Reverend David Wilkerson was remembered as a man deeply consumed with the passion of Jesus Christ at a memorial service held Saturday in New York City.
Times Square Church, the church Wilkerson opened in an old theater in the late 1980s, was filled to capacity as family and friends paid tribute to the late minister.
Wilkerson,79, was killed on April 27 when the car he was driving collided with a truck in east Texas. His wife, Gwendolyn Wilkerson, 70, survived and remains hospitalized.
During the service, which was broadcast live on the Internet, Wilkerson’s son Greg explained how the family was coping with the loss. “The peace that God has given our family is really a blessing,” he said. “It’s not something we have to be encouraged or even motivated to try to find. It’s really there.”
Wilkerson went on to add that his mother will likely stay in the hospital two to three more weeks. “She’s getting stronger each day,” he said.
The nearly two-hour memorial service featured video highlights from Wilkerson’s ministry career and hymns sung by the church’s choir. Some of the most poignant moments came from Wilkerson’s younger brother Don, who once served as an associate pastor at the church.
“What I’ll remember most about my brother is that he fulfilled I Corinthians 13:12, both in his life and his death. I picture my brother when he was still on this earth on his knees in prayer with his nose pressed against that dark glass, looking in not to see his own reflection, but to get a better glimpse of Jesus.”
“I will miss him so much until the day that I look forward to being with him side by side,” Wilkerson added.
Roger Hayslip, Wilkerson’s son-in-law, told the audience about how the man he referred to as “dad” provided for those he knew, and those he didn’t.
“The world really will never ever know even the tip of the iceberg of how much that one man gave to people,” Hayslip said as his voice cracked and his eyes filled up with tears. He went on to recount the many recipients of Wilkerson’s generous spirit—from the hungry and less fortunate to those affected by natural disaster and disease.
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