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Haddon Robinson wrote the classic book on preaching called, “Biblical Preaching.” It has sold more copies than any other preaching textbook. He taught and practised expository preaching to thousands.

I had the privilege of being one of his students from 1996-1999 in the Doctor of Ministry program at Gordon-Conwell Seminary in Boston.

After graduation our cohort has continued to meet every May in Wisconsin to study a book of the bible and prepare sermon ideas. It gave us a beautiful privilege to around Haddon, sharing meals, conversation and walks to the local Starbucks.

Haddon was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and after declining health died on July 22, 2017. A year earlier I visited him in his assisted living unit in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. When Haddon died, I travelled from Toronto to Boston to attend his funeral.

At his funeral his daughter, Vicky told this story from years earlier. They were walking together one day and she had occasion to ask him, “Dad, how do you want to be remembered?” Do you want to be remembered as the man who literally wrote the book on preaching? Do you want to be remembered as a great preacher? A great lecturer? Or perhaps a prolific writer?

This was his answer, “I would like to be remembered as someone who was held in love and high esteem by those who knew him best.”

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