an active part in the ministry. They quickly learned the language, made friends, and invited them to visit their home and worship services. In later years, they taught in Sunday school, led in child evangelism classes, led music, organized a choir, and provided music with an accordion.
There are now three generations of Flemings who have answered the call as missionaries in Mexico as son, Tim, and grandchildren, Davin, Jeremy and Bethany continue the work Bro. Wayne and Mrs. Nina started. That ministry included Bethel Bible Institute to train local disciples, Vacation Bible Schools, an orphanage that has welcomed and loved hundreds of children, church planting, food kitchens, youth camps, home Bible studies, and countless souls who will now share in the glorious life eternal with God because of Bro. Wayne sharing with others.
A memorial service and life celebration will be Tuesday, April 5, at 6 p.m. at Parkway Baptist Church, 200 Fifth St., Houston. The family will receive friends from 4:30 p.m. until service time at the church.
To cherish a lifetime of memories until they are all reunited, along with his beloved Nina, he leaves his children, Claudia Mason (Tommy) Owsley; Anice Mason; Pastor Timothy (Candace) Wayne; Teresa Sue (Doug) Fuller; Rose Anna (Mark) Long; Tera Blanche (Reuben) Quintero; 19 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, and siblings, John Phillip Fleming, Rhonda Fleming and Rocky Fleming.
Memorial donations may be made to Mexico Mission Ministries, Inc., 1313 Miller Avenue, Mission, TX 78574.