Open Bible missionary ambassador Ron Wilson was promoted to glory on January 1, 2020, at the age of 76. We grieve our loss and that of his family, but we celebrate a life lived well.
In accordance with 2 Timothy 4:7, Ron Wilson fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith. Now there is laid up for him the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to him.
Global Missions Director Vince McCarty said, “We praise God for Ron’s life and his impact on thousands of lives around the world. We thank the Lord for the honor and privilege of knowing and working with such a dedicated and faithful man of God. We will greatly miss our brother and friend, but we take comfort in the fact that we don’t grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We look forward to the day we will all be reunited with Ron and his beloved Savior.”
Ron had an extremely big heart for people, especially children. In 1997, Ron left a decades-long career in insurance to become an Open Bible missionary along with his wife, Linda. Because of Ron and Linda’s consistent influence and tireless fundraising efforts, Open Bible Churches and International Cooperating Ministries partnered together to build 122 Open Bible churches in several countries: India, Uganda, Cuba, Nigeria, Argentina, and Mexico. They dug 98 wells (95 in India and 3 in Uganda). Ron and Linda also raised support for 21 orphanages – 5 in Uganda and 16 in India.
Open Bible President Randall Bach said, “Ron Wilson was among a very select number of leaders; he was passionately entrepreneurial. When most other people would see a problem, Ron would see opportunity. And he could see who to involve with that opportunity and what their role would be. He was soft-spoken but forceful, strong but disarming. He possessed a winsomeness that transcended cultures and languages in impact. Ron’s spirituality was humbly quiet rather than loudly demonstrative, but the current of his love for the Lord and delight in serving God ran deep. Quite simply, Ron Wilson was called, anointed, and gifted to do what he did, and he did it with excellence for the Master. We who knew and loved him will long tell stories that begin with ‘Remember when Ron…?’”
Please pray for Linda and the rest of the family during this difficult time. Linda plans to continue the work she and Ron started together.
