On December 15, 1983, our Bro. Ron was on a field trip with students from his school when he suffered a fatal heart attack. He was watching his students playing a game of field hockey when he fell asleep.
The news of Bro. Ron’s death has shocked the Christadelphian world because he was so well known and greatly loved by so many around the world. Bro. Don Styles of Detroit gave a wonderful testimony of Bro. Ron’s life and faith at his funeral. Almost every Christadelphian in the world knew of Bro. Ron because of his book Wrested Scriptures, and a great many knew him personally because he traveled widely administering to the spiritual needs of the brotherhood. He will be greatly missed, especially by his sister wife and five children but by the rest of us as well because he was a “doer of the word” in addition to being an avid student of God’s truth.
At Bro. Ron’s funeral, so many came, that the building could not contain them all and many were forced to stand outside in the cold. Everyone that attended was given the following account of his life:
Ronald William Abel 1939-1983
Ron was taken from us suddenly and unexpectedly, on the afternoon of December 15.
He had many friends in England, Australia, New Zealand, Guyana, the West Indies, the Untied States, and Canada. None of them or us, were prepared for his falling asleep, all of us will be needed to fill the gap.
However unprepared we were for Ron’s passing, he was better prepared. At the age of 16, as a believing adult, he submitted to the Lord’s command and was baptized. Acts 2:30.
Ron did not take his beliefs lightly. He searched the scriptures daily. Acts 17:10-12 and we are indebpted to him for the book “Wrested Scriptures.” In that book he capably expounded among other things, the true Christian hope of the resurrection of the dead. 1 Cor. 15:12-20—in contrast to the more popular beliefs of ‘Immortal soulism’ and heaven-going.
Ron’s love for children was well known and his dedication to their instruction was dear to his heart. He and his wife, Mary, believed in a godly seed. Mal. 2:15. As such, Nathaniel, Rebekah, Rachel, Abigail, Benjamin and his wife, Mary, have lost a dear father and husband. We with the help of our Heavenly Father shall try to complete the work begun.
Much of Ron’s life was devoted to the assistance of others. His labors and organizational talents were never so apparent and appreciated as they were at the Christadelphian Youth Camp held each summer on Manitoulin Island.
Bible prophecy was one of Ron’s greatest interests. His life was motivated by his personal anticipation of sharing eternal life with the faithful of all ages in God’s coming kingdom on earth. Gal. 3:29. Due to the events that had taken place in his lifetime, Ron considered it a reasonable hope that he and his peers would live to see the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth. Acts 1:11, Luke 21:24. Without Ron, we continue to share that view.
Ron is asleep. 1 Thess. 4:13. His life was an example; his death was a warning, as the scripture saith:
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might: for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge in the grave, whither thou goest.” Eccl. 9:10
Thank you for coming and sharing our sorrow.
The Abel and Day families
We thank our Brother Colin Badger for sending us the following account of Bro. Ron Abel. May the example of our Brother Abel’s life inspire each of us to live the words we often sing in one of our hymns, “Life is the time to serve the Lord, to do His will, to learn His word.”
Editor
“Being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord”
Our Master stands alone as the perfect model of godliness for disciples to imitate. But without bending to vanity, the Apostle Paul could advise, “Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us” (Phil. 3 :17-R.S.V.). Marking the good examples among fellow brethren can help drive us toward greater effort and a better expression of spiritual character. In our own community the examples of our pioneer brethren are a great source of exhortation as we read their autobiographies and consider their search for truth, their loyalty to conviction.
For those who knew Brother Ron Abel, his example of unflagging diligence and his zeal for spreading the Gospel net near and far will also be a lasting source of inspiration. Ron’s boundless enthusiasm was infectious, wherever he travelled (South America, Australia, Britain) his drive and keenness for work rallied both young and old alike. At home, his door was always open to the total stranger or the disciple who sought a morsel of his vast Bible knowledge. And if one didn’t bring a question, Ron could always be trusted to raise his own and ensure that even the social visit had a scriptural focus.
Such examples are all too few in our little community. Short bursts of zeal can be seen in most of us at times, but the consistent burning of strength and energy in a disciple is precious and rare. Of course, there was no secret source for Ron’s energy. He was usually up before the sun and very few mornings stole his hour or two of Bible study before he went to work or did the farm chores. A Bible was always in the car and another at his school desk—time was precious to Ron; time was something to be spent wisely with a grudge toward idleness and self-indulgence.
In his early years, Ron was encouraged to accept baptism when he witnessed a lively discussion of truth versus error between a close friend and a small church congregation in Ron’s home town. The forceful appeal of the Truth in contrast to the errors of apostasy made an early and indelible impression on Ron’s mind — shortly after this discussion Ron was immersed. He was impressed by the example of his young friend who was so apt at giving an answer for his convictions. For Ron, the experience proved the importance of not only understanding the Truth but also the reasoning of the adversary.
