When I was a boy in second grade, my dad came home from a seminary class repeating stories and illustrations he'd heard from a teacher. One story was that of lemonade and ministry—when you put sugar with something sour, you end up with something wonderful. The teacher also spoke of keeping pure as a leader. That teacher was E.E. Cleveland, then associate ministerial director for the Seventh-day Adventist World Church (General Conference).

As I write, I am returning from E.E. Cleveland's funeral. A life journey of 88 years and more than 60 years in ministry, both full-time and in retirement, he is credited with 13,000 baptisms—preaching in campaigns on six continents. His was the first evangelistic campaign in the Seventh-day Adventist Church that resulted in 1,000 people joining our community of faith and being baptized. Hundreds of pastors sat at his feet and learned how to lead individuals to Christ. He was a champion for human rights and dignity. In fact, this man has been one of the most influential figures in our church.

For more than four hours, those who worked with him and knew him well glorified God and honored the service of this man with descriptors such as: passionate for the message, evangelist, focused, a man of prayer, a man in touch with God, mentor, honest, energetic, organized, a productive leader, teacher, pastor, full of integrity, profound preacher, friend, devoted, seeder of God, patriarch, great church member, influential, ping pong player, effective, champion for those in need and devoted husband.

H.M.S. Richards Sr. was well-known to me, and I have held him in high level of esteem as a leader for God. Today, I became convinced of what many others already knew—E.E. Cleveland also has such a place in the Adventist "Hall of the Faithful."

This man fought for right and righteousness. He preached with clarity and conviction, bringing people to Jesus and raising up congregations. He would often (some accounts suggest every day) read 2 Samuel 8. He wished to reflect on David's success and, more importantly, the reason for his success—reliance on God, following His will and living in His power.

For me, this concept is well stated in 1 Corinthians 1:31: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord" (NIV). We all make statements of what we boast about—some with houses, cars, clothing, etc. But for me, I'm thankful for a Bible full of stories of men and women who knew God, understood His power and stayed focused on seeking and doing His will. How about you? When you get up in the morning and walk out of your home, who does your life boast of?

*The message on this page is the Editorial in the current issue of the Lake Union Herald. It will be updated monthly.