Rev. David L. Scott

Rev. David Scott Obituary
David was born on September 12, 1944, to Charles and Nellie Scott in Rockford, IL. He was the fourth of six children. He served in the US Navy from 1961-1965, working as an aviation storekeeper aboard the USS Bennington (now decommissioned). Along with serving on bases in the US, he sailed to Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. He was honorably discharged only shortly before the war broke out in Vietnam. It was during these years that Dave accepted the gift of salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ, and his love for Christ wonderfully changed the entire direction of his life.
Before matriculating at Illinois State University, Normal, IL, Dave attended Rock Valley Community College (Rockford, IL) for two years. There, he was the student leader of Campus Crusade for Christ. It was in a CCC Bible study that he met and fell in love with Merita Hulstedt. They married on August 30, 1969 and attended ISU; Dave graduated in 1971 with a major in political science and a minor in accounting. Upon their graduation, he and Merita joined the full-time staff of Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru), serving at the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, and the inner city of Chicago. In Chicago, they began the Agape Community Center, which, amid tears and years of difficulties, grew by God's grace and flourishes to this day, providing hope for young people in poverty.
In 1985, Dave and Merita moved to Pennsylvania. Dave served as the Pastor of Ministries at Folcroft Union Church in Folcroft, a suburb of Philadelphia. Although their stay there was brief, only three years, it was a fulfilling time. It was here that the Lord deepened Dave's burden for people across the globe who have not heard of the love and claims of Jesus Christ.
As they sought God's direction, the Lord called Dave and Merita to Clinton, NJ, in 1988, where Dave served as the Executive Director of the American Council of the Ramabai Mukti Mission in India, which provides homes, education and the life-giving message of Jesus to the poor, marginalized and persecuted in that vast land. Serving with Mukti for 25 years, Dave envisioned and helped start English-medium schools for the poor and income-producing projects to provide indigenous funds for the ongoing work of the mission.
While continuing to serve with Mukti, they moved from Clinton to Jersey City, NJ, in 2000 as they desired to reach out to a more diverse and less-reached community in their personal ministry. In Jersey City, they became involved in Vroom Street Evangelical Free Church. There they began a ministry in English as a Second Language, through which God granted a fruitful outreach to people from 66 countries of the world-an outreach that still thrives at VSC. Their caring ties to people at Vroom Street Church continue to this day, and they passed on the vision for the unreached in India to the pastor and his wife, Rev. Bill and Katie Sweeting. At the end of 2013, Dave and Merita retired from Mukti and moved to Nazareth, PA, where they became a part of Calvary Baptist Church in Easton, PA.
Predeceased by his parents, two brothers, Alvin (and wife Ellen) and Donald (and wife Lucille), and a sister, Shirley, Dave is survived by his wife of 54 years, Merita, two sons, Mark (wife Jocelyn) and Benjamin (wife Karen), and six dearly loved grandchildren: Joy, William, Jack (Mark & Jocelyn) and Kiera, Kian and Callan (Benjamin and Karen); two sisters, Joye Paker (husband Richard) and Judy Swan, along with several nieces and nephews as well as grandnieces and grandnephews and many cousins. He is also survived by Merita's sister, Nancy George, nieces, grandnieces and cousins on Merita's side.
Service: Funeral Service 11:00AM Saturday, June 15, 2024 at Calvary Baptist Church, 5300 Green Pond Road, Easton, PA. Viewing 6 to 8:00PM Friday, June 14, 2024 at Cantelmi Long Funeral Home, 500 Linden St., Bethlehem, PA and 10 to 11:00AM Saturday, June 15, 2024 at the church. Interment Service with Military Honors 2:30PM Monday, June 17, 2024 at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, Newtown, PA.
Contributions: In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the American Council of the Ramabai Mukti Mission, P.O. Box 4912, Clinton, NJ 08809, https://muktimission.reachapp.co/campaigns/empowering-all-through-education-wing-two-level-two or CRU Agape Center, 100 Lake Hart Drive, Orlando, FL 32832, https://give.cru.org/2270496.
To send flowers
to the family, please visit our floral store.