19/11/2020
https://www.facebook.com/168119999897385/posts/4794606310582041/?substory_index=0
On the morning of November 18th, our beloved founder, Dr. John Edmund Haggai, passed from this life into eternal life with the Lord he had served for 75 years in ministry and whose Name he had lifted up across the world.
We can only imagine the celebration that he is having with his wife, Christine, and their son, Johnny, as they rejoice in the faithfulness of the God he loved so much.
It was Dr. Haggai’s love for the Lord, his passion for the Gospel, and his faithfulness that ordained his steps here on earth. He was determined that everyone should have the opportunity to hear the Gospel in a way that was meaningful, culturally sensitive, and relevant, so they had the opportunity make an informed decision about the claims of Jesus. It was to this end that he launched Haggai International, a ministry focused on equipping indigenous leaders to reach their own nations with the Good News. The idea was unheard of and went against the acceptable way of doing missions in 1969; many said it was crazy and would never work.
Dr. Haggai, after all, lived by a motto that would lead him to places in the world that few had reached:
Attempt something so great for God, it’s doomed to failure unless God be in it.
As I reflect on his life and legacy, it is overwhelmingly obvious: God was in it! He blessed Dr. Haggai’s obedience and perseverance, and He led him through challenges and opened doors of opportunity for His glory and the good of the world.
He loved his family, his staff, the faculty, the generous partners of the ministry and the international leaders for whom he prayed and cared deeply. He blessed us all with his quick wit, his powerful preaching, his strong opinions, his words of wisdom, and his very tender heart. Most importantly, the work of Haggai International propelled the God-given vision forward to see every nation redeemed and transformed through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Dr. Haggai’s legacy is one that that can now be tracked all around the world through more than 123,800 Haggai leaders in 189 nations who have led millions to a saving knowledge of Jesus.
For me personally, Dr. John was a mentor and a model in living his faith daily. He helped me understand that who I am in Jesus and how I reflect His life to others is far more important than all that I could accomplish as CEO of Haggai International.
He often said, “I want to die the way I live: FAST!!!” I thank God that today his prayer was answered. While we will miss him greatly, one day we will join him in that place in Heaven that is known to all our leaders around the world . . . the “Haggai Corner,” of course!
With deep gratitude, I thank you for your support and sacrifice for the vision that God gave to Dr. Haggai. Standing on his legacy, we are unwavering now more than ever in our work to equip and empower strategically positioned leaders who will advance the name of Jesus.
We will be finalizing the details for a global celebration of his life and will make that information available on our website. You may also write your own tribute there.
- Dr. Bev Upton Williams
