In Memoriam: Christian Leaders Who Died in 2023

This past year was one of tumult and triumph in the Church–just note the Christian leaders who died in 2023.

Some of these evangelical giants left an indelible mark on Christianity that no one will forget. Others were vanguards of the faith, but you may not know their name. Regardless of who they are or what they did for others, these are some strong individuals who were always loved, will be forever missed, and never be forgotten.

Let’s take a look back at the Christian leaders who died in 2023 who lived so we could ever move forward.

Agnes Abuom (1950-2023)

Agnes Abuom was the first African and woman to serve as moderator of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, which she led until she passed of acute heart failure. She first hosted the WCC Assembly in 1975 in Nairobi, her homeland in Kenya. The peacemaker was a lay canon in the Anglican Church of Kenya. She would later establish TAABCO Research and Development Consultants to advise development organizations on poverty alleviation. Abuom was 73 years old.

Loren Cunningham (1935-2023)

A man with a pure heart for outreach, Loren Cunningham was the founder of Youth With a Mission (YWAM) and equipped millions of young people to reach souls for Christ farther than they ever knew they could touch. Few people among the Christian leaders who died in 2023 have taken the Great Commission as literally as Cunningham, who received a vision for global salvation when he was 20. At the time of his death from Stage 4 Lung Cancer, YWAM was in 200 nations worldwide. Cunningham was 88 years old.

Dr. Jack Hayford (1935-2023)

A pastor’s pastor and a student’s teacher, Dr. Jack Hayford will forever be known as one of the great minds of theology. He was also a seminary chancellor (The King’s University, now in Southlake, Texas), best-selling author, the founding pastor of The Church On The Way in Van Nuys, California, and writer of the popular 1978 contemporary Christian worship song “Majesty.” His obituary alone could be a 1,500-word post on Patheos. He did so much to spread the Word of God and will forever be missed. Hayford was 88 years old.

Dr. Michael Heiser (1963-2023)

Dr. Michael Heiser has done many things for the Body of Christ, including his best-selling book “The Unseen Realm” among a dozen other books. Heiser was a scholar-in-residence at Logos Bible Software for 15 years. Furthermore, his practical approach to teaching God’s Word led to the globally recognized podcast, “The Naked Bible.” That’s 8 years, 450 episodes, and 5M downloads a year. That’s making your mark. Unfortunately, he suffered from Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer for several months. Heiser was 60 years old.

Tim Keller (1951-2023)

Tim Keller was an acclaimed author and founder of the Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, New York, which he led since 1989. Today, Redeemer City to City reports 113K leaders trained and approximately 1,633 churches were established around the world. The crux of his ministry was the frailty of humans. Keller always believed people knew they were broken and flawed, but didn’t know what to ask to be fixed in prayer through God’s grace. Priceless. After succumbing to Pancreatic Cancer, Keller was 72 years old.

Rabbi Harold Kushner (1935-2023)

If you don’t recall the name “Rabbi Harold Kushner,” you know the saying “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Meet the man of God who wrote the book on it. His reason? To make sense of why his three-year-old was diagnosed with Progeria, a premature aging condition. The book would become a best-seller and almost required reading for any person of faith in a Synagogue or Church. His question has provided answers to millions worldwide. Talk about the secret of life. Kushner was 88 years old.

Pastor Reiji Oyama (1927-2023)

It was an act of fervor and dedication to evangelize an entire nation he began in 1960. Reiji Oyama was the translator of the Modern Japanese Bible, known as Gendaijin no Seisho or “Bible for Modern Man,” although Oyama preferred using this English title: “The Understandable Bible.” His purpose was a feeling he had that most Japanese don’t read the Bible–not because of its content, but its context. It was “too difficult to understand.” And so, he did something about it. Would you? Oh, he was also the founding pastor of The Biblical Church, which now has 23 campuses, the author of 160 books, and was a cadet for the Imperial Army in WWII. Amazing. Oyama was 96 years old.

Bishop Carlton Pearson (1953-2023)

At one time, Bishop Carlton Pearson was the face and energy behind one of the greatest worship experiences on the planet, Azuza Live! From his Tulsa, Oklahoma church, Higher Dimensions, Pearson created a multimedia empire dedicated to inspiring and uplifting the Body of Christ with a strong influence on Holy Ghost inspiration, as mentored by Dr. Oral Roberts. Proclaiming the “Gospel of Inclusion,” Pearson would later be labeled a heretic by the Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops; yet, his legacy lives on. Pearson was 70 years old.

Pat Robertson (1930-2023)

Known as one of the vanguards of televangelism, Marion “Pat” Robertson was the founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and “The 700 Club,” which he created in 1960. Fueled by the zeal to proclaim the Gospel and bring the nation back to its ecumenical roots, Robertson ran for President in 1988 against George H. W. Bush. Before TV and political influence, as well as the establishment of Regents University, he was a decorated Marine in the Korean War. Robertson was 93 years old.

Elizabeth Sherill (1928-2023)

Considered by many the “Godmother of Christian Publishing,” Elizabeth Sherill established Chosen Books with her husband and founded Guideposts Magazine with Len LeSourd and author Catherine Marshall LeSourd. She authored more than 2,000 articles and 30 best-selling books, including collaborations, The Hiding Place with Corrie ten Boom, and The Cross and The Switchblade with David Wilkerson–all the while, struggling with clinical depression. She was a champion of the faith. Sherrill was 95 years old.

Art Simon (1930-2023)

Simon was always led to serve people considered “less than” by worldly standards, particularly those who suffered food insecurity and were impoverished. The earliest acts of service for the hungry and poverty-stricken were in the late 1960s serving the Lower East Side of Manhattan near Trinity Lutheran Church. In the early 1970s, he established the global outreach ministry “Bread for the World,” which has fed and served close to a billion people globally. Simon was 93 years old.

Dr. Charles Stanley (1933-2023)

Another notable pastor of the Christian leaders who died in 2023 was Charles Stanley, revered senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta for more than 50 years. His ministry, “In Touch,” has aired on national television and radio since 1978. In a controversial act, Stanley divorced his wife of 44 years and later admitted “I became married to the ministry and began to neglect my family.” He was a sterling example of a godly person, even in relief of perception. Stanley was 90 years old.

Bishop Melvin Talbert (1934-2023)

Born the son of Louisiana sharecroppers, Bishop Melvin Talbert’s work was lauded by both the ecumenical and the LGBTQ communities. Up until 2013, Talbert always spoke up–and loudly–for the justice of anyone in the Body of Christ in need of direction and justice. But in 2013, against the urging of Methodist leaders, he married two men in Birmingham, Alabama, a stark first for the UMC. This was his passion, as he shared a cell with a young Martin Luther King for the Atlanta sit-in protests. Talbert was 89 years old.

George Verwer (1938-2023)

Author of over 20 books and founder of Operation Mobilization, George Verwer only struggled with Sarcoma Cancer for two months, which meant most of his life was focused on the missionary work of the Lord. He has frequently shared that Billy Graham was at the heart of his dedication to serve others for God. OM was established in 1960, and by 1963, he was already constructing churches in the Middle East and India. Verwer was 85 years old.

Sarah Young (1946-2023)

Some may not recall her name, but her legacy was “Jesus Calling.” Thomas Nelson, Young’s publisher, says that Sarah Young sold 45 million copies of the prolific study guide. Within that series came a collection of Bible studies and lessons, including “Jesus Always” and “Jesus Today,” along with calendars, journals, and children’s editions. A podcast was begun in 2016. An app, a magazine, and a TV show followed (per the NYT).  Her sister Beth Bhatnagar said the cause of death was leukemia. Young was 77 years old.