Ray Waldo Trask transitioned from his earthy home to his eternal home on November 29 at 12:26 pm at Maranatha Village. We are deeply saddened by this great loss but are thankful that he was able to pass peacefully and is now completely whole in the presence of his Savior, the One he loved and served his whole life.
He was known by many names: our loving daddy and poppa, grandpa Ray, brother, uncle, mentor, leader, teacher, pastor, minister, missionary and friend to all. He served with humility, love, courage and great compassion. He never met a stranger.
Ray was born on March 1, 1934 to his parents Waldo William Trask and Beatrice Mary Stith Trask in Brainerd, Minnesota. He was the oldest of three children.
Ray attended four different grade schools and he graduated from Albert Lee High School in 1952. His main focus in high school was mathematics and bookkeeping. After high school, he attended North Central Bible College for three years, receiving a Diploma in Theology and was licensed to preach in May of 1956.
While attending North Central Bible College, he met the love of his life, Bethany Mae Beberg and the two were joined in marriage on October 13, 1956 in Fergus Falls, MN. On April 9, 1958, Ray was ordained, alongside his brother, Thomas E. Trask. Ray pastored the Assembly of God Church in Internal Falls, MN for two and a half years. Afterward he finished his fourth year at North Central Bible College and received his Bachelor’s Degree of Theology in 1960. On July 11, 1961, he and Bethany received their certificate of appointment to the Foreign Missions Department of the AGWM.
Ray’s favorite past time was fishing with family and friends. I think we can accurately say, he was one of the greatest “fishers of men”, as he and Bethany served faithfully in Burma for five years (from 1961-1966). Ray and Bethany Trask were the last missionaries to arrive into Burma in 1961, where they studied the Burmese language and continued the urban ministry at Yangon as the Staffords took a furlough. Ray Trask made several Gospel tours, preaching to nearby villages and was able to bring Buddhists and Hindus to Christ. They moved to Mogok in 1962 until they were led to establish a Bible College in Myitkyina. They lived in Mogok for three years. Their eldest daughter, Katrina Rae Trask was born on October 22, 1964 in Yangon, Myanmar.
Ray was instrumental in founding the Evangel Bible Institute in 1965, purchasing the land and beginning the construction of classrooms, library and chapel for the students. They were asked to leave the country within 48 hours or go to jail in 1966. They were the last AGWM missionaries to leave Burma. After leaving Burma, they served faithfully in Indonesia arriving November 26, 1967 to begin their language school in the city of Bandung. After nine months of study they moved to Jogjakarta and established the “Balai Siswa” Student Center.
Lettie Beth, their second child, was born in Kediri on April 23,1969. They continued to serve the “Balai Siswa” Student center as directors until August of 1971. Ray was burdened to equip believers with a sound theological education.
For 18 years he was involved in establishing a National Global University office to provide training materials and extension education sites across the island nation of Indonesia. Ray also taught at the Malang Bible College on the island of Java. They continued their missionary work in Bogor, Malang, and Medan until they came back to the states to enroll Katrina at Evangel University.
They faithfully served in Indonesia for 16 years (from 1967- 1983), with a total of 22 years in Asia Pacific. Upon returning to the States, Ray graduated with his masters in Missiology from AGTS in Springfield, MO in 1984. Later that year, he became the Missions Director at Jimmy Swaggart Bible College. Then in 1986, he became the President of Jimmy Swaggart Bible College. He and Bethany left Jimmy Swaggart Ministries in 1988, when he was offered a job at Valley Forge Christian College where he served as the Dean of Students from 1988 to 1991. On October of 1989, Bethany passed after a three year struggle with cancer.
Ray married Marjorie Eckman on July 21, 1990. In 1991 they left Valley Forge to become president of Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, ND for three years. After which he pastored for several years in Minnesota. Ray then returned to mission’s work and served as an interim missionary at ICA Bangkok in Thailand in 1998.
While in Bangkok he started the Bangkok English Theological Institute (now BTI) in 2002 as well as the North Campus of ICA church around the same time. He also served in Vientiane, Laos and in Tonga as an interim missionary until 2015, making his missionary career span a total of 33 years. Ray truly turned living into loving!
Ray is preceded in death by his parents Waldo and Beatrice Trask, and his beloved wife of 34 years, Bethany Mae Trask.
He will be greatly missed. He is survived by his younger brother and sister-in law, Thomas and Shirley Trask, his younger sister and brother-in-law, Patricia and Mel Holmquist, by his sister-in-law, Helen Videen Potter (Bethany’s younger sister), by his oldest daughter and son-in-law, Katrina and Floyd Graham, and by his youngest daughter and son-in-law, Lettie Beth and Rick Applegate.
By his grandchildren whom he loved dearly: Kaila Quinn, Courtney Graham, Christopher Graham, Isaac Applegate and Kaitlin Applegate. By other children who called him grandpa Ray and by his many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.
Ray had a bigger-than-life love for people! We celebrate today the life he faithfully lived for Christ and others. He completed the task that was set before him and though we are saddened by his earthy loss, we are grateful for the Godly legacy he left behind.
2 Timothy 4:7-8 reads, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
You fought well, Ray Trask, and we are rejoicing with you!
Psalm 116: 15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord are the death of his saints.”
In lieu of flowers the family set up memorial contributions to be sent to Myanmar’s Bible Schools in support of the on-going pastoral training that Ray Trask had the honor of starting in Myanmar. Contributions can be made online at: giving.ag.org. Account #: 502422 Category:42
Funeral services will be at 3:00 p.m. Friday, December 4, 2020 at Greenlawn Funeral Home East. Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. before services. Burial will be at a later date in Washington Memorial Chapel Cemetery in Valley Forge PA.