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‘Divine direction’ takes beloved community leader from Beloit to Nashville

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Regina Prude

BELOIT — The Rev. Floyd Prude was a larger-than-life member of Beloit’s faith community and unquestioned leader of his flock at Emmanuel Baptist Church for nearly 37 years before dying Nov. 28.

His influence was visible throughout the city as he championed equality, justice and helping those less fortunate.

At his side the entire time was his wife Regina, who cast a large shadow of her own across a grateful community.

Beloit celebrated Regina Prude’s myriad contributions with a farewell reception Sunday at the downtown church. She is relocating to the Nashville, Tenn., area, where she intends to continue her ministry, and where her daughter will take over the consulting business Prude founded 27 years ago.

“I look at this ceremony as a way of recognizing and concluding an era,” Prude said. “It’s a celebration of my husband’s service and dedication to the church and larger community, and I was delighted to be a part of his legacy.”

“I’m not retiring; I’m doing what I call semi-resting,” said Prude, who was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2001. “It’s mind-boggling to me that I won’t be living in Beloit anymore, but I love writing and will have a book published by the end of the year. I want to focus on my inspirational speaking.”

It’s all part of a larger plan.

“Some people may not understand, but this isn’t my idea,” she said. “I firmly believe in divine direction, and my faith tells me this is what I need to do.”

Read the full story in the June 30, 2010 e-edition of The Wednesday Stateline News, HERE.