George & Mendy
A familiar seat.
A friendly smile.
Meet the everyday friends of The Padded Pew—rooted in Padre’s sermon illustrations and still sharing the human side of faith.
How George found his pew
George of the Padded Pew was a sermon illustration ‘meme’ developed by the Rev. Harold G. Woodworth. His friend and artist Dick Theide created the original George of the Padded Pew.
And Mendy joined him
In 2026, The Padded Pew Ministries re-employed George to help market the line of religious humor books and group study guides. We determined then to add a wife to sit beside George. Mendy Baptist of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church was kind enough to permit use of her first name for this purpose. Thanks, Mendy!
Explore the books
The people behind the pew
Padre, Dick, and Mark
Here, Dick is receiving an award for assisting Heartland School of Business.
From the Padded Pew collection
