10 Evangelical Leaders Who Died in 2023

Remembering Tim Keller, Charles Stanley, Elizabeth Sherrill, and others.

Christianity Today December 20, 2023

When professional soccer player Christian Atsu looked back at his life, he saw a lot of years of hard work. But also evidence of something greater.

“I am working hard, but it is the will of God, the grace of God, that has brought me this far,” he said.

Atsu died at 31 in a devastating earthquake in Turkey in February. His words may, in a sense, speak for all the evangelical leaders we lost in 2023. These were men and women who had a significant impact—planting churches, starting mission organizations, telling stories of faith, helping people pray, and encouraging our faith in a myriad of ways.

And yet perhaps their greatest gift to us is not the things they did, but the times that they pointed us back to what God has done, is doing, and will continue to do. We are grateful for their ministries and labor. But even more for their testimonies to the greater work of divine grace.

Check out the rest of our 2023 year-end lists here.

Also in this series

Our Latest

The Bulletin

Young Republican Texts, Anglican Split, and George Santos Released

Controversial Republican texts, Anglican Communion splits, and George Santos’s sentence is commuted.

Review

Do Evangelical Political Errors Rise to the Level of Heresy?

A Lutheran pastor identifies five false teachings that threaten to corrupt the church’s public witness.

Highlights and Lowlights of 1957

In its first full year of publication, CT looked at Civil Rights, Cold War satellites, artificial insemination, and carefully planned evangelism.

News

As Madagascar’s Government Topples, Pastors Call for Peace

Gen Z-led protests on the African island nation led to a military takeover.

News

Will There Be a Christian Super Bowl Halftime Show?

Conservatives suggest country and Christian artist alternatives for game day.

News

Amid Fragile Cease-Fire, Limited Aid Reaches Gazans

Locals see the price of flour rise and fall as truce is strained and some borders remain closed.

News

Federal Job Cuts Hit Home as Virginia Picks Its Next Governor

Meanwhile, the GOP candidate draws from Trump’s playbook to focus on transgender issues in schools. 

Religious OCD and Me

Scrupulosity latches onto the thing we hold most dear—our relationship with God.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube