Remembering Dave Warner
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My heart is heavy with the passing of my friend Dave Warner. I had the joy and honor of serving with him for the first year on staff with Active Christians Today. From our first church visit together (pictured here), ACT Fall Retreat, Christmas parties, Winter Retreat to the Chivalry Dinner and everything in between, I had the opportunity to marvel at this man who was truly a servant leader.
His joy and passion consumed him and I saw his love of student ministry expressed in everything he did.
I suppose my greatest joy was spending a week on the mission field with him along with a group of wonderful students. I got to see him in action as he shared the gospel, sat with children and... sat with me by the fire in the evening talking theology and the future of Active Christians Today. We laughed at the foibles of ministry, the joys and the sorrows. It was a time I will treasure forever.
What I didn’t know until later was truly how much he loved to serve and how much potential he saw in campus ministry. While working at the ACT University of Toledo campus house I found a letter he wrote that expressed this in no uncertain terms. In it he said, “I believe with all of my heart that campus ministry plays a very significant role in the future of the church. Our future business leaders, educators, government leaders and politicians, media types, mothers and fathers, and future church leaders will come out of our universities. The potential of sending international students back into the cultures of countries closed to Christianity as missionaries is enormous.” It is obvious how much he valued the ministry that together with our students still reaches the world every day.
I admit I am greatly saddened to see him leave the earthly realm. However, my faith tells me I will get to strike up a conversation with him again. That brings me great joy.
Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Well done. Love ya, Dave!
Scott Weaver
Campus Pastor, ACT UToledo