Back in Chicago
January 4, 2009
John with his dear wife Helen. Taken on one of our trips to Russia in the early 90s.
After a quick weekend in Dallas, we are back in Chicago very briefly. Last Monday night John Sergey passed away at the age of 91. During our years in Oak Park he became more than a friend. He was a mentor, a fellow elder, and he was a personal hero to me. Twice we traveled to Russia together–once on a 17-day trip that took us from Leningrad (now called St. Petersburg) to Moscow to the Volga River. I saw with my own eyes how the Russian Christians revered him. For 50 years he broadcast the gospel via shortwave radio into Russia. Through his ministry he supported hundreds of Russian pastors. And during the long years of Communism, John never doubted that one day the Iron Curtain would fall. In the providence of God, he lived to see that happen.
No pastor ever had a better friend or a stronger supporter. When I think of what an elder should be, I think of John Sergey. He has gone to heaven, and I am glad to be part of his funeral service tomorrow morning to pay tribute to a man I loved and admired.
The Chicago Tribune has posted his obituary online.