Charles Christensen

Dr. Charles "Chuck" Neil Christensen, born May 12, 1924, to Clifford and Elsie Christensen, peaceably went to be with his Lord the evening of November 13, 2024, in Schaumburg, Illinois. He was born in Aurora, Illinois, the eldest son of five siblings of second generation Danish and Swedish immigrants. At a recent celebration of his 100th birthday at a Bronzeville art gallery, Chuck explained without hesitation that his faith in Jesus Christ at the age of 8 was the definitive decision of his life that shaped his calling and character.
Interrupting his college education, Chuck served in World War II in London. Crediting his ability to type, Chuck was assigned by the Army to the OSS, the Office of Strategic Services, precursor to the CIA. The service to his country was one of his life's definitive experiences, where he formed international friendships in an ecumenical and inter-racial gospel team (United Nations Forces Witness Team) that performed over 100 services around London during perilous bombardment. With the 13,000 OSS service member list only recently being declassified, Chuck received a personal note from William Burns the Director of the CIA thanking him for his service on his 100th birthday.
Returning from the war, Chuck began a career at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago at the radio station WMBI. During the 50s and 60s, he was the producer, director, writer and on-air talent for visionary Christian children's programming. Known as "Sailor Sam" on the Adventures of Sailor Sam, and the Bible teacher "Uncle Chuck" on the KYB Club ("Know Your Bible), the influence of this programming was nationwide and eventually in distribution broadcasted internationally. Ultimately with irrepressible leadership, Chuck became station manager until the early 1970s when he transitioned to the academic side of Moody Bible Institute as a professor of Communications.
Chuck met his wife, Winnie (Englund) Christensen, at the Austin Gospel Hall on the West side of Chicago. Winnie was a daughter of missionary parents in China and at that time a nursing student at Wheaton College. They were married on August 15, 1952, which began a love journey of nearly 72 years until Winnie's death on August 10, 2024. Chuck's children witnessed a romantic father devoted to his wife. He brought tea to Winnie every morning in bed, and cleaned the kitchen after dinner. He supported Winnie's interests in every way, at times casting the vision and then enabling it. Winnie became a preacher and Bible teacher traveling throughout the states and to Australia and New Zealand.
Chuck and Winnie loved children. In the marriage six children were born, the first two passed in infancy. Chuck and Winnie settled in Maywood, Illinois to raise their family purposefully choosing a home that was walking distance from their church. Their faith perspective was that the local church is the representative of the Kingdom of God in the community. When purchasing his first home in Maywood, Chuck refused to accept and sign a deed of ownership without striking and removing the restrictive covenant paragraph prohibiting resale to African Americans. This was in 1958 demonstrating the intersection of calling and character that was repeated in many circumstances throughout his life. The authority for life and faith was in the Scriptures, not from cultural beliefs or fads. He would not tolerate any degrading or demeaning speech or treatment of others. He did not curse, the closest was when he would hit his thumb with a hammer instead of a nail, and you heard the word "stink".
Committed to education, Chuck was a lifelong learner. He received a Bachelor of Arts in History at Aurora College 1947, an MA Communications Marquette University 1984, and an EdD Adult Education NIU 1986. A gifted teacher Chuck became the Department Chair of Communications at Moody in 1984, a position he held until his retirement in 1992. Dr. C's impact on religious broadcasting through his students from around the country and the world continues to the present. He was principled in his grading; his kindness did not mean one could expect grade inflation. The values of work, discipline and hardship learned from living through the Depression was the genesis of his response to his 10-year son who once asked for a bike. "You need to get a job and save for a bike." After a newspaper route led to saving half the cost of a new bike, Chuck met his son halfway.
To balance his academic interests, Chuck enjoyed poetry and the Psalms, had a passion for photography. His memory deeply recorded images of the moment. He remembered in pictures and could describe the yellow daffodils carpeting the fields as he took the train from Scotland to London to start his overseas service. Chuck could savor the smell of fresh eggs, and the taste of sardines seemed to connect him to the ocean off the coast of Sweden, as if genetically his great grandfather had passed it down. He loved to fish, and every July would water the grass to capture nightcrawlers for bait. An avid gardener, Chuck grew tomatoes and flowers every year and shared them often sending bouquets home with his granddaughters. Chuck could dance, although not encouraged in his early religious setting, and he brought music into the home. He played the bass drum in high school through basic training. He was taught choir directing in London during the war, leading music in the Central Hall of Westminster and Royal Albert Hall. He directed choirs all of his life even into his 90s at the retirement home.
Over decades Chuck collaborated with Winnie in home Bible studies, marriage counseling, and co-authoring 12 inductive Bible study books. As a communicator he was keenly interested in the modes of listening and speaking in recognition of the existence of a loving, personal and omnipotent God. The books How to Listen When God Speaks; Careful, Someone is Listening; Mark in Action; and James: Faith in Action implicitly disclose his theology of the importance of connecting with a loving God, and that a follower of Christ loves others through action and faith.
No stranger to loss, whether it was his childhood friend at the Battle of the Bulge, (Chuck carried his picture for years in his wallet), or his first two children, or three of his close friends in his early career, Chuck's faith never diminished. He could bring comfort to those he visited in their homes or at the hospital, through deep understanding, and words of hope of an ultimate resurrection. His calling resulted in him being an elder for many years at Woodside Bible Chapel in Maywood, and when he retired from Moody, Chuck and Winnie moved to Lake Zurich where he served as a minister on the pastoral staff at Alpine Chapel. In his seventies and eighties, Chuck found himself helping others in rehab centers, posting bail, visiting those in prison and hospitals, and participating in short term mission trips.
While Chuck has many achievements to his legacy, his true legacy is the impact he had in the lives of people. He was a kind contrarian who seem to ask the uncomfortable question, a wise altruistic counselor, unselfish and without guile, faithful to God, his wife, family and church, exceptionally strategic, insightful, truthful, sacrificial and courageous to the end. All who encountered Chuck have become his legacy.
On a still lake in Canada, while casting for fish in his early 70s he was asked "Dad, what's next for you, what are your goals now?" Looking at the horizon the answer was sure, "I want to finish the race." Little did we know that he still had 30 years left. Dad, you finished the race, and you finished well. You kept fishing for men and women to the end. We know that "the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself" and he heard your prayers when you called to him in the final days.
Chuck is survived by his children, Mark Englund (Shalondon), Grace Thornton (Greg), Brian, and Kari Meyer; eight grandchildren, Sara Christensen, Ava Simone Goodwin, Bradley Thornton (Tara), Stephani Studebaker (Dan), Heather Anderson (Jeff), Carys Meyer, Cam Meyer and Eryn Meyer; and ten great grandchildren; and his sister Joyce Wilson, and brothers Dennis (Patricia) and Jack (Fran) Christensen.
He is predeceased by his children Deborah and Mark William, Kari's husband, Paul Meyer, Joyce's husband James Wilson, and his brother Alan Christensen and his wife Jean.
There will be a private burial, and a Memorial Service will be arranged for Chuck and Winnie in early 2025.