July 20th will go down in evangelical history as the day the church and most importantly Christian who are affected by addiction lost a true friend. Rev. Bill Raws, "Pastor Bill" to most, the Director Emertis of America's Keswick went home to be with the Lord. I have known Bill some 30 years, first encountering him as a young person. I went on many retreats to Keswick and Bill would be there greeting guests and interacting with us. In my early 20's I took college and career groups there and remember first being aware of the Colony of Mercy. In my mid 20's our pastor's son married one of the RAws daughters and connected with Bill again. Since then I have been speaking at Keswick for the last twelve years and involved much more with the Colony and discipling men in their program.
Bill was the grandson of the founder of Keswick. In Bill was literally 120 yrs of history in the evangelical movement -- having watch Keswick begin and then having 100's of speakers and Christian statemen come through over the years. His contact with such institutions like Wheaton College, Dallas Seminary, PBU, African Inland Mission, Wycliffe Bible Translators and Friends of Israel put Bill in a unique place to watch history unfold.
Yet Bill's mission in life was to provide a place where those gripped by the wages of sin could come, find Christ and be delivered by the power of the Holy Spirit and the truths of the scriptures. If was always fun to sit with Bill and ask him questions about Evangelical Christianity and him say.... "I was there, I knew him, or here is the story behind that event..." What a treasure.
Keswick is in the fine hands of my friend Bill Welte -- another Bill! Yet as was said at his memorial service -- there was only one BILL Raws and when God made him -- he threw away the mold.