Remembering John Samples

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:7-8, New International Version).

John Samples and I became friends in the 1990s when we both worked at Standard Publishing in Cincinnati. His cubicle was next to mine, and we talked with each other over the little fence. I overheard him phoning church leaders to encourage them. He had a unique ability to imitate the voices of well-known preachers. It was hard to get my work done because John made me laugh.

When I became the senior minister of East 91st Street Christian Church, we needed someone to help shepherd the church’s older members. I asked John (who was in his sixties and recently retired) if he would consider serving as our part-time minister with senior adults. Without hesitation John turned to his wife and said, “Joyce, do you want to move to Indianapolis and help Dave and Candy?” She immediately said, “Yes,” and they began a fruitful season of ministry with our church that lasted nearly 28 years.

Along the way, I learned four important lessons from John. The first is . . .

Be yourself.

John had a unique voice—a resonant baritone that many of us thought resembled the “voice of God.” He had a unique sense of humor. When it first became popular for preachers to wear their shirttails untucked, John walked into the church offices dressed in a suit and tie—with his shirttail hanging out. John had a unique way of celebrating special occasions. On wedding anniversaries, he took Joyce to CostCo for a $1.50 hot dog and soda.

John even had a unique body. He was born with situs inversus totalis, a rare congenital condition where his internal organs were reversed. (For example, his heart was on the right side of his chest.) The first time he told me about this condition, I thought he was kidding; but it was a fact. John was one of a kind, and he considered other people special, too, which leads to a second lesson I learned from him . . .

Be yourself—but don’t just focus on yourself.

John cared for our congregation with selfless love, helping God’s sheep through day-to-day struggles and painful moments. He was there when we were sick, sad, or scared.

One time when I struggled with discouragement, I called John. He came to my house, listened, and prayed for me. Before I underwent heart surgery, he came to the hospital at 6:00 in the morning—dressed in a suit and tie—and prayed at my bedside.

Jesus was called Immanuel, “God with us.” We all need someone to be present and remind us that God is with us. And John modeled a third lesson . . .

Be yourself—but keep growing into the best version of yourself.

John wasn’t perfect, but his imperfections made him more relatable. He could say with the apostle Paul, it’s “by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10). He loved Jesus’ story in Luke 15 about the father’s love for a straying child. John didn’t refer to the young man as the “prodigal” son,” but the “found” son.

In our church, most of what people knew and appreciated about John were things he did after he officially retired in his mid-sixties. He kept serving till the day he died at age 93. Older people can have a big impact. As he grew older, John kept learning and trying new things, like making multiple trips to Israel to encourage believers there.

Most of all, John taught us this lesson . . .

Devote yourself to the Lord and to others.

His last name, “Samples,” reminds me of the word example. The apostle Paul wrote, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Jesus went where people were hurting to care for the sick, comfort the grieving, and bring hope to the dying. John’s devotion to the Lord led him to do those things too.

One time I wrote an article about Jesus’ resurrection and said, “Christ rose from the dead.” John usually never criticized what I wrote, but he pulled me aside and said, “Dave, I would normally say Christ ‘arose’ from the dead—with an A.” We went back and forth in a friendly argument about it. But we both agreed that however the word is spelled, the Lord is alive.

John Samples was a remarkable man and a faithful minister. No one can fill his shoes, but we can follow his example by bringing hope to others in Jesus’ name.

This article is excerpted from a tribute presented by David Faust at the memorial service for John Samples in Indianapolis on November 1, 2026.

Author: David Faust

David Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard and senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of Not Too Old: Turning Your Later Years into Greater Years.