Covenant News

Services Held for Former North Pacific Superintendent

BELLEVUE, WA (April 6, 2000) - Memorial services were held April 6 for former North Pacific Conference Supt. Roy M. Lindquist, who died March 31 after battling cancer for nearly a year. He was 68.

Born July 25, 1931, in Seattle, Lindquist served as superintendent of the North Pacific Conference from 1986 until 1990. Most recently, he served as pastor of Harvard Covenant Church in Tacoma, Washington, where he retired in 1999.

Lindquist began full-time ministry in 1956 at Bethel Covenant Church in Middleton, Connecticut. He served at Midway Covenant in Seattle from 1959 until 1967; Brookdale Covenant in Minneapolis (1967-78); and Powell Valley Covenant in Gresham, Oregon (1978-86) before taking over as superintendent.

North Pacific Conference Supt. Mark Novak remembers Lindquist as "the ultimate encourager" and noted his passion for winning souls to Christ. "He was an evangelist," Novak said of Lindquist. "He wanted to see people come to know Christ. That's where his heart was, and tears flowed freely when he spoke of his relationship with Christ," he continued. "In one of my last conversations with Roy, he mentioned that he had 144 caregivers at different times and he was disappointed that he only could share (the gospel message) with 140 of them."

ECC president Glenn R. Palmberg, who served as North Pacific superintendent following Lindquist and prior to Novak, remembers Lindquist as "a very gracious and caring man. He was always a pastor in any context," said Palmberg. "He cared deeply about people, and sought to express the love of God through his own life. Even in the midst of his own illness, he took time to offer me encouragement and prayers," Palmberg recalled.

Lindquist is survived by his wife, Jean, sons Peter and James, and their families. Services were held at Highland Covenant Church in Bellevue, Washington. Rev. James H. DeGrado, senior pastor at Highland, led the service and President Palmberg preached. Several of Lindquist's friends shared remembrances of him, and Palmberg described it as "a very moving time."

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