eJ o lm -A.. H-u.Tb'toeir
A fter n ear ly seven decades of ■ ministry, Dr. John A. Hubbard, formerly Dean of Men and teacher at The Bible Institute of Los Ange les, went into the presence of the Lord on April 4, 1962. As a young man, John Hubbard’s first experience in Christian work was playing in a brass quartet during some evangelistic meetings on Chi cago’s West Side. That was in 1895, and during the course of the services, this earnest young man gave his heart to Jesus Christ. It was early in 1896 when someone pressed into his hand a copy of the book, “How to Bring Men to Christ,” by Dr. R. A. Torrey, Dean of the Moody Bible Institute. That year he enrolled in the school despite his fam ily’s observations that now he would be “ nothing but a poor preacher.” While at M. B. I., John heard W il liam R. Newell declare, “ Looking unto Jesus is the conquering attitude of the soul.” The youthful student rejoined, “ Lord, let this be my soul’s desire.” The thousands of students whom he taught at both Biola and the Arizona Bible Institute in Phoenix, where he served when God called him home, can testify to the Lord’s faith ful answer to that petition. Dr. Hubbard later travelled with a then obscure evangelist, Lewis Sper ry Chafer, later founder of Dallas Iheological Seminary. Then on to three pastorates, a year of study at Princeton Seminary and further years of teaching. Students in his classes gained two important impressions: the authority of the Word of God ( “What does it and the imperative of mis sions ( “ Lift up your eyes and look on the fields” ). In this last area, Dr. Hubbard was a charter member of Wycliffe Bible Translators, served on the boards *«f the Sudan Interior Mis sion, Africa Inland Mission and Cen tral American Mission. His daughter and her husband, Rev. Lawrence Simpson, have been with C. A. M. for 24 years. Dr. Hubbard commented on his own ministry with a humble attitude
a personal tribute by Helen White
by saying, “Years ago I noted that in Jeremiah 1:7 the Lord says, ‘On whatsoever I shall send thee, thou shalt go.’ I say that Jeremiah was really God’s errand boy.'I knew what that meant, for I had been an errand boy in Chicago at the age of 16. Such an one must be prompt, obedient, and on hand to deliver the message when the ‘boss’ speaks. It became my desire and purpose to be counted a faithful errand boy for the Lord.” Funeral services were held at the Church of the Open Door, Los Ange les, with Mr. Eugene Eymann, Biola ’22, with whom Dr. Hubbard had been associated in Phoenix, in charge of
After 1 graduated from the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, the door opened for me to take a secretarial position in the school. Thus, in the providence of God, the priceless pri vilege was mine of being associated in the work with a great man of God, Dr. John A. Hubbard, Bible teacher and servant of the Lord. In the office routine I do not recall any hurry, or the feeling that just so much work had to be done. There was no sense of being pushed to the limit, and no long-involved letters, but rather letters very care fully worded and to-the-point — no atmosphere of strain or turmoil. How ever, his was no eight-hour, five-day- a-week service. Many times he was at the school before classes began to conduct student devotions. His devo tional messages will be remembered by Biola Alumni scattered throughout the world. Having visited in the home of Dr. and Mrs. Hubbard, I noted his prayer life. He remembered former students in prayer — thus affecting numbers of lives and ministries at home and abroad. Surely God has honored his life and prayers as he served the One he loved. He spoke of walking toward the school from where he alighted from a street car and handing tracts say ing “Good Morning!” and going on his way. He said confidently “ I ex pect to see some of those men in hea ven.” Dr. Hubbard heartily entered into student social activities. He was a very warm human being. The kindnesses of Dr. and Mrs. Hubbard to me and my widowed mother, will never be forgotten. They called to see us when mother was nearing the time she was to be with Christ, and I still recall the verses Dr. Hubbard brought at that time, and how greatly I appreciated his prayers.
Dr. Hubbard arrangements. A memorial has been established by the Arizona Bible In stitute to retire the remaining in debtedness on the school’s library building. The A. B. I. address is 3025 West McDowell Road, Phoenix, Ari zona. As evidence of Dr. John A. Hub bard’s devotion to. the Lord and zeal for souls is the fact that just before he was “ called home,” while in the hospital he called for some tracts and his Bible, in the hope that he might have further opportunities to speak to others of his Saviour. Truly “ . . . A prince and a great man” has been called home.
JUNE, 1962
21
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs