Bill Loveless

When William A. Loveless preached, no one fell asleep. Loveless, who died after an apparent stroke at 86 on Sept. 15, served as pastor of two of the largest Adventist churches in the U.S. and president of Columbia Union College, now Washington Adventist University, in Takoma Park, Maryland. But perhaps his sermons will remain his most lasting legacy. Loveless, known to friends as “Bill,” was one of the first Adventist pastors to stop preaching from the traditional spot behind the pulpit, creating a worship experience that listeners called dynamic, relevant and thought-provoking. “His speaking style would be conversational. He would take a biblical story, and he would talk you through it as if it was just now occurring,” said William Coffman, a life-long friend and racquetball partner who as a student at Columbia Union College heard Loveless preach in the 1960s and a decade later served alongside him as a pastor at the Loma Linda University Church. “If he was speaking about David, you could imagine reading it in today’s paper,” Coffman said by telephone from Yucaipa, California. “No one ever heard Bill Loveless and said they were bored.” More than anything, Loveless saw the 11 o’clock Sabbath worship service as the most vital aspect of Adventist life, Coffman said. Loveless, who graduated from Walla Walla University in 1949 and obtained a master’s degree from the Adventist Theological Seminary in 1953, first took the spotlight when he helped start a student missionary program at the Takoma Park college in 1959. Working as pastor of the college’s Sligo Church, Loveless sent a student missionary to Mexico for three months at a time when the Adventist Church considered students too immature to be missionaries. His influence helped paved the way for the student mission programs that are now a staple of Adventist education in North America and other parts of the world. At Sligo, Loveless also organized the Urban Service Corps, an organization where Adventist teens and college students tutored struggling inner-city children, and hosted an award-winning television show called “Concept” on the Washington affiliate of ABC television. He discussed life events such as work stress and pursuing an education on the faith-based show. In 1964, he earned a doctorate of education from the University of Maryland. After serving at Loma Linda University Church from 1970 to 1976, Loveless returned to the East Coast to head the church’s Pennsylvania Conference and then take the helm at Columbia Union College, a position he held from 1978 to 1990. “William Loveless was an extraordinary influence on this university,” Washington Adventist University president Weymouth Spence said in a statement. “Under his leadership, this university was among the first in the nation to launch an evening program designed specifically to meet the needs of working adults.” Sharon Conway, director of the university’s student financial services, remembered Loveless as “a genuine person.” “You never felt that he was putting on airs,” she said in the statement. “When he spoke, it was with authenticity, and he had an amazing sense of humor. He loved a good clean joke.” Loveless later returned to Loma Linda University, where he served as pastor and taught in the school of religion from 1990 to 2000. At the same time, he taught for four years at La Sierra University. From 2000 until last year, he worked as a clinical professor of social work at Loma Linda University’s school of dentistry. Early in his career, Loveless also worked as band director at Takoma Academy, where he taught a young Ted N.C. Wilson, now president of the Adventist world church, how to play the clarinet. William A. Loveless was born on Jan. 17, 1928, in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The stroke that he suffered this week was his second this year, and he died in his home in Loma Linda, California. Loveless is survived by his wife of 62 years, Edna Maye Alexander Loveless; a sister, Joan Harding; two daughters, Marti Olson and Marilynn Howard; and a granddaughter, Laura Olson. A memorial service will be held at the Loma Linda University church on Sunday, September 28, at 2 p.m. Pacific Time. The service will be live-streamed on www.lluc.org and shown on Loma Linda Broadcasting Network (LLBN). The family has requested no flowers, please, but if anyone would like to make a contribution to honor William Loveless’ memory, please consider giving to the flollowing: Loma Linda University School of Dentistry (Office of Development 909-558-4754), http://www.llu.edu/dentistry/index.page Calexico Mission School http://calexicomissionschool.com/ Loma Linda Broadcasting Network (or PO Box 550, Loma Linda, CA 92354). http://www.llbn.tv/

Bill Loveless

January 17, 1928 - September 15, 2014

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Bill Loveless

January 17, 1928 - September 15, 2014

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Grief & Healing

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