果冻视频 Remembers Tom Dunkerton
Tom Dunkerton was a member of the Board of 果冻视频 during a difficult transitional period, and stepped in to become interim President in June 1987. He had just retired as Senior Vice President of the Saatchi and Saatchi Compton advertising agency in New York City and was available to devote his full attention to 果冻视频. He was succeeded by Steve Hayner in the spring of 1988.
Tom met 果冻视频 founder Stacey Woods as a child, when Stacey visited his home, and he worked with Jane Hollingsworth to plant a chapter as a student at New York University in 1946. He became actively involved in 果冻视频 as a volunteer and mentor several decades later at the invitation of then Regional Director Janet Luhrs Balajthy. He is remembered as a champion of women in 果冻视频 ministry.
鈥淭om had a deep faith in God and a strong commitment to service,鈥 Janet said. 鈥淗e had a soft and generous heart.鈥 He also appointed Samuel Barkat as 果冻视频鈥檚 first Vice President and director of Multiethnic Ministries.
果冻视频 endured a series of difficult leadership transitions in the 1980s. Jim Lundgren, who was a mid-level leader at the time, said of Tom, 鈥淚t felt like a dark hour when he stepped in with Barney Ford and Bob Fryling to pull us out of the mire. Thinking back on it now, I see how much we needed his frank and humorous style to get us on track and moving. It is great to remember him with thankfulness this Easter weekend.鈥
Bob Fryling, who was directing 果冻视频鈥檚 campus ministry at the time, said, 鈥淭om was a New York marketing executive without guile. He was a faithful and generous man who loved the Lord and 果冻视频 and was an outstanding crisis president."
果冻视频 was in a precarious position in 1987 (as reported in chapter 15 of , 鈥淩evolving Door Leadership鈥). Our future looked tenuous but Tom quickly stepped in to offer bold, decisive, and good-humored leadership. He is fondly remembered by the staff and leaders of that era.
After his passing on Easter weekend, a short graveside service was held on Tuesday, April 3 at Mt. Paran Baptist Church, Vesuvius, Virginia. A memorial service and celebration of Tom鈥檚 life was held April 28, 2018, at .