Intensive study of first principles and reasoning against different church doctrines received further encouragement when he decided to serve in mission work in the West Indies and South America (1960; 1965). In these locations, Ron was introduced to the enthusiasm and capabilities of brethren such as Harry Whitaker and Alan Eyre whose love for preaching work and close Bible study served as a goad to Ron for more intense application once he returned home. Soon Ron sketched out the idea of writing a handbook for answering wrested Scriptures — an ambition that would take several years to reach completion; again the mission field was the trigger. Defending the Faith was a responsibility which Ron took seriously and he never excused himself from it.
During the early sixties Ron participated in the first campaign work in Newfoundland , Canada. The Bible Mission reported one of his dispatches to Brother John Allfree . . . “For a week I relived nearly a year’s experience in the tropics. I am optimistic . . . There is more reverence for the Word in this part than anywhere else in Newfoundland . . . We must act fast!” One experience always seemed to seed another for this disciple; the taste of mission activity in Newfoundland led to a return in 1965 to South America, joining George Smith and Gord McCrae in Bogota Columbia. The stay was short but it gave a final impetus to return home and put Wrested Scriptures into draft form.
At home, in 1966, the experience of open air speaking was finally brought to downtown Toronto. Allan Gardens on a Sunday afternoon; perching on top of a soapbox, open Bible in hand and a set of flip charts for illustrations — all more appealing to Ron than Sunday’s pot roast or a snooze on the couch. The mission field was brought home! Young and old were pressed into service and the interested listener was brought back to a local Hall for the Sunday lecture. As the summers passed, Allan Gardens served as a training ground for more than a score of regular brothers and sisters who had found a useful stimulus for careful Bible study and the weekly opportunity to offer the Bread of Life to a perishing crowd.
In the summer of 1969 Ron left for Australia. When he returned, his interests in Bible study had been enlarged and he quickly set about on an intensive study of Paul’s epistles. Once again, other brethren were the benefactors of Ron’s enthusiasm and interests. By his assisting the Niagara Young People’s Weekend every August for three years, a handful of brethren in southern Ontario received their first impetus toward detailed New Testament study and first-hand experience in the composition of study notes. This proved to be a long term investment for several young brethren and the community as a whole; here was a disciple who was concerned about the present and yet also had a long-sighted vision that would slowly bear fruit in the maturing of others. The same could be said for his suggestion that the Toronto ecclesias begin holding regular “Study Days” several times a year, involving local and distant brethren in detailed exposition and the production of study notes. The concept was soon adopted in other regions and has now become a regular occasion in a number of locations in North America.
Brother Ron’s love for the outdoors and his genuine concern for the growth of the community was perhaps best demonstrated when he helped with the formation of the Manitoulin Bible School in 1974. Set in the heart of Ontario’s beautiful north country, the school has proved to be of great service to the brotherhood in Ontario and beyond. Following this in 1980, once permanent classrooms were established, Ron championed a further suggestion: the establishment of a regular summer youth camp. Many young people from across Ontario and from as far away as Jamaica have continued to meet each year at Manitoulin and enjoy the strength of fellowship and the joy of Bible study. Of all Ron’s projects, the Manitoulin Youth Camp best represents those interests which were dearest to Ron: a love for youth and an intense desire to harness its energies in the Master’s service.
The purpose of surveying a disciple’s life like that of Ron Abel is not to give applause to human energies or achievements but to wonder at ourselves in comparison. Paul was assured that he could do all things “through Christ who strengthened me” (Phil. 4:13). Good examples are to be marked, as the Apostle has been quoted, but what we are marking in such individuals is really not human achievement at all. We are observing the Master at work—working in vessels that allow His light to shine through. Some vessels allow the light to shine more brightly because they have effectively removed many of the obstacles that could block its path. Their “eye” is more ‘single”; the light is more concentrated.
The loss of a disciple like Ron, especially during his prime of life, is always hard to accept. A community already short of sound and willing leaders seems to suffer an unjust blow in the loss of such a disciple. “The Lord does what is best” must be our firm conviction. And besides, the taking of such individuals, when the human viewpoint would complain, has obvious Scriptural precedent. Josiah, John the Baptist, Stephen, James and Paul — to name a few — were all taken when others depended on their energy and leadership. The hour of their death seemed untimely. Indeed complete answers are beyond our grasp. but often one pillar is removed that the weight it once shouldered might now be shared by others. There’s the challenge! The challenge of service — as it had been offered by the one who now rests.
Examples such as Ron are to be “marked” and then acted upon—our admiration is not meant to be a fixed gaze. Thanks to God we do have such examples, thanks to God many of them have deeply affected our lives. But the most valuable memory is the one that continues to touch the present, to act upon it. The best example is a moving example! It is inexcusable for us to ignore this plain exhortation. Will we pick up the torch which others have laid down ?
For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. (2 Cor. 4:11, 12-R.S.V.)
Amen, until we meet with them in that Great Day!
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One