Saying Goodbye to Ted Becker
Beacon Bible Camp
The following remarks were given by Peter Bolton at the funeral for Ted “Skipper” Becker" on Saturday, October 12, 2019. Peter generously agreed to let us share his thoughts here for those who were not able to attend the funeral. We’ve done some light editing to make sure that it is not confusing.
Good morning. Welcome; we are glad you could make it. This is Thanksgiving weekend: how appropriate we have a time for us to give thanks to God for the blessings He brought to all our lives through this man. The size of the crowd gathered here today (plus the many more who would have liked to be here but couldn’t) is testimony to the impact of a life well lived. There are countless thousands of people - not just in North America but in numerous countries - whose lives have been enriched, indeed miraculously changed because of what the Spirit of God was free to do through Ted Becker.
This man, though small in physical stature, was huge in faith, integrity, vision, determination, and many more virtues and attributes. We need more people like him.
He didn’t want this funeral to be about him, but about the Redeemer he loved and served by faith, and whom Ted now sees in person! What a blessing for him, though we who are left have many mixed emotions.
The theme proposed for today’s memorial is: “A Man With A Mission: (which was) To God Be The Glory”
To his wife Barbara, children Anne and Peter, for grandchildren Geordan, Morgan &,Joshua: we extend our sympathies, and have been praying for you. At many funerals/memorials, the rest of the crowd is made up of people who lost a friend. But in Ted’s case, a majority of those remembering him feel like they lost an brother, a father, a grandfather, an uncle, or personal mentor.
When Barb and I were talking a couple of days ago, she commented how we had more or less lost the Ted we knew several months ago, and she did much of her grieving then. Last Sunday, the Lord released His servant from his suffering and welcomed him home.
In this portion of this service, I have been asked to share some reflections about the years of knowing the Beckers through our church fellowship at Arkell Road Bible Chapel, here in Guelph.
Before I do, allow me to share some thoughts from what I was reading this morning. I’ve been working my way through a chapter of the Gospels each morning (plus chapters from other parts of the Bible), and it so happened that this morning’s reading was from John 11. Those who know John’s Gospel will be aware that this is the account of when Jesus raised His friend Lazarus from the dead. Gary referred to how one of the words the Bible uses for ‘death’ is ‘sleep’. In this chapter, Jesus also used that. But I feel sorry for Lazarus because he got raised to be back in this kind of body and would die again; meanwhile Ted is released from this body and is with the Lord.
Allow me to point out just a few things briefly:
Verses 4-6: notice it was because Jesus loved Martha and Mary that He did not go to heal Lazarus. He could have healed from a distance, since He had done that before. Instead, He let Lazarus die. His love means that He might let us face grief and loss, since he knows the greater things He has in mind
Verses 21-27: Martha was theologically correct, and was looking for an event. But the Lord Jesus said that He Himself is the resurrection and the life. It is His life within us that brings about the resurrection, a life greater than death.
Verses 32-36: even though He knew what He was going to do, He entered deeply into their experience of grief. He does so for us here today, as we now have to adjust to our loss. Far better for Ted…we don’t really wish him to come back to us, because of what he is now enjoying. But we feel the pain. The Lord Jesus grieves with us.
Ted and Barb came to be at ARBC for mixed reasons. They first came because they were checking out this local church that was very near where their son Peter had recenty moved. Yet their own church was going through a time of instability…which many in this room went through, as well, in the same church circles. They found that they were warmly received, and that we had very similar views.
Ted was an invaluable help assisting us at a time when ARBC went through a major moral crisis with one of our leaders, then later joined our team of elders, and we served together for a few years, until some of us were led to start an off-shoot house-church in our home in Cambridge.
Everyone looked forward to when Ted would bake...out of his special bakery in their home. How many here have eaten some of his baking? You might even still be trying to wear it off. As Gary Wood said earlier, he was fruitful in his service. His baking was another way he was fruitful.
Even though we were a generation apart (he was the same age as my father-in-law and a few years older than my father), he always treated me as an equal, and valued my contributions in leadership together.
All of us at ARBC would soon hear about Beacon Bible Camp, which we didn’t even know existed. He got his ‘claws’ into me to get me and our family to be involved. When my son Eric was a year too young for Senior Boys Camp, Ted invited me to come speak in his place for I think a Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. Sneaky. The next year he recommended that I take his place as the speaker for the week at Senior Boys. I ended up doing so for a few years, and our family got involved in a variety of ways; I also had the privilege of serving on the Board for several years before moving into a different leading with New Life Prison Ministries.
Ted always looked for ways to get others involved in God’s work. He didn’t care about getting any credit or spotlight, though he set high standards and expected much, and set a good example.
He didn’t believe in ‘retirement’, as was modeled by his many trips to Eastern Europe. He inspired us with his trips to Omsk, giving himself tirelessly to many in very dire circumstances, and bringing hope and encouragement to those who had put their trust in Christ. One trip even compromised his own health when he picked up a parasite which affected his mind for a while.
In some ways he was a stereotypical German for stubbornness and determination (even to some extent in the nursing home), but was clearly led by a love of Christ.
In our times together as fellow elders, we had fond times of discussion and prayer when meeting in their home office. There were often many things we had to keep secret from others about the issues in the lives of some in the church, but Ted was a prayer warrior who always sought to search out God’s will. He was a devoted student of the Word, especially the more challenging Precept Bible studies.
He was also very generous, not only with money, but with time and energy. He was always looking for ways to bless the lives of others. He sacrificed himself for others...especially city children, exposing them to things like nature and canoeing…many such ‘children’ are here in the audience today. He lived out the motto of Beacon Bible Camp: “Pointing eyes to Creation; calling hearts to God”.
Though it wasn’t always immediately obvious, since he was quite reflective and serious, Ted had a good sense of humour. (Yet, in my opinion, Barb is the one with the more impish grin.) One of his only flaws is that he didn’t always get my puns.
It was my deep honour and privilege to learn from Ted, and to labour together in shepherding of a local church, and seeing the camp work promoted.
In my opening remarks, I said, “This man, though small in physical stature, was huge in faith, integrity, vision, determination, and many more virtues and attributes. We need more people like him.” So, what do we do with a time like we’ve had today? Ted would consider this funeral to be a waste if it didn’t inspire more of us to become more fully who God created and called us to be.
As with the Beacon motto, we have taken a look at the created person, Ted Becker, and the life he lived among us, but Ted would want us to be inspired to know God better through Ted’s legacy of faith and work.
Ted’s time on earth is over, yet we are all still here. So what changes need to be made in each of our lives? Will we choose mediocre, wasted lives? Or consecrated, purposeful lives in step with the Lord Jesus our Creator?
Ted and Barb wanted to leave us with a couple of verses which point to the desire of the Lord for us:
““For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish [i.e. wasted for eternity for the purpose for which we were created], but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” ”
We’re going to pray again, and then we’ll end our time with one final song, expressing the joy and hope of that day of reunion that is coming for those who have put their trust in Christ - like Ted had.