By Rick Cherok
Long-time professor, author, and minister, Gareth L. Reese, passed from this life at age 92 on Thursday, November 7, after a brief period of hospice care. As one of Central Christian College of the Bible’s founding professors, Reese’s career in education spanned 65 years. At the time of his passing, Reese held the title of Emeritus Professor with CCCB and had been awarded the honorary Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.) degree.
Reese was born in Lintz Lake, IN, on September 29, 1932, and was ordained to the Christian Ministry at the First Church of Christ in Garrett, IN, on July 19, 1954. After graduating from Garrett High School in 1950, he went to the Cincinnati Bible Seminary, where he completed the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1954, the Master of Arts degree in 1955, and the Master of Divinity degree in 1957. Reese also undertook post-graduate studies under the direction of Merrill C. Tenney at Wheaton College and completed a Master of Arts in Library Science degree from the University of Missouri in 1983.
In 1957, at the opening of Central Christian College of the Bible, in Moberly, MO, Reese was appointed head of the school’s New Testament Department. “His passionate teaching was designed to motive others to the serious study of God’s word,” his former student and fellow professor Daniel Schantz wrote. “His classroom presentations were forceful and memorable.” In addition to teaching New Testament classes and Greek, Reese also taught courses in missions and apologetics.
Reese’s additional services to CCCB include 14 years as the college’s head basketball coach, 20 years as athletic director, and an extensive period as CCCB’s faculty athletic representative to the Midwest Christian College Conference, which he helped found in 1962. Reese also served as the CCCB Librarian from 1958 to 2001 and as the CCCB Dean of Students. “There will never be another person who can be a one-man New Testament department, librarian, Dean of Students, and basketball coach,” wrote David Fincher, the current president of CCCB.
Reese was a preacher of the gospel for over 70 years, preaching his first sermon in southern Michigan while still in high school. As a college student, Reese served in numerous ministries in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. Upon his appointment to CCCB, Reese continued serving in located ministries for several years. Outside of his located ministries, Reese spent many weekends representing the college and recruiting students, but he was also a popular revival speaker who preached throughout the United States at various churches and camps. Reese was also called upon to serve as a featured speaker at events such as the Brush Run Revival, the Open Forum with the Church of God (Anderson, IN), Restoration Forum XI, and the North American Christian Convention. He also participated in evangelistic and training ministries in Anchorage, AK; Boston, MA; and Chingmai, Thailand. Reese preached his final sermon on October 13, 2024, less than a month before his passing.
As an author, Reese is widely recognized for his extensive commentaries on the books of the New Testament. His first commentary, New Testament History: Acts, has over 1,000 pages and was initially published in 1966. In addition to the thousands of copies of Reese’s commentary on Acts that remain in print, it has also been translated into several other languages. With a life-long goal of producing commentaries on each of the New Testament letters, Reese worked diligently to write thorough commentaries for each. He accomplished his goal by completing his final volume, New Testament Prophecy: Revelation, in October 2024. Reese’s commentaries remain available for purchase.
Reese is survived by Kathleen, his wife of 68 years, his sons Timothy (Kim) Reese and Jonathan (Kathy) Reese, and by several grandchildren, great grandchildren, and other relatives. A funeral service celebrating his life will be held on Tuesday, November 19 at 5:30 p.m., at Timber Lake Christian Church in Moberly, MO. Visitation hours will be held prior to the service from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. A private burial service at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hicksville, OH, will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Central Christian College of the Bible or to the donor’s mission or missionary of choice.
Rick Cherok serves as Managing Editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD and the Executive Director of Celtic Christian Mission.
0 Comments