Honoring Pastor George Farid Khoury

Pastor George Farid Khoury passed away on March 5, 2018. Pastor Khoury was a very familiar face within the LLBN Arabic community. While viewers of other LLBN channels may be less acquainted with him, Pastor Khoury was a devoted volunteer for the Loma Linda Broadcasting Network.

George Khoury was destined to be a pastor. He was a man of God who was dedicated to spreading God’s love to everyone he encountered. His last name, Khoury, even translates to mean “priest” in English. Right until the last days of his life, Pastor Khoury was still preaching and teaching his community about Christ. He was very dedicated to the Great Commission Jesus gave and lived his life to “teach, mingle, live, and love.”

Born into humble beginnings, Pastor Khoury was a self-made man. Dr. Haddad, the chairman for LLBN Arabic, fondly recalls when he met Pastor Khoury during their studies at Middle East College in Lebanon in the fifties. Says Dr. Haddad, “He showed up with one Lebanese lira in his pocket, which was equivalent to about forty cents in those days.” Pastor Khoury did not let his lack of resources deter him from his mission. Financially, he worked his way through school by putting 20 to 30 hours of labor per week on campus during the school year and being a literature evangelist during the summer. As a faithful servant of God, Dr. Haddad remembers Pastor Khoury telling him “My life is in His Hands. Whatever Jesus wants me to do, I will do.”

Pastor Khoury went on to earn a BA in theology from Middle East College in 1957. Never one to be satisfied with doing just good enough, Pastor Khoury studied to earn a Masters in New Testament studies in 1963 and a Bachelors of Divinity in 1971, both from Andrews University.

Dedicated to sharing Christ’s love and teachings, Pastor Khoury took care of several churches throughout the Middle East. While he served as Middle Eastern Union evangelist, he conducted an effort in Baghdad, Iraq. An effective administrator, he served as president of the work being done in Lebanon for the East Mediterranean Field which was composed of the countries Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. In 1976, Pastor Khoury immigrated to the US, working as a pastor in Ohio as well as for the Southern California Conference.

It was around the time that Pastor Khoury retired that the LLBN Arabic channel began to take off. Pastor Khoury, never one to miss an opportunity to serve the Lord, eagerly added his expertise to the organization. He preached during the live televised church programs and was an active member of his community. This weekly LLBN Arabic church service is actually the only known Adventist Arabic church service in America.

There is no denying that the LLBN family has lost a precious, valuable member. He was a stellar example in this community and Dr. Haddad put it best, “we have lost a very, very good man—a pillar of the Arabic church.” We honor Pastor Khoury’s legacy and his mission to spreading the love of Jesus Christ throughout the world. Pastor Khoury was truly an embodiment of lighting lives, blessing nations and he will be missed dearly.