Another great preacher passes away?! What is God doing?
By Elizabeth Prata
The post reflects on the recent loss of notable Christian leaders, prompting questions about God’s purpose. While experiencing grief, the author emphasizes the importance of home ministry and discipleship beyond even public ministry. Encouragement in reminding readers of God’s sovereignty and the significance of every believer’s role in spreading light in the world.
John MacArthur. James Dobson. Charlie Kirk. Voddie Baucham. And we can add Steve Lawson and Josh Buice to the list of those who are suddenly yanked from us.
We ‘lost’ Steve Lawson to his sin in September 2024.
Josh Buice to his sin a few months later in May 2025.
We lost John MacArthur to heaven in July 2025.
James Dobson in August.
Charlie Kirk in September.
Voddie Baucham September.
The questions ‘What is God doing?’, ‘What is happening?’ are coming up more and more. Todd Friel of Wretched/Fortis Institute said it was a ‘gut punch’ when he heard of the loss of Voddie. Yes, it feels like we have been dragged down the road and wrung out. Emotionally spent, we are panting and asking these questions. But don’t become theologically spent. God is still good!
Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis gave a 4-minute tribute and memory about Voddie. He askes the same question, What is God doing? and ends his piece with some encouragement.
Todd Friel of Wretched/Fortis Institute spoke a heartfelt tribute to Voddie and ended with encouragement.
Angela Mitchell at Raising Apologists asked on Facebook, “What kind of days are we living in when it seems that the most sound doctrinally, the most stable biblically, and the most courageous leaders we have looked up to are all being called home?“
I will put her comments here in case someone does not have Facebook, but there is a bit more to this post on her site to read and ponder-
We are heartbroken and filled with grief and complex emotions right now. We want to do something significant for God and hope that He makes much of Himself through us.
Many can become caught up in the idea that homemaking and viewing your role at home is “sidelined” while others pursue more public ministry. It’s easy to start thinking that real change and ministry happen only on street corners and college campuses, neglecting the important work taking place at home. You might feel pressured to build a platform, assuming that this is the only way forward, and view your home as less significant.
However, real change begins at home; it trickles into your local church as you seek to use your gifts there and ultimately has a broader impact on the church at large. In this season of having children, especially small ones, moms and dads should prioritize discipleship at home. Who will take on this responsibility if you won’t?
As I have been studying the book of Titus, I’ve learned that in order for the believers in Crete to evangelize among the evil people there, their primary preparation for evangelism was to live among them with the unarguable testimony of righteous, loving, selfless, and godly lives in marked contrast to the debauched lives of the false teachers there (John MacArthur study Bible). How relevant is this today?–end Angela Mitchell quote.
Let us do the same today.
As Todd Friel said in his heartfelt video remembering Voddie, (linked above) “the universal chess table is fully under God’s control.” God is good, all the time. God moves his people from place to place in sending missionaries and evangelists. He moves people from earth to heaven, and sends souls in babies to earth in birthing the next generation. Who will go? Who will preach? Well, myriad preachers are doing just that, every day and all over the world. They speak light into the darkness.
The more powerful or well-known ministers that God has raised up, we mourn them when they pass, but we are grateful we were blessed by them for a while. Everything on earth is temporary, including our own selves. Eternity awaits, today or 60 years from now, but it is always there. Hug your loved ones tight, do not let the sun go down on your anger, pray ceaselessly, and look up, for our Redemption draweth nigh.
