George Gainer, Pastor/Chaplain

George was a chaplain at CUC, (now Washington Adventist University) in Takoma Park, Maryland. He had a deep love for God and for the discipleship of his students. We worked together so I got to observe George on a regular basis.

George was biblically grounded and could also ask penetrating questions that quickly got to the heart of an issue. He had emotional intelligence and often invited us to address the emotional tensions during staff meeting before moving on.

I would frequently see George walk up to a student and say, “How are you and Jesus doing today?” He had this easy, casual way about him that made talking about Jesus as natural as talking about the last class period.

In relation to a choice of careers, George would often ask, “What do you believe God’s calling you to do with your life?”

I’ve used George’s questions often in my ministry and they have proven to be a blessing to me and the one I’ve asked.