ABWE - Association of Baptists for World Evangelism

Mrs. Dolores Franz
Dr. Kempton’s Administrative Assistant (1994–2007)
Dr. Kempton felt strongly that leaders should also be servants. He found great delight in emptying people’s wastebaskets! I recently heard someone say they missed this about Dr. Kempton. Oh, it wasn’t the empty basket, but the servant attitude of Dr. Kempton and a few encouraging words and a smile that warmed our hearts. He was extremely generous, but he never let his right hand know what his left hand was doing.

I learned a lot just by typing his correspondence. In thousands of letters, he said the right word at the right time to the right person. He often sent handwritten notes. The ones I remember are those he wrote on lined yellow tablets early in the morning before the sun was even up. He was unparalleled in his ability to communicate with so many and with such sincerity. I believe Dr. Kempton overflowed with so much love for others because he had such a profound and deep gratitude to God for saving Him. It impacted every area of his life, and he never forgot it for a moment. It freed him to love others with much compassion and understanding.

Glen Barnhart
ABWE Maintenance and Grounds (retired)
I would say that Wendell was a modernday Nehemiah. Nehemiah prayed that God’s ear would be attentive to his servant. I believe God’s ear was always attentive to Wendell’s prayers. He had the ability to vision things that most people could not. When he believed God was in a project, he was able to convey to people that they needed to get on board with him and go to work.

Mike Tibbits
ABWE Home Office Volunteer (mailroom and transportation)
Words can not explain the feelings that I had for Doc, because it was not what he said or did not say. It was not what he did or did not do. It was that he understood and that he cared. He was one of the best friends that I have ever had or will have.

I’ll never forget the last time I saw Doc, when I picked him up at the airport. He was coming back from a trip and was not feeling well. I always wanted to give back to him just a little of all that he did for me. I’m thankful for that night, when I was able to just carry his bags and drive him home just one more time.

To sum up Doc’s life in one word to me would be “impact.” I heard a song in Togo that now reminds me of Doc: ‘’Little is much when God is in it.” All the little things Doc did for me is what made an impact on me.

Bob Auffort
ABWE Corporate Finance
Wendell challenged me in my spiritual life when I was a young man to keep reading God’s Word. I can still hear him say, “Auffort, what chapter did you read this morning?” He would also say “If you have not been in the Word today, don’t start work until you do. It is the most important thing you can do.” I will miss his encouragement to excel.

Norm Nicklas
Missionary Administration Team
He always challenged us to see the big picture of missions, to keep the priority of world evangelism and opening new countries for Christ. His active involvement in personal soul–winning was a great example to me. He always took time to talk to someone about the Lord.

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