The late Mike Yaconelli

Mike Yaconelli, the inspirational Greenbelt speaker, author, part-time minister and co-founder and owner of US organisation Youth Specialities, has died after being involved in a road accident. He was 61.

According to the Siskiyou Daily News, Yaconelli was driving a pickup truck at approximately 70 mph when, for unknown reasons, the truck left the road and hit a roadside light.

The impact caused the truck to re-enter the road where it stopped. He was alone in the vehicle and no other vehicles were involved.

Yaconelli, who was wearing his seatbelt, received major injuries from the impact. He was transported to Fairchild Medical Centre by ambulance and then airlifted to the trauma unit at Mercy Medical Centre in Redding where he died from his injuries.

In addition to founding Youth Specialties, an organisation dedicated to equipping and training youth workers through events and resources, Yaconelli was the founder and general editor of The Door (formerly The Wittenberg Door) and the author of numerous books, including Dangerous Wonder and Messy Spirituality. He was also a contributing columnist to Youthworker journal.

"Mike was the incarnation of his book titles, Dangerous Wonder and Messy Spirituality. He lived a life of wonder and amazement at God's grace. He never claimed to be perfect; he just lived as he was-a man after God's own heart," said Tic Long, president of events at Youth Specialties.

His life and work have inspired thousands of people, through his writing and speaking. Yaconelli exuded a passion for following Christ and living out that faith in everyday life.

Richard Stearns, President of World Vision, said: "We at World Vision are shocked and deeply saddened at the sudden death of Mike Yaconelli … Mike was a prophetic voice who, in his own unconventional way, challenged individual Christians and the church to examine their faith and relationship with Jesus Christ in an honest and open manner.

"World Vision's relationship with Mike was brief, but very powerful. His passion for helping orphans and vulnerable children, affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, sparked our collaboration on One Life Revolution, a partnership I am confident will continue despite this tragedy. He played a significant role in making AIDS a cause for thousands of young people.

"We all cannot do everything to help the poor, but each of can do something, and Mike personified that uncompromising commitment to "do something." On behalf of World Vision's 20,000 staff around the world, I want to offer our condolences to his wife Karla, their children and grandchildren, and the Youth Specialties staff."

He is survived by his wife, Karla, five children and four grandchildren.

Tributes

Dave Tomlinson, author of 'The Post Evangelical' and Greenbelt regular said: "I am devastated by Mike's death not least because although I have known him for a long time, recently we have come into a closer link together. Youth Specialities is one of the two organisations behind my book in the States.

"I think that Mike's contribution to Greenbelt over the years has been incredibly important, because although he has probably been more conservative than a lot of us behind Greenbelt in terms of his theology, he' s represented a very generous and liberating view of Christianity which I think has been of enormous help to a lot of people. The thought of his gloriously inspiring and entertaining talks at Greenbelt not being part of the festival anymore is a grim thought."

Ruby Beech, Coordinating Secretary for the Methodist Church UK, youth leader and avid Greenbelt fan, said: "Mike Yaconelli has been an influence on people and youth leaders over a number of years and his strength has been in his down to earth approach which encouraged youth leaders to think that they too could work for God in this area, that they didn't have to have any particular qualifications.

"He was able to poke fun at himself as well, which in church circles is something that we need to do more of. This year at Greenbelt, he was talking about his own hang-up about not being an ordained minister when he was in certain circles. This was helpful to many of us who have also wondered about what recognition there was for people who worked with young people. In so many ways things he said made sense in a changing world."

Dave Wiles, CEO of the Frontier Youth Trust, said: "The world of Christian youth work has lost a most significant and key player and he will be remembered with many fond memories. Mike championed youth work and commitment to young people in a way that few others have been able
to do and in a way which gave credibility to our profession on a global stage. His contribution to Christian thinking as well as youth work practice will be sorely missed."

Simon Jenkins, editor of shipoffools.com, said: "Mike Yaconelli was a huge inspiration to us when Ship of Fools first got going in the 1970 and 80s. In those days he was editor of The Wittenburg
Door (now called simply The Door, and under new management), an American magazine which ridiculed and satirised showbiz-style Christianity in the most outrageous way. It was a laugh-till-you-cried magazine.

"Now Mike, the mischievous genius behind it, is gone. Like many others, I'll remember him for his courageous and clear-eyed attacks on faith gone wrong, and also for his inspiring exposition of true faith, in all its messy, human glory."

Pip Wilson, from The Rolling Magazine and fellow Greenbelter, said: "I first knew of Mike due to his publications in the US. He was also a games person like myself. Then he came to Greenbelt. He came to visit the Rolling Magazine and fit that space like hand in glove. Everyone loved him. The Very Stinking Late Show, starting at 11pm and finishing at 1 or 2 was also the place to be for this great man. He was so funny. So powerful midst the humour. So real."

"For so many years I have felt the person so close as we sat in the bar late night after GB. The pint of beer and the cigar cemented in place by passionate conversations. Sharing stuff, not heady debates of opinion. Lord have mercy."

Dr Tony Campolo, another Greenbelt regular and professor emeritus of Sociology at Eastern University, St. Davids, Pennsylvania, said: "Mike was a voice of sanity in a religious community that can often be insane. He was a man of integrity in a religious community that needs more of what he had. He was a friend who was always there in good times and in bad. He did his best to be faithful to Jesus."

Christian Aid's Martin John Nicholls, who worked with Yaconelli at Greenbelt, said: "You always knew where you were with Yac, and you certainly always knew where he was. You could always hear his wild, expressive, passionate shouts and yells and "woo hoos!" all over the Greenbelt Festival when he was on site!

"You could always hear the sound of laughter, and murmers of agreement from his vast audiences as they recognised the human frailties and divine graces to which Yac directed their eyes and ears. Most of all, if you listened really closely, you could detect the sound of pennies dropping as he made sense of life, living and what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus.

"Yac was a rare prophet for our time who came with the full set of prophetic chracteristics: he was brave, brash, bold, balding and beared. He was a lion thrown to the christians, roaring of God's limitless love and shaking us out of our complacency and self pity.

" He dared us to not only see the bigger picture of God's kingdom, but to step right into it, become part of it, look around, move the furniture, raid the fridge...! In a church of grey suits and greyer theology, he wore the glaring, daring Hawaiian shirt; in a world of bland banality, he was the red hot chilli pepper. Long may his passion burn in our mouths!"

Memorial

Yaconelli's funeral took place on Sunday 2 November at Yreka High School.

A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held in San Diego on Saturday 15 November. It's tentatively set for 3pm at Journey Community Church in La Mesa.

Pictured: Yaconelli speaking at this year's Greenbelt. Photo: Andy Jackson/surefish