REV. DR. ALEXANDER "SANDY" ARDREY

REV. DR. ALEXANDER "SANDY" ARDREY, 90, went home to Heaven on Monday, May 2, 2011. He was born on Nov. 29, 1920, in the town of Dun- gannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He immigrated to Toronto, Canada as a 4 year old child where he completed his elementary and high school education. His family attended the St. Clair Church of the Nazarene where as a 16 year old he received a call to pastoral ministry. He entered Eastern Nazarene College, Quincy Mass., in preparation for ministry. After one year, at the outbreak of World War II, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force where he served with distinction as pilot/bombardier of the Lancaster bomber. He served as an officer at a young age flying 35 missions over Europe after which he was a flight instructor. At one point, he parachuted to safety when his plane was shot down. Following military service, he returned to Eastern Nazarene College, where he completed the educational requirements for ordination in the Church of the Nazarene. He was ordained in 1950 serving as pastor briefly in New Hampshire and Ontario but spent most of his pastoral ministry in Massachusetts. He was pastor of churches in Peabody, New Bedford, and Lowell Massachusetts over a period of 24 years. He led each congregation in extensive building projects and in successful extensive outreach/evangelism ministries in the community. He was known as a caring and devoted pastor with a strong sense of direction and mission. He was strong in building lay leadership as seen in the many lay leaders who accepted a call to ministry as a result of his example. In 1974, he was appointed District Superintendent of the Canada West District Church of the Nazarene. Again he served with distinction along with his wife, Margaret for 12 years, starting many new churches and was a mentor for local pastors many of whom built strong growing churches under his leadership. His wife of 43 years passed away in 1986, after which he "retired" but hardly slowed down. He assumed a position under Nazarene Sunday School ministries, writing, teaching, and traveling extensively as a teacher/preacher giving seminars. After three years of ministry at "headquarters", he served briefly as pastor of evangelism in Lewisburg Pennsylvania where he was married to Maxine Barber for 14 years before her passing in 2001. He then served for 17 years in Fort Wayne, as the Associate Pastor of Evangelism at Lake Avenue Church of the Nazarene. In 2003, he married Mary Berg. It was also during this time that he developed and founded a practical and widely used program for congregational outreach and nurture known as Dare to Care Ministry, of which he is President Emeritus and Founder. This ministry continues to the present time in over 4,000 churches in 40 denominations. Even well into his 80s he was pastoring at the River Haven Church in the Fort Wayne area. His last years of convalescence were spent in San Angelo Texas. He is survived by his wife, Mary; son, Bob (Mary Beth); son, Ken (Brenda) and their children, David, Ryan, Jonathan, and Christina; son, Don (Carolyn) and their children, Ruth and Allen; daughter, Ruth (Mark) and children, Danielle, Katie and Laura; and two great-grandchildren. Service is 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 10, 2011, at Grace Point Church of the Nazarene, 8611 Mayhew Road, Fort Wayne, with calling one hour prior. Calling also from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, May 9, 2011, at D.O. McComb & Sons Maplewood Park Funeral Home, 4017 Maplecrest Road, Fort Wayne. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dare-To-Care Ministries, Box 630, San Angelo, TX 76902.