Henry “Hank” Bryant (pictured above with his wife, Alice) passed away Aug. 7 after years of battling cancer. He was my former coworker in France, where he moved with Alice in 1968. Alice continues to serve there. They have four adult children: Daniel, Laura, Marc and David. 

Henry “Hank” Bryant was one of the greatest men I have ever known. And he could do anything.

Really.

He was a writer, penning roughly a dozen evangelistic books and Bible commentaries.

He was an excellent teacher and popular conference speaker.

He was such an accomplished student of the biblical languages that he would take sermon notes in Greek.

He was a builder whose handiwork is seen in many of the evangelical churches of southern France.

He was a mechanic, a plumber, an electrician.

He was even a gospel magician.

He was the most gifted and productive servant of God that I have ever known.

He was also one of the most humble. If he could read what I am writing here he would undoubtedly shake his head, groan and tell me to stop it. In spite of his many gifts and accomplishments, he was one of the most unassuming, down-to-earth people you’d ever meet.

Perhaps most surprising of all is that in spite of all his achievements, he was never in a hurry. He always had time for people.

If you think I am exaggerating, it’s because you didn’t know Hank. There are those in this world who are great preachers, but not so great with people. There are those who can fix anything, but would shun intellectual pursuits. But rarely, if ever, have I known a man who was all those things and more.

I will miss Hank Bryant. I can’t begin to imagine the loss that his wife, Alice, and their children and grandkids feel. But I was sure blessed to know him. And I can’t wait to see him again… one of these days.

Response from a co-worker

“‘And there arose a king who did not know Joseph’ was the first verse I thought of when I heard that Hank Bryant went to be with the Savior on Aug. 7. Strange, isn’t it? Just as there would be pharaohs who had never known Joseph and his presence in Egypt, there will be multitudes of students at the University of Grenoble who will never know the impact that Hank Bryant had in that region of France.

“Or will they?

“Hank wrote books, and they might read them. He had some messages recorded, but they won’t last too long. I think the long-lasting effect of Hank’s ministry will be the number of disciples that he made, which is what the Mater said to do. Hank built buildings and he refurbished homes, but buildings will disappear and refurbished homes will be refurbished again by someone else. Disciples that make disciples who make disciples who make disciples…. That will last for generations to come and then — forever.

“Yes, there were pharaohs that didn’t know Joseph, but the Israelites were in Egypt because God had sent Joseph there years ahead of time to prepare the terrain. Others will come to Christ in France through the disciples that Hank made, and hopefully they will go on and disciple others. The Master’s plan is so simple. I sure do miss Hank.” — Co-worker in France who wishes to remain anonymous.

Response from a disciple

“The tribute I read [by Dale] is true. As far as I am concerned, Hank was the greatest man and especially the greatest Christian I have ever known. He is second to the apostle Paul and an example of what a Christian should be.

I met Hank while he and his wife were in Oyonnax in the Jura mountains. It was in 1969, they did not have children and I was not a believer at that time. We had several discussions on Christianity and I remember that he was forceful in his beliefs but still gentle, so I listened to him. He is better at defending the Christian faith than C.S Lewis.” — Jacques Iosti, who is making disciples who are making disciples.

Response from Paul, a former coworker in France

“Others have written much better descriptions of Henry Bryant’s life and ministry, how he loved and served people. I would simply like to add three lessons Henry taught me. For many years  I had the privilege of carpooling with Henry to Editions Cle’s board meetings in Lyon, France. During these trips we talked about life, ministry, dreams, and priorities.

“From my point of view, Henry Bryant relentlessly pursued three strategic priorities for which he is known today. He was not only a humble servant of God, but also a faithful husband and loving father. He set an example and challenged many others to pursue three priorities.

“1. He was his committed to discipling students and creating a home-like place where they could gather. The student ministry in Grenoble (Le Feu) has become a model and resource for launching student centers in five other French cities. The number of centers continues to grow, and many former students are now serving the Lord in all walks of life in France and around the world. It is the most fruitful and strategic ministry in France that I know of and that fruit continues to multiply today.

“2. Henry was also known for his giftedness and commitment to writing evangelistic books. A tract or leaflet could easily be thrown away or ignored. As Henry told me on many occasions, a book carries weight in French culture. You don’t throw away a book. It also allows the author to develop his argument. Henry realized that French people needed a more thorough, well-reasoned defense of the gospel that answers the questions they were asking. This led him to write at least six evangelistic books. Hundreds of thousands of these books have been distributed in France. In his last few months while staying in the hospital I am told that many doctors and nurses came to his room to request one of his books. Of course an author needs a publisher and Henry along with Larry DeArmey realized this vision in creating EditionsCle.com. I had the privilege of serving on the board of this company which continues to have an impact in the entire French speaking world.

“3. The third strategic vision that Henry modeled and encouraged was a commitment to in-depth personal Bible study. In his own study Henry memorized entire books of the Bible. This enabled him to write Bible commentaries not for scholars, but for all followers of Jesus to better understand the Bible for themselves. He also taught hundreds of students in universities and Bible institutes. His favorite class topics were the difficult passages of Scripture and his favorite approach was to let them ask questions. Henry would always point students to Scripture for answers, letting the Word interpret itself. Because of this he was one of the most beloved professors at the Geneva Bible Institute.

“Of course Henry never liked us to talk this way about him and he often reminded us that Alice deserved more credit for their ministry than he did. To Alice and all the Bryant family we are deeply saddened by your loss and ours, but we are extremely grateful to God for Henry’s life dedicated to the Gospel and serving the French people.”