(Photo: Don Haynes)Calvary Chapel founder Chuck Smith opens Harvest America in Anaheim, Calif., with prayer, Aug. 26, 2012.
Pastor Chuck Smith is being remembered as a man who impacted an entire generation, including many prominent Christian leaders, with his straightforward preaching and a life that reflected the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Smith died early Thursday morning at his home in Newport Beach, Calif., after nearly a two-year battle with lung cancer at 86.
For most of Thursday, on the Internet, on radio, and through social media – countless Christians, both in leadership and as simply followers of Jesus, shared their memories of "Papa Chuck" and his personal and global impact.
"Physical death ushered him into God's presence for eternity on October 3, but his earthly ministry will be remembered as impacting generations since the 1960s," Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse, shared in a statement released later in the day.
"He taught the Bible from cover to cover — Genesis to Revelation — and verse by verse multiple times. He believed the Word of God and lived by it," Graham stated.
The son of Billy Graham said that he considered Smith his good friend. Graham reported that Smith gave his last sermon from a wheelchair this past Sunday at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, the mother church that helped birth an association of more than 1,600 congregations worldwide.
He also shared that for the last several decades, when he traveled to southern California, "Pastor Chuck always took time to share a meal with me and fellowship over what the Lord was doing. I was with him this summer and had the privilege of preaching for him at his pastors conference and in a special crusade sponsored by Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa.
Graham added, "He will be missed, but for those who know Christ as Savior, we have the same hope Chuck wrote about in his book, Comfort for Those Who Mourn, when he stated, 'One day I will move out of my body and into God's dwelling that Jesus has prepared for me — this is Living Hope.' There is no greater comfort than to know that my friend's incredible journey through life led him to Heaven."
Greg Laurie Interview with Chuck Smith: A Lifetime of Impact [VIDEO]
On Thursday, a posting on the Calvary Chapel website reads, "Our beloved Pastor Chuck went home to be with the Lord around 3:00 o'clock this morning. He passed into eternity peacefully in his sleep. We rejoice that he has moved out of his worn out tent and into his heavenly body. On behalf of the family, his children, and Kay, they are so appreciative of all your love, prayers and support."
The church stated that its services this Sunday morning "will center on his homecoming." The family is planning a private memorial service, along with a larger public service to be announced in the days ahead.
"He was an American hero who loved the Boomers when the Generation Gap was at its height. He was the first to be 'seeker friendly,'" Dave Holden, International Purpose Driven Training Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, told The Christian Post Thursday.
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