A man who walked across seven continents to share the Good News of Jesus has died at the age of 84.
US evangelist Arthur Blessitt travelled across 324 countries and walked more than 43,000 miles to share his faith, carrying a twelve-foot wooden cross as a way of starting conversations.
A self-penned note posted on his website said he had completed his “last mission on earth and departed to heaven” on 14th January.
Arthur Blessitt found God at the age of seven and became an evangelist when he was 15. After being ordained at the age of 20 he devoted his life to street evangelism. In the course of his 56-year ministry, he walked over 86 million steps with the cross which carried a total weight of over 19 billion pounds. He's listed in the Guinness World Record for the Longest Walk/Pilgrimage.
Blessitt said he was “just a donkey and pilgrim, lifting up the cross and Jesus”.
Pre-empting news of his own death he wrote: “What a glorious journey of life with Jesus my Lord and Savior. I’ve 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 the streets of gold. 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! I have been an evangelist, soul-winning preacher, pilgrim and cross-carrying witness of Jesus”.
He requested no funeral or memorial but asked that we share the good news of Christ across our communities.
Throughout his ministry, Blessitt inspired many, including street evangelist Lyndsay Hamon from Cornwall who gave up his career as a social worker after hearing Blessitt speak at Westminster Central Hall in 1972. He told Premier: “His face was actually shining with the joy of the Lord and he’d just lead a Hell’s Angel to the Lord.”
He continued: “I remember sitting and thinking, ‘whatever that guy's got, I want’ and that just grew and grew until I ended up giving up my work as a social worker, and started walking with a cross. But as soon as I started walking, amazing things started happening.”
Evangelist Lindsay Hamon has himself now spent much of his life travelling with a twelve-foot cross across Europe and Asia leading people to Christ:
“The cross is an international symbol. And so, wherever you are, whether in Bangladesh or Romania or Bulgaria, they see the symbol. I keep saying, this is a symbol of how much God loves you. So, it just starts the conversation so easily.
“God takes over, and you have the joy of sharing the gospel with people. And sometimes miracles happen and they're ready to accept Jesus. It’s the most beautiful moment in the world when they just pray that simple prayer and they feel the presence of God.”
Arthur Blessitt said that in his 56 years of travelling, the cross had been turned away from being left overnight at more than half the churches requested, but had never been turned away from spending the night at a bar or nightclub. He said the longest he had walked in one day was 72 miles.
Lindsay Hamon added: “He planted a seed of walking the road that not many other people walk. He planted the seed of great love for the people who wouldn't necessarily be in church. In fact, they definitely wouldn't be in church. So I think all over the world, he brought the message of the cross, the love of Jesus to all people.”
Arthur Blessitt is survived by his wife Denise who is an ordained minister, seven children, twelve grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.