November 13, 2002
Column By Stephen N. Reed
The Rev. Jack Henry is the living definition of “a man on a mission.”
After succeeding where others failed as a small coal operator for several years, he felt called to the Christian ministry later in life. Now pastoring a church in Cross Lanes, Henry is finding a way to bring together his secular professional business experiences and his spiritual side:
He, quite literally, wants to save the State of West Virginia, one unemployed worker at a time.
“I got tired of making pastoral calls on some of the folks in my church and seeing the damage done to the whole family because the breadwinner was thrown out of work,” Henry says, his bright eyes momentarily saddened. “The economic distress this state is going through has very real social and spiritual implications.”
Henry began to get a tug, not unlike the one that led him into the ministry as a second career, to get a group of like-minded people together across West Virginia to do something about it. They’ve decided to call the non-profit group that has emerged “Believe in West Virginia.” Now they meet every Thursday morning at Joe Holland’s Chevrolet in South Charleston, for prayer, fellowship, and…economic development strategy?
“Why not?” says the humble but confident former businessman.
And as you listen to the doors that have opened for Henry and his merry band of do-gooders, it’s hard not to catch his excitement.
“We have retired businessmen, lawyers, bankers, old people, young people, all wanting to pitch in to bring good jobs to West Virginia,” Henry said. “And I’m talking about jobs of at least $35,000 with benefits, something to really keep people here with their families.”
When I asked him exactly how they were going to confront the state government about our poor business climate, Henry was quick to point out that his group is not out to gore anyone’s ox politically. “We’re here to work with anybody who wants to see West Virginia succeed, regardless of political affiliation,” Henry said. “But yes, we have to have help from our legislators to have a better business climate if we’re ever going to compete.”
Henry points with pride to the way he treated his own employees over the years in his small but thriving coal business. His approach to management/employee relations sounds a good bit like the Toyota model, in which workers are more productive due to higher wages when earned and career development. “Everybody should be able to win in a successful operation,” Henry said. “Management, the employees, and the owner, too.”
Henry says that his organization will pursue a dual-track approach to helping win investment by businesses to West Virginia. On one hand, he says the group will be pursuing reform legislation to help create a better business image and climate in West Virginia. “But on the other hand, we’re going to move forward with whatever climate we’re dealt here, because the families of West Virginia can’t wait any longer,” said Henry.
Henry is well aware that many other economic development efforts have come and gone, knows that some people may even distrust developers, even ones based in a non-profit corporation. “If we come in the name of the Lord to help people, we’re going to have to maintain the highest ethical standards to insure people that we mean what we say and are here for the long haul,” said Henry.
“We’re right here in the boat with them!”
I asked Henry what he’d do if a politician wanted to come around at the last moment to give a check to one of their efforts, to get in the photograph for the newspapers. “We’d probably take the check,” Henry laughed. “But we’d ask him to just mail it in. Unless someone really helped us out with a project, we don’t intend to let anybody hijack the credit for political purposes. What we’re doing is so much more important than that.”
Amen!