Robert Sloan, President of Houston Christian University (HCU) and former president of Baylor University, died July 4 after a stroke.

I will always be grateful for the way Robert cared for my parents during his time as interim pastor of First Baptist Church, Duncan, Oklahoma. Sloan was on the faculty at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth when we first met him. He would drive from Ft. Worth to Duncan, in southwest Oklahoma, every Saturday night and preach on Sunday morning and night during a time when our church didn’t have a senior pastor.

Whether at lunch on Sunday after church, or on Sunday night following the service, Robert and his wife Sue would typically come to our home for a meal. The conversations were stimulating and my parents enjoyed every minute of their time together.

When my father died in 1982, Robert drove to Duncan to perform the memorial service. My mother was forever grateful to him. As best I can recall it was either in the fall of 1983 or 1984 that my mother and I joined Robert as he led a trip to Israel. He preached at every location and led us in prayer each day. It was a wonderful experience and was my only trip to Israel.

Robert often talked of his experience studying under J. I. Packer, one of my theological heroes. He didn’t agree with Packer’s Calvinism (nor mine!) but always spoke highly of him.

Robert and his wife, Sue, were married for 56 years. They had seven children and twenty-six grandchildren. He will be sorely missed, but I rejoice for him as he is now in the presence of the Lord and my parents.