Birth date: Mar 4, 1937 Death date: Sep 9, 2025
Pastor Lewis O. Anderson, Jr., age 88, of Allendale passed away September 9, 2025. He was born on March 4, 1937, in Ruthven, Iowa to Lewis, Sr. and Alice (Bensen) Anderson. On August 28, 1960, he married Mary Saba Swayze, and she Read Obituary
Professor Anderson (Ahn Do-sun) has passed away. He was a very kind and taciturn missionary. He walked quietly and diligently taught his students during class with a well-organized platform. I interpreted one of his lectures every semester, so we became very close. After he left our university, he earned your doctorate in theology from Andrews University, and the subject of your thesis was "Lucifer" in Chapter 14 of Isaiah and "Cherub" in Eskel 28, indicating the depravity of Satan. It was an invaluable study. He died at the age of 88. (It's the same year as Ellen White.) As Professor Choi Soo-dong and Professor Oh Man-gyu mentioned, his wife, Ahn Do-soon, also taught English in a colorful voice to students in the Department of English Literature. They were very faithful, but since they both passed away, we cannot help but be heartbroken. May God bless their children and God bless all the descendants of the sacrificed missionaries who came to Korea and sweated to save our people.
Written by Dr. Nam, Daegeuk, former President of Samyook University
I was baptized by him in 1977 at Sahmyook University. He & Mrs. Anderson were my American parents.
Sometimes, I thought God sent his family to Korea to save me.
I knew he was praying for Korea and he missed this "Land of Morning Calm."
Whenever I gave him the recent news from Korea and Sahmyook University, how the work of God progressed caused by him and other old missionaries' dedication, he was so happy to hear the result of his efforts. I shared this obituary with Sahmyook University and the pastors' group (most of them were his students in Theology Department).
Many of them remembered his sincere, kind and humble mind in and out of classroom.
We all pray for Jon, Eric, and Gina, and also Debbi, Donna, and Kim.
I am Pastor Daehun Park, a retired minister from Korea.
Upon hearing the news of Reverend Anderson’s passing, I felt both joy and sorrow. The joy comes from learning that he had lived until recently, as I had occasionally wondered about his well-being. The sorrow stems from the regret of not knowing he was still alive all this time, only to hear of his passing now.
I began attending his lectures on Christology, Modern Theology, and Creation and Science in my second year in 1982. At the time, only five or six students were enrolled, and there was concern the course might be canceled due to low attendance. But we pleaded, and I recall that seven or eight students eventually joined the class.
Looking back, those lectures were incredibly profound and opened my eyes to theology. In those days, Korean theological circles were largely shaped by rural life and its associated perspectives. Reverend Anderson’s lectures offered a refined and elevated theological experience.
Though the lectures were in English, he kindly explained parts in Korean for those of us who struggled with the language. He also provided copies of all his lecture materials, which I remember being voluminous.
The Christology course I first attended was especially meaningful—it deepened my understanding of theology and was built upon a solid academic framework.
More than 40 years have passed since then, yet those lectures remain vivid in my memory.
To me, he was like a fatherly professor.
May he rest peacefully in the grace of our Lord.
Isaiah 20:19,20
But Your dead will live; their bodies will rise.
You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy.
Your dew is like the dew of the moring; the earth will give birth to her dead.
Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by.
# A Memorial Tribute to Dr. Anderson
When I was studying in the Theology Department of Graduate School at Sahmyook University, I had the privilege of serving as an interpreter for Dr. Anderson's Christology course. Though it was challenging to translate the specialized theological terminology in such a theoretical systematic theology program, I found great joy in interpreting for this class—joy that came from learning new concepts and sharing that knowledge with others.
Whenever I encountered unfamiliar terms that left me momentarily confused, or when I mistranslated a technical term, Dr. Anderson would graciously provide the Korean equivalent. While Dr. Anderson was not fluent in Korean, he possessed a deep understanding of Korean theological terminology within his field of expertise. In this, I witnessed the beautiful heart of a foreign missionary who truly loved the Korean people.
I remember one occasion when I accompanied Dr. Anderson in his car to Imsong Church, where he served as pastor, to interpret for him. We had to cross a stream, and I recall how carefully he navigated to ensure the car wouldn't get stuck in the middle. I was deeply moved by his personal dedication—not only as a scholar but as a pastor—in his commitment to sharing the gospel message.
Today, many of the students who learned from him carry his spirit of faithful service in their hearts as they engage in important spiritual ministries both in Korea and abroad.
Like the Israelites of old who crossed the Jordan River from the wilderness into the Promised Land of Canaan, Dr. Anderson served as a precious bridge for the Korean church during a time when our theological foundation was still developing like a wilderness. As I remember Dr. Anderson with gratitude, I hold onto the hope that we will meet again in the heavenly Canaan when Jesus returns and our wilderness journey in this world comes to an end.
I pray that God's comfort will be with his bereaved family during this time. -- Dr. Chunsik Park, Former Dean of Graduate School of Theology, Sahmyook University, Seoul, Korea
