Church of God Loses Two Prominent Women Missionaries
Two missionary women whose ministries through Church of God World Missions touched the lives of thousands of people, were summoned to their eternal home on December 8 and 9. Lucille Walker and Jeanette Chesser faithfully completed their earthly assignments in triumph.
Walker
Walker, the widow of former Church of God Director of World Missions J. Herbert Walker Jr., served with distinction at his side on the field and in Missions leadership for 28 years, including field service in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. During eight of his years as assistant director and director, Lucille traveled with her husband and was active in education and women’s ministries.
Earlier during an active and far-ranging ministry, she was an evangelist, taught at Lee University (then Lee College), directed a federal social service ministry, and worked with the David Wilkerson ministry in New York. She was a prolific writer, producing best-selling books on prayer and dozens of articles in numerous publications.
Her husband died in 1988 while serving as president of the Church of God Theological Seminary. Lucille died at her home in Cleveland, Tennessee. She is survived by daughters Dianne and Crystal. Crystal has been a missionary to Taiwan and presently works in the World Missions offices.
Jeanette Chesser, the daughter of former Church of God general overseer, H.L. Chesser, had a fulfilling career in banking before beginning foreign missions service when she was in her 50s, answering a calling she testified to receiving when she was 16.
Chesser
She was among the early missionaries to Russia when the former USSR was granted freedom of religion. For 16 years she faithfully taught the Bible in college and seminary, as well as to pastors and laity in local church classes, in Russia, Siberia, and Ukraine.
Jeanette limited her work to the former Soviet Union throughout the 90s, and later divided her time with Africa. She returned from the field in 2010 to attend to health situations. She died in a hospital in Ocala, Florida.
The funeral of Jeanette Chesser was Thursday, December 12, in Ocala Florida, arranged by Hiers-Baxley Funeral Home. The service for Lucille Walker will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, December 14, from North Cleveland Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee, coordinated by Jim Rush Funeral Home.
(Bill, George, Church of God World Missions)
