WORLD REPORT By Jim Gilley, evangelist and former 3ABN president
My Straight A’s Friend,
Bob Folkenberg
Remembering the late General Conference president
I
t was a strange place to begin a friendship. Bob Folkenberg and I were very nervous as we stood in line waiting for our final grades before graduation from Andrews University in 1962. Bob shared with me his reason for concern. “I’ve made straight A’s on every report card since the first grade. But I am concerned about this last report card, because I may have slipped to a B in Greek II with Blazen,” he said, referring to Ivan Blazen, the professor of Greek and New Testament. I shook my head in mock sympathy. I also was worried, but my concern was whether or not I had passed Greek I. All I needed was a passing grade. When Bob received his grade, he jumped, nearly hitting the ceiling, and shouted, “Whoopee, an A!” Then he ran down the hall. Wow, well done! I thought. Straight A’s since first grade! Bob was long gone when I received my grade and erupted in similar celebration, announcing “Whoopee, a D!” with even more exuberance. We went on to graduate that weekend, Bob with honors, and I—just barely! Both of us were eagerly looking forward to embracing that which
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the Lord had given us a love for: sharing Jesus with the lost. A Heart for Evangelism
The next thing I knew, Bob was the singing evangelist for the Roger Holley evangelistic team in the Columbia Union. And because no one else would take the job, they made me the Southern New England Conference evangelist. Bob learned evangelism from Roger Holley, a man who had studied at the feet of Fordyce Detamore, who knew more than anyone about the “science of soul winning,” as the pen of inspiration calls it. And Bob learned it well during his two years with the team from 1964 to 1966. When he left Pastor Holley to accept a call to the Inter-American Division, the practical knowledge God had blessed him with proved key to the unprecedented growth of that division. “Thousands were baptized because Bob had the faith to hold big meetings for the Lord,” evangelist Kenneth Cox told me. Cox, working with evangelist Benny Moore, held evangelistic meetings with Bob in Panama, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. “Anytime we had an opening, Bob would ask for our team to come,” recalled Moore. Bob served as evangelist for the
Robert S. Folkenberg in his 1962 graduation photo. A D V E N T I S T
A R C H I V E S
Panama Conference, then as president of the Honduras Mission and president of the Central American Union. Soon he was elected assistant to the president of the Inter-American Division, where his emphasis was on evangelism. In 1985 Bob returned to the United States with his wife, Anita, and two children, Bob, Jr., and Kathi, to serve as president of the Carolina Conference. The Carolina Conference soon led the Southern Union and North America in soul winning. Bob often called me, and we would discuss some new soul-winning idea that he had, always on the cutting edge of technology. I was amazed at his great personal energy and his total commitment to spreading the gospel. A Miracle at the 1990 General Conference Session
In 1990 I was chosen as a delegate to the General Conference session in Indianapolis, Indiana. When I arrived at the airport, I saw Richard Barron, a great youth leader who had also served as a conference president, and he said to me, “Gilley, there’s change in the air.” He was so correct. I soon saw what he meant. Only three people were chosen