Gordon was born in Saskatchewan, Canada and brought to the LA area in the early 1950s where his father, Jack, expanded World Literature Crusade / WLC / into provider of Bible translations via Wycliffe. WLC published accompanying Bible Studies when asked, ultimately delivering millions of pieces to pastors and missionaries overseas. Gordon joined this work early on radio, and when a teen travelled extensively as a youth representative in countries as diverse as South Africa, Israel, France, Italy, Brazil, Spain, the mid-East .. He brought WLC into the TV age in the late 1960s/early 1970s and travelled for some years with a camera crew and writer Dr. Mel White, generating the first Christian fund raiser to that time.

WLC was determinedly ecumenical, Gordon was asked to speak in many missions minded churches -- eventually ordained by an Independent Missions Baptist group. Married in 1969 to Eva Elisabeth Ericsson, they moved from LA to Redwood City, CA /via NJ for coursework/ where he was on staff at Peninsula Christian Center w/Young Marrieds as their portfolio ... A B.A. in Communications was added, and an M.A. in Psych ... He responded to a request from Ketchikan, Alaska to open a counseling center connected to a Christian and Missionary Alliance church there --- Clover Pass Community Church -- first as Asst Pastor, then Senior. The church opened a group home for lost kids, this CA city boy got quite an education on Alaska -- and fell into his heart home. Still so to this time; his son Jonathan was born. His move from Ketchikan was to be Communications Director of the entire denomination, C&MA, in Colorado Springs, CO where Rose was born. Fairly quickly Gordon recognized he needed 'more letters after his name to be heard.' A second M.A. and ultimately a Ph.D. in Rhetoric/Emphasis on Distance Education/ were earned. Gordon worked at Virginia Beach Alliance Church parttime, continuing video work as well.

PhD done, the next move was to be head of a new Distance Education Department at Crown College in MN; later -- Dept Head at Kaplan University working from home, and lastly before retiring, commuting to OK to both teach and manage a Distance Ed Department.

All that is true but not the whole picture. This man LOVED music ... live Blues in small Hollywood venues, major rock groups at the Hollywood Bowl ... Gordon Lightfoot, Roberta Flack, before their big times. In the early 70s, the couple lived in group with Annie and Buck Herring, Eddie Overstreet guitarist -- later 2nd Chapter of Acts, experiencing Annie's soaring voice at home, and a wild walk in Bible Study -- the impact of good Christian contemporary music took root ... LOVED good stories -- especially Westerns, hooked on dry, dusty Louie L'Amour while being drenched in Ketchikan. Another favorite, Dallas Willard -- intelligent Faith. And cars -- his 1979 Fiat Farina is happiest in the WV hills ... Most of all, he LOVED the possibilities of Christ -- His goal, sadly not completed, was to finish a book on Christ's teachings as Principles -- not memory verses -- Illustrating that loving each other completes The Law.

Notable events:

1970: First Christian TV presence, writer, on-camera, producer

1974: Faith at Work influence, Group Workshops toward certification in NYC -- Interest grew in Human Interaction/Psych, degrees taken in N CA.

1977: First glass front Racquetball court opened in Sacramento, CA with 2 friends-- Wall Street. Nationals came the first year.

1983 : Alaska -- Gordon and same two friends turned their media experience into producing the first video tour of SE Alaska sold on cruise ships -- this home business lasted 19 years ... Video tours.

1991: As Communications Director of C&MA, Gordon created the Alliance Video Magazine where he continued his international travels bringing on the spot interviews with missions funded by C&MA donors, supporting their funding with real time interviews. These continue -- at last check -- today.

2000: Chaplain for 5 years -- longest lasting to that time -- at Regent University, facilitated a respectful discussion between an Imam and a Conservative Evangelical Theologian ... still available on YouTube.

2026: And posthumously -- a successful donor -- we know that many will benefit from the body he left behind, entirely consistent.

Instead of flowers, and consistent with his lifelong investment in reading and learning, his family would request a donation be made to the Hardy County Moorefield Public Library in his name, 102 N Main Street, Moorefield, WV 26836.

To offer condolences, share memories, or upload photos in honor of Gordon’s extraordinary life, visit his Tribute Wall at www.fraleyfuneralhome.com and celebrate the impact he made on all those around him.

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