Wendell
Kempton
Memorial Fund
God used Dr. Kempton to touch the lives of many
thousands of people, to seek financial partners for many ministries,
and to secure funding to help many in need all around the world. In
honor of this testimony, his family and ABWE have established a
special Wendell Kempton Memorial Fund, to be used in consultation
with the family to carry on this tradition of blessing
others.
A special 7-minute tribute to Dr. Kempton in DVD
format will be sent to everyone who makes a donation to the memorial
fund, and we will notify the family of the names (no amounts) of
those who contribute unless anonymity is
requested.
Contributions
Please make your
check payable to “ABWE” clearly marked “Wendell Kempton Memorial
Fund (L0801)”. You may also give online.
* All gifts are fully
deductible for tax purposes as allowed by law.
View a slideshow
of images from Dr. Kempton’s ministry around the world
»
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January 2008
The
Heart of the Wise is in the House of Mourning
A good name is better
than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one’s
birth; better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house
of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will
take it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad
countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in
the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of
mirth. —Ecclesiastes 7:1–4 (NKJV)
Solomon, the wisest
man who ever lived, meditated about death in order to think wisely
about life. There is wisdom in pondering what goes into the making
of a good name. There is wisdom in thinking about the end of all
mankind and letting our hearts step into the house of mourning. We
do not like to think about death and separation from loved ones; the
house of mourning is usually considered a place to avoid. But death
is unavoidable because we live in a fallen world where man chose
death over a personal relationship with the living God.
We
have been visiting the house of mourning together to honor our
beloved leader Dr. Wendell Kempton, ABWE President Emeritus, who
died on January 6, 2008, after a brief battle with cancer. As I
paged through Wendell’s Bible this morning over a cup of coffee, I
found a number of notes on 3x5 cards tucked in the back. At the top
of one card are these words: “My GOD. This is personal. This is
relational. Life is a series of ending relationships. This
(relationship with God) is real—NEVER ENDING.”
If I could jot
Dr. Kempton one of those little morning notes he used to write so
many of us, this is what I would say:
Thanks Doc, for
reminding us that even the special relationship we had with you was
limited and had to end with death. But the reason we all loved you
and had the chance to know you is due to the personal relationship
you had and we can have with the Almighty, Eternal God. And that
never has to end!
As we remember your life and your passion
for God, you must be having a wonderful time of personal communion
with Him face to face. Perhaps you will pick up the conversation you
were having with Him just the other day when you wrote this card.
You were always careful not to interrupt the conversation of others.
I certainly don’t want to interrupt that conversation!
We
remember you as personal, and relational, and real. Do you suppose
that was a reflection of your relationship with Christ? So your
departure on that Sunday was only a temporary pause in the reality
of eternity.
Your earthbound
friend,
Michael
Thank you for your prayers for
the family and our ABWE family during this time of adjustment. Dr.
Kempton's obituary is available on our website.
Dr. Kempton’s
Obituary »
Grateful for your partnership in the
gospel,
Michael G.
Loftis
President
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