A Tribute to my Professor

It was my first semester as a seminary student and I had a new professor. How could this happen to me? In a faculty full of distinguished, tenured scholars, I had a rookie, teaching evangelism, no less. He had no notes. He just told one story after another and threw in a few sermon outlines. When the first exam came, I was shocked. None of his stories/sermons were on the exam. That’s when I realized we had books to read. I don’t remember who else was in that class, but if it was a typical seminary class, there are alumni of that class who have served all over the world. Twenty years later, I found myself on the same faculty, and in the same department, as my rookie professor. For twenty-six years we served together. He was my professor, my mentor, my colleague, my friend, and last week we sent him home to heaven. If there was a receiving line in heaven, consisting of those who are either directly or indirectly there because of his ministry and witness, he may not have arrived at the throne yet. Even as he worships around the throne, he will be continually interrupted by those who tap him on the shoulder to remind him that they are there because of his influence – an interim pastorate, a revival meeting, a random seat assignment on an airline flight, a student preacher sent to their town to preach a revival meeting in a small church. And the line of his former students circles the globe today, touching every tribe, and nation, and tongue, and people. It was written of another, but could easily be said of Roy J. Fish, “he being dead still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4).

Join me in praying for the following global concerns this week:
• Pray for Tricia and Stephen as they settle into a new assignment and a new home in London.
• Pray for Bonnie as she works to establish a mentoring program for missionary apprentices.
• Pray for Melissa, Jonathan and three kids as they head for Asia.
• Pray for financial partners for church planters in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island, Canada.