Former Gospel Outreach president Jon Lee Dybdahl, 80, passed away Wednesday morning, Jan. 18, 2023.
Born on Dec. 17, 1942, in Oakland, Calif., Dybdahl went on to become one of the leading voices in Adventist mission outreach. He was an evangelist, church planter and pastor in Thailand and Singapore. He taught theology at colleges and universities in Asia, Michigan and Washington. From 1990 to 2002, he served at the Institute of World Mission and the Department of World Mission at Andrews University.
From 2002 to 2006, Dybdahl was president of Walla Walla University.
In 2014, Dybdahl became president of Gospel Outreach and served the organization until 2017.
“I really valued Jon’s friendship and prayer time together,” says Larry Dodds, past chairman of the the Gospel Outreach board of directors. “He had such an earnest desire to see Jesus’ love shared. And he wanted to help the Bible workers with their own relationship with God and encourage them. He was a great spiritual leader both at home and abroad.”
“Steady, peaceful and loving, Jon was also a very capable administrator for Gospel Outreach,” says Brent Scully, current president of the organization. “He loved people and had a strong passion for missions. He’ll be terribly missed, but I’m grateful for the wonderful legacy he’s left behind here at Gospel Outreach and everywhere else he’s served.”