November 18, 2002
Forty years ago, in 1962, Reuel Lemmons organized and promoted the first Pan American Lectureship. At that time, there were only a few New Testament churches in Central and South America. Today, there are hundreds of churches and tens of thousands of New Testament Christians. Only God knows how much the Pan American Lectures have contributed to the growth of the Kingdom in Latin America.
Reuel also deserves credit for helping us launch World English Institute.
When my family and I moved to Taiwan in 1968 to work as missionaries, we discovered that Chinese young people were eager to learn English. So, we taught English to attract students. At the same time, we taught them the Bible. Some of these students are now church leaders.
Upon returning home, I talked to Reuel Lemmons about the possibility of developing a course similar to World Bible School—a course designed to attract unbelievers by teaching English while using the Bible as a text. Reuel quickly saw the potential of such a course, and he encouraged me to start writing. If it had not been for Reuel’s encouragement, World English Institute might not exist today.
May God bless the memory of Reuel Lemmons—a man who cast a tall shadow of influence across our brotherhood for more than half a century. Today, Reuel Lemmons lives on through WBS, WEI, and the Pan American Lectureship.
