A few weeks ago a memorial service was held in Southern California for a man I considered a mentor in ministry. I was not able to attend his celebration of life because it was the same weekend as our daughter’s wedding in Illinois. Needless to say, my heart was in both places.

The Reverend Doctor John A. Huffman Jr. entered my life when I was a senior at Seattle Pacific University in the fall of 1973. John had been invited to be the chapel speaker for our spiritual emphasis week. The messages and the mannerisms of this young cleric who was pastor of the historic First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh attracted me. I asked for a one-on-one session following chapel one day. He granted me an hour.

Because I was contemplating a call to ministry, I pummeled John with questions about the life of a pastor, challenges he’d faced in ministry and recommendations for seminaries. He described a most fulfilling career. In his 33 years of life, he had been the associate minister for Dr. Norman Vincent Peale in New York City and pastor to President Nixon. In addition, he was also a personal friend of Billy Graham. Mostly, what captured my attention was John’s interest in me. He really cared about my future. He invited me to correspond with him following his week on campus.

I took John up on his offer. I wrote to my new friend as I completed my undergraduate degree and entered seminary. We exchanged letters as I began my first pastorate. He put me on the mailing list of his printed weekly sermons. By the time I had married, John was pastoring a large church in Southern California. I discovered he regularly played golf with the pastor of my wife’s home church. Whenever Wendy and I were on vacation visiting her parents, John and I would play golf. Although he was a better golfer than I, walking the course together provided a rich time of conversation.

In addition to being a role model to me on the links, John offered me advice with regard to my ministry. As I acknowledged issues that were threatening my joy as a young pastor, John would share from his experience how God had been faithful to him. My mentor challenged me to review my priorities pertaining to my walk with God as well as time spent with my wife and family. He prayed with me. It was the kind of mentoring relationship a young first-century pastor by the name of Timothy had with the Apostle Paul.

Throughout my years of pastoral ministry in California and Illinois, John was a fixture in my life. After his father died, I had the opportunity to help care for John’s aging mother while serving a congregation near to where they lived. After our family moved to Washington State twenty years ago, I invited John to be a guest preacher at our church I served and at the retirement community where I was chaplain. He willingly accepted.

While John was spending time with me in Seattle, I told him that I had recently met the great-grandson of the man who had written the timeless hymn “It is Well with My Soul” who lived near our home. I knew John had been friends with Horatio Spafford’s daughter and wondered if he’d like to meet my new friend. As a result our time with Peter Lind at a nearby “St. Arbucks” proved to be a most sacred time.

Because of John’s connection to the Nixon family, he arranged for us to connect with President Nixon’s youngest brother who lived in the Seattle area. Thanks to John, that initial visit with Ed Nixon proved to be the beginning of a special friendship I enjoyed for years. I even conducted Ed’s graveside service at Tahoma National Cemetery following his death.

Recently Christians around the world observed All Saints Sunday. It provided a tangible opportunity to reflect on the lives of friends and family who departed through the doorway of death this past year. As I took time to list those in my life I’d lost, I thanked the Lord for my dear friend John and lessons of faith he’d taught me.

Guest columnist Greg Asimakoupoulos is a former chaplain at Covenant Living at the Shores in Mercer Island.