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July 5, 2012

Peter Gillquist, Leader of an Evangelical Exodus Into Eastern Orthodoxy, Dies of Cancer

Former Campus Crusade for Christ leader led thousands into the Antiochian Orthodox Church in the 1980s.

Jeremy Weber

Peter Gillquist, the former Campus Crusade for Christ leader who led an exodus of thousands of evangelicals into the Orthodox church in the 1980s, died of cancer on Sunday, July 1, in Bloomington, Indiana. He was 73.

Gillquist, director of missions and evangelism for the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese until he retired this past January, helped revive the Orthodox church's evangelistic roots. "Up until recently, Orthodoxy has been the best-kept secret in America," said Gillquist to CT in 1997. "Those days are over."

In a major cover story, CT reported on those who argue that the future of evangelicalism lies in the past as more and more evangelicals reconnect with the early church. Others appreciate Orthodoxy but explain why they don't convert.

CT has also reported how evangelical seminaries have wrestled over whether faculty who convert to Orthodoxy can still sign faculty faith statements.

posted by Jeremy Weber | Comments (4)

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This guy was a stud. He went to DTS and did his Campus Crusade thing @ Notre Dame and then went into the Antiochian Church. He had an easy manner and a ready smile. One smart fella. He will be missed.
Vegas

Posted By: Kevin Bullard | July 7, 2012 5:42 AM

Fr. Peter was genuine- a real love for the Lord and for His Church. Years ago, when as a young evangelical pastor struggling with all the changes coming about in the evangelical church, I read Peter's book, "The Physical Side Of Being Spiritual". That book started me on a quest that years later would reconnect me with Peter after he had entered the Orthodox Church. The I read his book, "Becoming Orthodox" which helped me on my journey into the Orthodox Church after 28 years of ministry in evangelical churches. I appreciated Peter's wise counsel and direction and his deep love for the Church. His life and message has been a blessing to so many.

Posted By: Forrest Long | July 8, 2012 2:36 PM

I was a Bishop in the Evanlgelical Orthodox Church with Peter Gillquist as the Presiding Bishop. He was always a kind and decent man. His taking leave of this existence was far too soon.

Posted By: Jerry Wise, MA, MS | July 9, 2012 11:52 AM

I had the privilege to hear Fr. Gillquist speak in Alexandria, VA when I was visiting my sister-in-law four years ago. He spoke about SCOBA tasking him with establishing OCF on college and university campuses. He also told us that prior to becoming Orthodox, his employer came to him with a project to honor his recently deceased mother: the Orthodox Study Bible.

Memory Eternal!

Posted By: Margaret | July 10, 2012 9:40 PM

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