Farewell to an Inspiration

My first meeting with the President of Multnomah Bible School came in the hallway of the Administrative building.  We traded glances then paused to exchange greetings.  I was a new faculty for the Graduate School and he welcomed me and expressed his delight to having me on the teaching team.

Over the years I enjoyed our occasional connections.  He had a way of being down to earth, very sincere, real as a man can get, and a visionary.  He substituted for my leadership class once.  My students loved him.  He had a deep and rich insight into the ins and outs of leadership.  God gave him a practical winsome wisdom that could encourage a struggling student, grieving staff member, disillusioned donor, or distraught neighbor. 

His name is Joe Aldrich. 

Joe was not afraid to be the maverick.  In fact the stories that I heard of his rambunctious youthful past gave him a reputation as a wide-ranging mischievous well-mannered rebel.  I call it being creative.

He had a knack for touching the lives of people right where they needed it.  People whose lives were deeply impacted followed Joe for his entire ministerial career.  They were his personal cheerleaders. 

Joe would be late for speaking at his President’s Chapel because he saw that his neighbor was digging a ditch in his front yard to have a new water  main installed.   He took off his coat, rolled up his sleeve and started digging until that last minute before he had to go and speak at chapel.  He was just at home laughing with the most powerful leaders of the day, whether US Senators or best-selling authors or the nation’s best speakers.

Boundaries, barriers, or limitations were challenges to him.  He is one of the main bridge builders between the Evangelical Church and its partners who practice the fullness of the Spirit, the charismatics.  Joe saw that our differences in that realm were far less important than what we shared in common, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joe changed the face of prayer in the church around the world.  His vision for the International Prayer Summits, changed lives of many Christian leaders who came.  Those gatherings had no agenda.  That blew everyone away.  Instead, each gathering let the Lord direct the sessions and lives were transformed. 

Joe Aldrich was a wonderful gift to the church.  He was a wonderful gift to me.  His leadership style was inspirational.  I will miss him while heaven will enjoy him now forever.