Eighteen years ago I moved onto the campus of Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky. I was almost 5 hours from home, knowing no one. It wasn’t long, however, before my neighbor in the dorm invited me over to the home of Bill and Donnette Bondurant for Sunday evening dinner. Much to my amazement, I entered their home to find somewhere between 20-30 college students eating a homemade dinner (chicken and noodles, if I recall correctly). I soon found out that Bill and Donnette were not only feeding this many college students, but had six children of their own ranging from Kindergarten – High School. Not only was this a regular occurrence, but they served as Sunday School teachers, bringing homemade goodies for the college students in their class, Bill served as an Elder in his home church, and, to top it off, his actual job was overseeing the finances of the university.
I got to know Bill, Donnette, and their family over
time and came to understand that their investment in college students went above
and beyond a career. You couldn’t be around them without seeing the source of
their love of students. Their love was rooted in their deep love for their
Savior, Jesus Christ. You could feel their passion for the Word. They loved,
not out of obligation, but out of the overflow of their hearts. There was
always a hug, and a smile, a listening ear, an open home, and words of wisdom.
Bill passed away suddenly this past weekend. This
morning I made my way to my alma mater to pay my respects to a man who has
shaped my life, my ministry, and my parenting more than he or Donnette will
ever know. While driving home today I was reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words
to Timothy found in 1 Timothy 4:16, NIV:
“Watch your
life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save
both yourself and your hearers.”
Bill and Donnette
lived this out. I know, because I watched them closely. I watched their
interactions with students they didn’t know. I watched them learn the names of
so many students. I watched them play with, love, and discipline their
children. I listened to their story of God at work throughout their lives. I
listened as they taught God’s Word as well as any Bible professor. Their
servant leadership is unparalleled.
Their ministry on
and off campus has impacted more people than they could possibly imagine. I
imagine Bill in heaven now, barely able to keep his head up straight because of
all the jewels in his crown. Bill and Donnette’s legacy will reverberate for
years and years to come, to the very ends of the earth as they have invested in
business leaders, teachers, ministers, and missionaries who are taking that
investment and pouring it out into the lives of those in their own circle of
influence. The Bondurant’s legacy will live on because, at their core, they
understand something that I often fail to remember:
Your greatest
investment in this world will not be what you do, but who you pour your life
into.
Well done Bill,
good and faithful servant. I will be forever grateful of your investment in me.
