I first met Chuck Smith in 1974 as a long-haired 20 year old serving as youth pastor at a nearby church. On weekends, I’d drive our youth group in an old school bus over to the Calvary Tent for Jesus Concerts. I admired so much how a wise, older pastor warmly welcomed our generation with such love, and with a grin that spread a mile wide! While I was a fourth generation pastor in my own family, I loved how Chuck took so many new converts under his wing and became a father figure to each of them. Only heaven knows how many people have come to Christ because Chuck risked his reputation to reach out to hippies in the early 70’s. When some on-fire Calvary Chapel new believers came and shared their testimonies at a Christian camp in Northern California where I was working, God called me into full-time ministry.
Then, in 1980 when I planted Saddleback Church in South Orange County with just my wife (Chuck and I both have brilliant, godly wives named Kay!), I was privileged to pastor for 43 years in the same county as this spiritual giant. Over four decades Chuck and I saw a lot of leaders come and go. Some flamed out. Others burned out. They didn’t last in ministry. But Chuck did. He was steady, solid, simple, and servant-hearted. But what I admired most was his faithfulness to preaching the whole counsel of God, year in and year out. I honor that. I loved him.
At Chuck’s memorial service, I was humbled to be the only non-Calvary Chapel pastor to sit on stage in the old Duck’s Arena and share a tribute to a man who “served God’s Purpose in his generation” (Acts 13:36). As I looked around at all the well-known Calvary Chapel pastors that I was seated with, I thought “All these ministries are Chuck’s lasting legacy! He left an eternal impact on the hearts of a generation.”
One time, Chuck and I were both invited to speak on the same panel at a pastor’s conference in Phoenix. For some reason, a well-known Christian pollster (also on the panel) started making little digs at Chuck’s ministry. It was arrogant and rude, but Chuck was totally gracious and non-defensive. He just kept smiling. My reaction, however, was different. When I couldn’t stand it anymore, I just blurted out “Stop it man! Chuck Smith has forgotten more about ministry than you’ll ever know!” After the session ended, Chuck and I talked all the way home, flying in his little Cessna back to our beloved Orange County. I miss him.
