"He Will Be Remembered!"

These days, I am mourning the loss of another good friend, Pastor Joel Newton, who passed this week. The older I get, this is happening more frequently! Joel and I have known each other for more than thirty years. We met at a Bible conference that our church hosted just a few months after I returned to Illinois in the early nineties. I was immediately blessed by his quiet, approachable, and Southern gentleman temperament. He was raised in Alabama and loved to support his favorite team! “Roll Tide!”

Joel and Cheryl's Retirement Celebration

Joel would later be called to pastor one of our strongest churches in Peoria. He and I continued to make time for frequent lunch meetings at our half-way point in Lincoln. I considered our friendship to be a peer mentoring relationship although I think he regarded his older pastor-brother in Christ as “seasoned” enough to offer occasional mentoring suggestions. We formalized this relationship during the season when Joel undertook graduate studies at Denver Theological Seminary.

Three years ago, Joel invited me to preach at his twentieth anniversary at Woodland, and three years later, this past March 23^rd, he invited me to return and speak for his retirement celebration. There were many other occasions of interaction over the years when I would drive up to Peoria for a lunch-chat or he would come to Springfield for meetings and be available for us to catch up at a nearby restaurant. I will surely miss these times when God blessed our friendship!

As I read Joel’s obituary this week, I was touched by how appropriately he was characterized with such an economy of words. This sentence had me near tears with words encapsulating his ministry and influence… “He will be remembered as a gentle, godly man who guided many in their faith in Christ.” It couldn’t have been said any better or more succinctly about Joel! He was a “gentle, godly… guide!”

I’m sure there are shorter epithets that have described others who have passed on. It is said that these words were inscribed on comedian Rodney Daingerfield’s grave monument, “There goes the neighborhood!” I laugh at the implied self-deprecation of that! But there may be others who unabashedly prefer a more self-aggrandizing assessment, “He was a legend in his own mind!” Joel’s legacy speaks the opposite! He humbly put the attention of his life on His God! And his mission was to faithfully preach the gospel. He sought to be a discipling influence for Christ who equips and guides others in their faith formation.

There were a host of faithful servants in the Bible who distinguished themselves by the way they lived. Abraham was called from a pagan land to faith and faithfulness in the One true God. Moses responded to God’s calling at a burning bush in the desert, and it transformed his life. Hosea received his calling out of a broken heart and proclaimed the love of God. God called Amos in a shepherd’s wilderness and preached God’s righteousness to his people. Isaiah met God in worship. He answered the call, “Whom shall I send?” by exclaiming, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8-9).

I am so glad that God still calls His servants. He uniquely equips them with personality, giftedness, and the strength to serve Him. God works providentially to place His faithful servants in families that love, support, and partner with them as they serve Christ. Joel’s wife, Cheryl, has been such a valued partnering influence for forty years on Team Newton. And then, God strategically and specifically calls His pastors to churches that become the light of Christ to their communities. Woodland has been that kind of church!

Time moves on. One chapter leads to another. God is charting our paths. His comfort is available in these days of sorrow. His grace will be sufficient for the days ahead. We celebrate the life of Joel Newton! May God continue to get the glory for his faithful service to Christ! How do you want to be remembered?

Mike Keppler, retired pastor,
active churchman and
doting grandparent.
Contact: drmjkeppler@gmail.com
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