Henry Blackaby — Photo courtesy of Richard Blackaby
Henry Blackaby, author of Experiencing God, has died following a decade of declining health.
Blackaby — pastor, author and founder of Blackaby Ministries International — died Feb. 10 at the age of 88. He is widely known for his bestselling and influential discipleship workbook, “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God,” which was first released in 1990. It has sold more than 7 million copies and was revised with a new look in 2022.
Blackaby’s son, Richard, announced Henry’s passing in a social media post: “Early this morning, our dad went to be with his Lord. He helped countless people experience God. Now he is experiencing God in ways that surely surpass even his most cherished dreams. We were privileged to have a spiritual giant for a father. Funeral arrangements forthcoming.”
Henry Blackaby was born April 15, 1935, in British Columbia, Canada. He earned his undergraduate degree in English and history at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He also earned a Th.M. degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (now Gateway Seminary) in California.
He began serving as pastor of a small church, Faith Baptist Church, in Saskatchewan in 1970. The church grew substantially and planted several other churches. In addition to churches in Canada, he also planted churches in California.
Blackaby also served at the North American Mission Board, International Mission Board and Lifeway Christian Resources, and he was president of Canadian Baptist Theological College for seven years.
In September 2013, Blackaby went missing for more than 24 hours. After he was found, Richard Blackaby reported to Christianity Today that Henry Blackaby “had a heart attack while driving, which left him disoriented as he continued to drive around the area.” He later underwent quadruple bypass surgery.
Blackby’s wife, Marilyn, died in 2022 at the age of 83. They were married 62 years. Their five children — Richard, Tom, Melvin, Norman and Carrie — all serve in various Christian ministries, continuing the legacy of their father. B&R
