ABWE - Association of Baptists for World Evangelism

Standing next to his bed just days before he died, I asked Dr. Wendell Kempton if he had any words to share with the ABWE missionary family. After a brief pause he said,

“Keep beating the drum of the gospel!”

“Grow in love toward one another and in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ!”

Then he said, “I’m afraid that doesn’t sound very profound.” Indeed it was as profound as it was simple. Most of the great truths of life are like that.

Last words are powerful. Yet the sum total of a man’s life is not limited only to his final words. So we ask, What is the message of a man’s life? How do we measure his impact upon the world? How do we capture the definition of his existence—the purpose he was sent to fulfill?

Dr. Kempton once said, “Without God, our story would not be possible. The ink of God’s faithfulness has written every page.” What message did this ink of God’s faithfulness record on the pages of our beloved president emeritus’ life? He was a spiritual father to many of us. He was a prophet in uncertain times. He was a courageous evangelist, a dynamic preacher of the Word of God. He was a trustworthy counselor, a faithful friend, a missionary statesman, and an encouraging mentor.

The life of Wendell Kempton taught us many things. These are among many of the profound truths he showed us in the way he lived and the words he spoke:

• The gospel is the most important message in all the world and should be proclaimed to everyone.
• Every person in the world has genuine value, and our job is to love them like Jesus does.
• Leadership is best expressed by a leader who loves those he leads.
• True greatness is best seen in true smallness.
• The greatest adventures in life come from challenging the greatest odds.
• The deepest joy in life comes from giving to the neediest people.
• The most amazing miracle is watching God’s grace transform selfish sinners into sacrificing saints.
• Leading is pain–bearing, as the leader willingly shoulders the burdens of others without complaint or indiscretion.
• Listening is leading and leading is listening—with the ears, the eyes, and the heart.
• Our earthly focus should always be on the eternal character of Almighty God.
• The Christian life is not a sprint or even a marathon but rather a relay race in which we must pass the baton to the next runner by letting it go at just the right time.

Dr. Kempton, thank you for expressing these truths to us in your passionate way and for passing on the baton of your powerful life example.

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