It Was Never About the Ketchup!

The Life and Leadership Secrets of H. J. Heinz

Steve Lentz

• Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781600370540
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Leadership
• Index: Business

The inspiring life of the visionary food mogul whose last name has become synonymous with America's favorite condiment. In a world that has become increasingly complex, complicated and impersonal, it is easy to feel that each of our individual lives is relatively insignificant. But nothing could be further from the truth. Every life is unique! Each of us is created with the potential to make this world a better place because of our presence in it! The life of H.J. Heinz can inspire each of us to live a life that makes a difference. What makes his life so inspiring to me is his love for the common—the common place, the common man, today's common tasks and work. H.J. Heinz built an empire by doing common things uncommonly well! In the process, he left his mark in this world and left a legacy—a fortune—for generations to come. But his focus was never on his fortune. It never was about the ketchup!

CHAPTER XV

Religion And Sunday School Work

Matthew 6.33: Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

One of the most challenging tasks in life has to be setting and keeping the right priorities! “Keeping the main thing, the main thing” is not just a platitude – it is an essential component of living a successful life. In 1972 I discovered the “Main Thing”. In my second semester of law school at Marshal-Whythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary, I gave my life to Jesus Christ. Coming from an unchurched but industrious family, I found myself searching early for the “main thing” in life. My father started as a ticket-taker in a small movie theatre in Athens, Ohio and worked his way up to becoming the president of a theatre conglomerate throughout northeast Ohio that eventually sold to Summner Redstone in the 1970’s. Mom, “Nan” as all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren call her, is ninety at the writing of this book. Coming from a poor family, she has been an example of optimism and a successful, self-educated business woman. But as our family began to experience the “American Dream” and bought Cadillacs and Boats and vacationed in exotic places, I found myself wondering – “Is this all there is?”

In 1972 my fiancée, Cathy, and now wife of more than 34 years, introduced me to Jesus Christ – “the Main Thing”. I read the scripture in the Bible that says that if we seek the Kingdom of God above all else, that all that we need will come along with it! I found that putting my faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for my salvation, my future and my purpose, gave me the meaning in life that I had been seeking. Life’s meaning became simple when I realized that serving and loving Him is the ultimate purpose, goal and reward in life! Following His purpose has lead to a career that has spanned continents, led me to meet kings and heads of state, and to amply provide for my children and family and all their needs over the years.

H.J. Heinz found the same “Main Thing” early in life. It was the secret to his happiness, success, affluence and influence. He believed that serving Jesus Christ and living for Him and His purposes guaranteed living a life that could and would make a difference in the world!

One of the Pittsburg newspapers commenced its article announcing his death with these words: “Henry J. Heinz, churchman, philanthropist, manufacturer, founder and president of H. J. Heinz Company.” The emphasis was placed correctly when he was described first as “churchman.”

The Board of Trustees of the University of Pittsburg, in the resolution of sorrow for his death, said: “He cared for art, for beauty, for education, for good citizenship, for civic betterment, for his country and for other countries also, but the real passion of his life was religion.”

In the opening paragraph of his Will, he declared: “Looking forward to the time when my earthly career shall end, I desire to set forth at the very beginning of this Will, as the most important item in it, a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I also desire to bear witness to the fact that throughout my life, in which there were the usual joys and sorrows, I have been wonderfully sustained by my faith in God through Jesus Christ. This legacy was left me by my sacred mother, who was a woman of strong faith, and to it I attribute any success I may have attained during my life.”

It was his mother who said to him in his youth: “Henry, I have only one piece of advice to give you about your religion. Do not make it so narrow that it will be unattractive to others, and do not make it so broad that you leave yourself no foundation on which to stand.”

His faith in Jesus Christ was a base on which he stood – not once a week, but seven days a week in everything he did

His faith in Jesus Christ was a base on which he stood foursquare… not once a week, but seven days a week, in business and out of business. But it was its spirit that he cared for, and not ostentation of it. He offered it to men, but forced it on none. His understanding and respect went out to all creeds.

From his youth, he pledged to himself when he entered upon spiritual life, to shirk no duty and to contribute his share of the expense of the work of the church.

His membership at Grace Methodist Protestant Church was his most memorable. It was a small church with membership largely of the kind of people for whom he always had the greatest liking-the kind often referred to as “plain people.” No church relation was more happy and fruitful than the period of almost twenty years during which he worshipped with this congregation. Even after he removed to another part of the city, he often went there. On the Sunday immediately before he was seized with his fatal illness, he attended its service.

After removal to the East End of Pittsburgh, his children united with the Presbyterian Church and he transferred his own membership to that denomination, joining the East Liberty Presbyterian Church, where his membership continued till death.

It was the inner life, not the outer form that he cared for

Throughout his spiritual life, he attended and supported Lutheran, Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant, and Presbyterian churches. His choices did not represent vacillations. He was not trying different creeds and forms to see which he would like the best. They meant that he was not fettered by denominationalism. It was the inner life, not the outer form that he cared for. The man who “did justly, loved mercy and walked humbly with God” was in his view a Christian whether he subscribed to all the rules of creed or not.

His business was a monument worthy of his service, but his service for his Master is a greater monument than his business.

One often hears it said that a business man, at least one who deals with other than small affairs, cannot be a Christian. H.J. Heinz made a success of his business and his faith in Christ. There was no lack of harmony between them. His Christian life was a help to him in business. His business enabled him to make his Christian life effective in ways of practical service to others.

From earliest manhood he believed that the Sunday School was the supremely useful instrumentality for the instruction of those whom the church is set to reach and rear; and to the Sunday-school movement, local, national and international, he gave altogether sixty-four years of unbroken and unwearied work. In many respects, he made it the leading labor of his life. A few months before his death he said:

His business was a monument worthy of his service, but his service for his Master is a greater monument than his business

“From my early boyhood I have been a member of the Sunday School. In my early twenties, I was a teacher; at twenty-six, superintendent of a village school. In middle life I became identified with the organized Sunday-school work.

“To the child, the Sunday School is a great source from which to obtain life’s principles.

“To the young man or young woman, either as scholar or teacher, it pays the greatest reward possible for the time and means invested

“To one in middle life it is a constant inspiration, while in ripe years it is the greatest influence in sustaining one’s hope and faith in immortality.

“To my mind, the Sunday School is the world’s greatest living force for character building and good citizenship. It has paid me the largest dividends of any investment I ever made. I bear testimony that in my own life the Sunday school has been a...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• I. The America of His Boyhood
• II. Lessons of Home
• III. The Dignity of Labor
• IV. Early Business Ventures
• V. The First Partnership
• VI. A Period of Trouble
• VII. Building Anew
• VIII. The Business Record
• IX. Elements of His Personality
• X. An Enduring Structure
• XI. Business Policies
• XII. Home and the Family Fireside
• XIII. Travel: A Revealer of Character
• XIV. Collecting Art and Antiques
• XV. Religion and Sunday-school work
• XVI. Citizen
• XVII. Reading the Record