Klassen, John J. (1931-2001)

"Mennonite Brethren Herald" obituary: 2001 Jun 22 p.26

Birth date: 1931 Nov 27

text of obituary:

John J. Klassen of Abotsford, B.C. passed away May 2 of cancer. He was born Nov. 27, 1931 near Blumenhof, Sask. At 10, he accepted Christ with help from his sister and a cousin. In 1947 the family moved to a dairy farm near Abbotsford. In 1948 he was baptized and joined the MB church. He studied at University of British Columbia, Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif., graduating in 1958. He matured spiritually through IVCF and was strongly impacted by the Urbana mission conference. He married Patricia Moore in 1956. They applied to the MB Board of Missions. After studying Portuguese for a year, they began a Bible school with 8 students in Brazil in January 1961. He directed the school for 10 years. He also preached and taught Sunday school in local churches. In 1971 they were transferred to Sao Paulo, where he worked in theological training by extension, wrote a manual on the book of Hebrews and served as executive secretary of an association of Evangelical Bible institutes and Seminaries. He was involved with a local church and evangelism, and pastored for a year. He then earned a doctorate in missions at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif, graduating in 1977. He returned to Brazil, where he pastored a church in Sao Paulo. He next taught at the Bible institute, now a seminary, in Curitiba, especially church history and missions. In 1996 they retired to Abbotsford and joined Bakerview MB Church. He was active in the church and did other volunteer work. In 1997 they visited daughter and son-inlaw Sue and Johann Zimmermann, missionaries in Mozambique. He taught a month at the theological institute there. He preached in the English service at Vancouver Chinese MB and Pacific Grace Chinese Churches. His desire was to be useful and to be a blessing. He is mourned by Patricia; daughters Vickie, Nancy, and Sue, son John; 8 grandchildren and mother Maria Loepp. The memorial service was May 8 in Bakerview MB Church, with Michael Dick and Henry Thiessen ministering.