LEADER LEAVES A LEGACY
Jerry Freed, the former Director of Publications for the Missionary Church and executive officer of Bethel Publishing, passed away on January 2, 2026. Though many in the Missionary Church now may not remember him, Jerry Freed made a significant impact on the Missionary Church with his work in publications. He attended Bethel University in the 1950s where he met his wife, Esther. Jerry and Esther were blessed with four childen: Dan, Roly, Lori and Jana. During the years he lived in Indiana, Jerry and Esther were members of Beulah Missionary Church where Jerry taught Sunday School. Two of his students were future World Partners Director, Dave Mann, and future editor of Emphasis magazine and World Partners employee, Michael Reynolds.
On July 1, 1956, he began his twenty-five-year career at Bethel Publishing. During his tenure, he oversaw an expansion of Bethel Publishing, the publishing arm of the Missionary Church. At the time that he started, Bethel Publishing had just four employees, and by the time that he left in 1981, Bethel Publishing was operating bookstores in Mishawaka, Indiana, which initially began on Bethel’s campus before moving to an adjacent building; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Guelph, Ontario; and Kitchener, Ontario, in addition to its main office and store in Elkhart. Initially, Bethel Publishing had focused on publishing the United Missionary Church’s denominational periodical, the Gospel Banner, and various books and materials, like Sunday School material, for the church. Under Freed’s leadership, the variety and reach of the material increased. Some examples of the sorts of projects that Bethel Publishing undertook include some of Janette Oke’s early books, Das Dutchman Essenhaus’ Amish Cookbook, and an audiocassette version of New International Version of the Bible as read by Bill Pearce. By the time he left Bethel Publishing, annual gross sales were over $2,000,000, a substantial increase from the $100,000 when he began. Jerry Freed left Bethel Publishing to work for Westminster Press, the publishing arm of the United Presbyterian Church, now the Presbyterian Church USA.
Even after Jerry left Bethel Publishing, his love for the Missionary Church and for Bethel University remained strong. In his retirement years, Jerry lived in southern Oregon where there was no Missionary Church, but he still loved the denomination.
Jerry’s impact on both Bethel and the Missionary Church will continue after his death as he decided to bless both with a living trust, which he included in his will. During his life, Jerry Freed made a significant contribution to the Missionary Church, and with his passing, he is now continuing to support the work and ministry of the Missionary Church. As you think about how you can continue to support the work and ministry of the Missionary Church, you may, like Jerry, want to think about including the Missionary Church and Bethel in your estate planning and will.