Dr. Kathy Dudley reflects on that legacy.

John and I shared an interesting history.

We were both children of sharecroppers.

He was in the Mississippi Delta, and I was in the hills of Appalachia.

And both of us, after coming to faith in Jesus, realized that the gospel had the power to transform the lives of marginalized people like us.

Though John and I did not always agree, I never doubted his love for me, and my respect and love for him have remained constant.

Having journeyed these many years with John, I rejoice in his calling, sacrifice, and steadfastness, and his legacy will live on through the leaders that he invested in.