Arthur Blessitt an American evangelist has died at the age of 84. Arthur came to personal faith in Jesus when he was 7 and became an evangelist when he was 15. After being ordained as a minister he devoted his life to street evangelism. He had a very unusual way of engaging people and telling them the Good News about Jesus – he carried a twelve-foot wooden cross. During his 56-year ministry he travelled across 324 countries on all 7 continents. He walked more than 43,000 miles and carried a total weight of over 19 billion pounds. He is listed in the Guinness World Records for the Longest Walk/Pilgrimage.
The essence of Arthur’s ministry was witnessing for Jesus Christ through personal conversation. Most of the people he met as he walked the streets of the world carrying his wooden cross were ordinary people. He challenged them to think about their eternal future. He reminded them that we all know that death will bring us face to face with God. He gave people a leaflet about Jesus and asked them an important question, “Should you have died the moment you read this, do you have the assurance that you would be in Heaven?” Then he would call on them to receive Jesus as their Saviour and give their heart to God. He told them that receiving Jesus would be life-changing experience and led them in a short prayer of commitment.
Arthur also met with heads of state. He was given the Sinai Peace Medal. He stayed in the home of the Prime Minister of Israel, Menachem Begin and also spent time with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Some years ago, a minister friend of mine met Yasser Arafat in Ramallah and told him he had been praying for him for 20 years. Tears filled Arafat’s eyes when he heard this, and he showed my friend a piece of Arthur Blessitt’s cross he kept on his desk. Arthur had cut off a piece of his cross to make a small one for Yasser to keep.
Arthur was a humble man. He requested that there be no funeral or memorial service for him. Anticipating his own death he wrote: “I, Arthur Blessitt have completed my walk and mission on earth and have departed to heaven. I was just a donkey and pilgrim, lifting up the cross and Jesus and loving the people of the world. What a glorious journey of life with Jesus my Lord and Saviour. I’ve really been looking forward to this walk in Glory. These feet that walked so far on roads of dirt and tar will now be walking on streets of gold. I’m ready to see Jesus again! I rejoice in Jesus, now, and in the hour of my passing. ‘Father, into your hands, Jesus, I commit my spirit.’ I am home at last, this was my last trip!”