It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our friend and colleague, Rick Jordan. Joining the Oregon Conference team in 2021, Jordan helped to lead the ministerial team and care for our pastors as they navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and the following years. Serving as a pastor for many years himself, he ministered in Alaska and Washington during the 80s and 90s, and for many years in the Potomac Conference before serving as Potomac’s VP of Pastoral Ministries until he and his wife, Beth, were invited to the Oregon Conference.

Former OC Ministerial Director Chuck Burkeen first met Rick when they were both students at Walla Walla College (now Walla Walla University). “We actually graduated from Walla Walla together back in 1987,” shared Chuck. “We kind of lost track of each other for several years, but we reconnected at a ministerial meeting in Austin, Texas, just before the 2015 GC session. Of all places, we happened to be standing together in a lunch line! Thousands of people there and lots of lines, but we just happened to be right next to each other.”

Over the years, Chuck and Rick continued to bump into each other, and when Chuck began to consider his retirement plans and who would be well equipped to lead and care for our pastors, he thought of Rick. They served on the OC Ministerial team together for nearly a year before Chuck retired.

Rick was diagnosed with cancer some years ago and fought it valiantly, even while continuing to minister to others. 

“Rick knew what it was like to pastor in difficult times,” said Chuck. “He had a real strong understanding of the issues pastors face and the need for support. He really had a passion for making sure pastors under his care were successful, and if someone was going through a challenging time he was right there working with them to get through it. He always wanted them to come out the other side feeling better about ministry, and with more tools to deal with conflict and challenges. He brought a lot of wisdom, too. Sometimes I was just in awe of what he could pick up on, even after talking with a pastor for just a few minutes. He could just really get a sense of what a person was going through and what was making a situation challenging.”

In 2024, amongst the restructuring the Oregon Conference underwent, Rick took on a new ministry role–that of helping members prepare their wills and trusts. He worked with the Planned Giving and Trust Services team until his health necessitated stepping back from his office duties last year.

“What I admired so much about Rick was his sense of humor and his faith that his life was in God’s hands no matter what,” concluded Burkeen.

Rick is survived by his wife, Beth, his children, and his grandchildren.

You can read more about Rick’s life experiences, told in his own words, on our website: https://www.oregonadventist.org/news/a-conversation-with-new-ministerial-director-rick-jordan