A REQUEST FROM NAB OFFICE

The Gideon and Eleanor Zimmerman Memorial Fund for Russia established in honor of Dr. Gideon and Eleanor Zimmerman

 Dr. Gideon Zimmerman was ordained on May 23, 1943, by the North American Baptist Conference. He served for twelve years as a pastor with North American Baptist churches in Auburn, Michigan; Grand Forks, North Dakota; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He also served for twelve years as General Secretary for the Commissioned Baptist Youth and the Sunday School Workers Union, which later became the Department of Christian Education. From May 1968 until July 1979, he was Executive Secretary of the North American Baptist Conference. In 1971, North American Baptist Seminary (now Sioux Falls Seminary) conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. The Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs in Washington, DC, elected Dr. Zimmerman as its new chairman in 1978. Dr. Zimmerman had previously served as chairman of the agency’s finance and personnel committees. Dr. Zimmerman also wrote the foreword to Frank H. Woyke’s Heritage and Ministry of the North American Baptist Conference (Oakbrook Terrace, IL: North American Baptist Conference, 1979). Eleanor Zimmerman was a major editor and typed the final manuscript. Gideon and Eleanor also assisted Dr. Donald Madvig in reading and translating into English a German document entitled The Memoirs of G. A. Schulte.

Dr. Gideon K. Zimmerman went home to be with the Lord on December 20, 2011, at age ninety-one. His wife, Eleanor preceded him in death, at age eighty-seven, on November 10, 2007, just one month before their sixty-fifth wedding anniversary. 

Survivors include his two sons Dr. Thomas A. Zimmerman (Linda) and Rev. Paul R. Zimmerman (Judy), six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and a brother, Rev. Benjamin Zimmerman.

At the memorial service for Dr. Zimmerman, his son Tom said, “Dad’s request was that his trip to Russia and the need for sharing the Gospel there would be mentioned. My mother accompanied Dad on that journey and she actually spoke in worship at the same services as Dad did on that trip. She was the Russia scholar in the family, and while Dad handled so many of the practical details of the journey, she taught him a great deal about Russian history and culture.” Eleanor’s parents and grandparents came from regions within Russia.

In honor of Gideon and Eleanor Zimmerman and their special concern for the Russia ministry, the North American Baptist Conference, at the request of the Zimmerman family, has established the Gideon and Eleanor Zimmerman Memorial Fund for Russia.

All funds donated will be used to further the development of godly leaders in post-communist Russia with an emphasis on training leaders who will train other leaders. This includes providing theological education for pastors and church planters through the Leadership School in Rostov. Gifts support general items such as travel, ministry salaries, office expenses, textbooks, translators, and administration.

If you would like to contribute to the Gideon and Eleanor Zimmerman Memorial Fund for Russia, you can give online (go to www.nabconference.org) or mail your check to North American Baptist Conference, PO Box 1910, Folsom, California 95763-1910.

 

North American Baptist Conference

2011 Fall Offering

This offering is taken annually to support NAB projects.

More information to follow as we receive it.

 

– A N D –

Triennial Logo - Color

COMING IN JULY 2012

North American Baptist Conference’s

50th Triennial Conference

Beginning July 4, 2012

At the

Peabody Hotel and Conference Center

In

Orlando, Florida

NAB is about to host our 50th Triennial conference – that’s 150 years of history.  But this Triennial will be much more about the future than the past.  Our theme is “NEXT”.  What is NEXT for NAB?
 
That question has a double meaning. On the surface it is a question about our future – what steps will we take, what is the plan and how will it unfold? These are good questions. But there is a much more important question lying under the surface: Will we live NEXT?
 
You see NEXT is an expression of the heart of God for that NEXT lost person who is found. It is the NEXT baptism in your church. We need disciples who live NEXT. We need leaders who lead NEXT. We need church boards to make NEXT decisions.
We have invited Francis Chan to set the stage for this conference, to stretch our thinking, to lay a biblical foundation, to inspire us to the courage required for obedience. After three sessions with Francis Chan we will be exploring what NEXT looks like specifically in the context of NAB: Impacting the NEXT Community, Reaching the NEXT Nation, and Equipping the NEXT Generation.
Now here is the fun part. Not only do we have the opportunity to become that NEXT generation together, but we get to do it in Orlando. We have set aside Friday, right in the middle of the conference, for you to enjoy the day with your family at one of the theme parks. We will all be staying together at the Peabody hotel, a 4-Star/4-Diamond hotel for only $119 per night – this place is amazing!
 

 

Registration opens on Monday, October 3, 2011

 

 

 

Visit

 

click on the Triennial button on the main page to register.