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The Rev. Julius M. Bradshaw is still a fiery preacher as he nears his 78th birthday. His strong voice grows loud - even rising to unpleasant decibels - when his rich baritone reaches its most enthusiastic mode.

His voice, which is pleasant and sincere when not preaching, has boom in the pulpit.

Perhaps too much boom at times. But Bradshaw didn't understand that for a while - he's deaf and can't modulate his voice. Finally realizing that his voice was often irritating to his congregation, he resigned from Brown Mountain Baptist Church in Pilot Mountain in August 2006.

Bradshaw is scheduled for a cochlear implant on Aug. 11 at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem in hopes of restoring his hearing.

Bradshaw, who lives in Belews Creek where he was pastor for several years, got an opportunity to be involved in church ministry again when his son, the Rev. Jonathan Bradshaw, started a new church in June 2007. He's back in the pulpit teaching the Auditorium Sunday School Class. It's not the same as the years he spent preaching, but he's delighted to be sharing Bible lessons again. And he has his son as his pastor.

He gets less excited while teaching and is able to better control his voice, said his wife of 55 years, the former Lorene Hutchens of Reidsville. She helps him with questions or comments that come from Sunday school class members.

Jonathan Bradshaw, 35, pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Pine Hall, a member in the Piedmont Baptist Association in Greensboro, welcomed his father to his church with open arms. The young minister loved getting help from an experienced pastor, especially since it is his father. Jonathan Bradshaw recently graduated from the College at Southeastern in Wake Forest . He also plans to enter Southeastern Seminary.

"To me it is an honor to have my father in my church. He is still pastor to many people that he knew before I was born," Jonathan Bradshaw said.

His church has about 35 members and meets in a building rented from trustees of a Methodist church that no longer has services. "Our plan is to grow into building a new building of our own," Jonathan Bradshaw said.

Julius Bradshaw, a Rockingham County native, said he started preaching at age 21 because "God called me and I had no choice. I tried to run from it, and I ended up in the hospital with blood poison and they didn't think I would live through the night. During the night I surrendered to preach if the Lord would let me live, and I woke up the next morning."

Surprised to be alive or not, Bradshaw has kept his promise to preach. While attending Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, he was pastor of Mayflower Baptist. Other pastorates have been at Ruffin-Stacy Baptist, Ruffin; First Baptist, Efland; Lankford Memorial Baptist, Greensboro; Temple Baptist, Collinsville, Va.; Lakewood Baptist, Belews Creek; Brown Mountain Baptist, Pilot Mountain; and New Testament Baptist, Nassau, Bahamas.

He has held evangelistic meetings in many churches in the United States and in other countries. His trips have included four visits to the Philippines where more than 500 people were converted under his ministry, and to Guatemala, Tokyo, South Korea, Taipei and Nassau.

Bradshaw established the Greensboro Bible Institute while he was pastor at Lankford Memorial, and the school is still going at Church Street Baptist in Greensboro. Bradshaw said he has many fond memories of Greensboro, especially at the former Calvary Baptist Church where he was ordained by the Rev. Harold Brady.

His grandfather and great-grandfather also were ministers. Ironically, his great-grandfather, the Rev. Julius B. Terrell of Pilot Mountain, also lost his hearing and "people got to where they didn't like to hear him preach. He couldn't control his voice," Lorene Bradshaw said.

Julius and Lorene Bradshaw have four children and 13 grandchildren.

Jonathan Bradshaw started preaching at age 15, mostly in school chapels and nursing homes. He attended Word of Life Bible Institute and Tennessee Temple University, but he also "ran from preaching for several years." He made the commitment to become a pastor at age 29, and was associate pastor at New Life Baptist Church in Madison before starting the church in Pine Hall. He and his wife, Ginger, have four children.

The younger Bradshaw said he may have to find a Sunday school teacher to replace his father. "If that cochlear implant works, I know already he will start sending out his resume to find him another church where he can preach again," he said.

Contact Bob Burchette at bburchette@triad.rr.com