By Dan Wooding
It was last Sunday (January 1, 2012,) when many in the congregation at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, California, were shocked and surprised when Pastor Chuck Smith, its senior pastor, announced during the morning services that he has lung cancer.
Yet Smith, now in his eighties and the father of the Jesus People Revolution in Southern California, said that he has never smoked in his life.
He gave an exclusive interview to me during the “Meet the Missionaries” event at the church on Saturday, January 7, 2012, where he made a surprise appearance.
“I’m feeling great,” he began. “You know, it’s an interesting thing, with what they say is going on inside of me, that I’m not feeling it at all. There is no pain and I am just rejoicing in the Lord.”
I then asked him when he first heard that he had lung cancer.
“Actually, I do my physical checkups twice a year and they take blood and analyze it and there was one of the factors that was in the blood that was increasing dramatically and so that was an indication that there was something wrong and it did indicate the possibility of cancer,” he said.
“So that instigated a bunch of tests — PET scans, CAT scans, MRI’s (Magnetic resonance imaging) — and the whole thing. It seems like it’s pretty much localized in the area of my middle lobe of the right lung, and so it looks like it’s treatable and so we know it’s in the hands of the Lord so I have no fears.”
Has there been a date set for the surgery?
“No, actually, they’re still analyzing the situation,” said Pastor Chuck. “They’ve taken all the tests and they’re analyzing them now, and then on Tuesday the doctors are going to all meet together and have a conference and they’re going to talk about the strategy and the best way to attack what they’ve discovered.
“So I won’t know until sometime after Tuesday about what they’ve learned and what they want to do. It’s all in the Lord’s hands and I am trusting Him to guide them, and I’m sure He’s guiding me.
“It’s an interesting thing that people expect you to sort of panic, but why?,” he asked, “because I know that God’s on the throne.”
I then asked Pastor Chuck why he decided to announce to the church at the three morning services that he had lung cancer.
“Well you know,” he said, “rumors can get going and they can get so distorted and so I wanted them to hear it directly from me rather than from some other source where they would not maybe get the correct information and I wanted them to hear it from me and know the confidence that I have in the Lord; that He’s on the throne and He’s going to take care of it and I’m not really panicked and I’m not really worried.
“Whatever comes, as I said to them on Sunday, the worst thing that can happen is I could die, but that’s great you know,” he added with a huge smile.
I wondered if he still planned to continue preaching and with his booming voice he said, “Oh my, yes. There will be no giving up on that just and I will be continuing on.”
Will you be preaching tomorrow (January 8)?
“I’ll be preaching tomorrow — you bet.”
Chuck Smith has a busy radio and television schedule with his Pastor’s Perspective program on the K-Wave Radio Network and his weekly update on His Channel (www.hischannel.com,) so would be also be continuing with them all?
“Well of course we’ll continue with them,” he said. “I don’t see any slowing down on either of those.”
On December 27, 2009, Chuck Smith suffered a couple of “minor strokes” and was hospitalized in a local a local hospital, so I asked him how the lung cancer diagnosis differed from this latest situation.
“This is different because with the strokes I was really physically weakened as a result and it took a little longer to rehabilitate from that. But this is something that I expect to just be out for just a short time,” he said.
Finally how can people pray for you Pastor Chuck?
“Well, just pray that the Lord’s will be done because whatever it is, I’m open to Him,” he said.
Since the news came out about Pastor Chuck’s lung cancer, literally thousands of people around the world have been praying for him.
One of them is keyboard legend, Rick Wakeman, who played some benefit concerts for ASSIST at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa as well as other Calvary Chapels.
I asked Wakeman if he would comment on Chuck Smith for me from his home in the UK, from where he has been asking Christians in the British Entertainment field to also pray for him.
Rick said, “I first met Chuck so many years ago now, and what I do remember though is the impact this man had on me, and in many ways still does — I quote him a lot.
“What’s special about Chuck is that he lives in the real world. He is a Christian living in a world that like many of us, he doesn’t like a lot of what is going on, yet he works tirelessly to bring Christianity and decency amongst all the mayhem.
“You only have to look at Calvary Chapel to know that God is with him all the way and will always be so. Even Chuck is human though, and for many, including Chuck, fighting health issues is all part and parcel of the world we live in and a challenge that people like Chuck rise to.
“So many people are constantly in Chuck’s prayers, so I hope that they have put Chuck in theirs. He’s certainly in mine!”
I remember the tent and all the Jesus freaks pouring in and out of it in the late 60’s. I used to hitch hike to the beach and it seemed like every time I got a ride it was a freak that would pick me up and try to get me saved. In the summer of 1976 devestated by my life style I stumbled into Calvary Chapel, and received the great gift of salvation through our LORD Jesus Christ! I have followed Pastor Chuck’s career over the years and I attend Calvary Chapel in Yakima Washington. Pastor Chuck is a great example to us and I pray too that Gods will be done! In Jesus name,amen.
Chuck stop eating sugar and all refined carbohydrates. Sugar feeds cancer. Sugar creates fungus in the body and sugar feeds the fungus.
Chuck Smith will never know this side of heaven just how many people his ministry has touched. You’re our Papa Chuck and we love you so much!!!! We’re all praying for you. God bless you Chuck.
It’s all about Jesus, not Chuck.
dear Chuck, my prayers are with you, i met you many many years ago in Napa, CA then traveled other places to end up in Kent, WA at Calvary
Chapel South under Kevin Day and am learning more,being blessed and would like to thank you and your wonderful mustard seed wife, i used to serve you at Lyons in Napa. you really blessed me and my family through our Lord. Thank you for being our Savior’s servent…Bless you M Lynn McGuire..
that is mustard seed faith, you said, thanks again God Bless
PH Miracle by Robert Young. Alkalize the blood and healing will come. Lev. 17:14 I have made the blood life for all flesh. Physical life is in the blood. Spiritual life is in the blood of Jesus. Marry the two and you got God’s plan for you. Old Testement concealed. New Testement revealed. Either way your going to heaven but if you want to do some more of the work God called you to. Follow the word of God because it’s able to meet our earthly needs and spiritual needs.
God bless you Pastor Chuck. i know the Lord’s work will be done. i lost my husband to lung cancer. he went home to be with the Lord in 05.
Hang in there Chuck! Im a 12 year cancer survivor , glory be to GODALLMIGHTY!!! HE will use this for HIS glory. GOD bless you and your family!!
Dearest Pastor Chuck ~
Even though you are in Heaven now, I just want to say Thank You. Thank you so much.
I was deep in sin down in Southern California in the early days of Calvary Chapel and heard those two words over and over until one day I remember thinking that if I heard the words Calvary Chapel one more time, I was going to lose my mind.
A kid named Ben picked me up hitch hiking (something everybody did back then but now wouldn’t dare!) and he witnessed to me, led me through the Sinner’s Prayer and I actually went straight into one of the houses belonging to CC at the time. “Land of Love and Miracles” to be exact. Got grounded in the Word of God and the rest is history.
I’ve pretty much always been on fire for the Lord !
Non-stop….just like you.
Patti LaBelle perhaps said it best of how she sees things when a loved one dies….”Oh, they’re upstairs at a party. I’m going up in a bit.”
I was an avid listener to “to every man an answer” radio show. Chuck was always right on topic with what the bible teaches…and his sense of humor was amazing as well. Once a caller asked: what do you think about these churches that say a woman cannot wear makeup? Pastor Chucks response was: ” well, I say this…if the barn needs painting…then paint it! | I still remember it like it was yesterday. I am sure there is a lot of rejoicing going on in Heaven with his arrival.
Comments are closed.