Arild Tombre has gone home to the Lord

9. March 2026

Text: Kåre J. Smith

Soon He is coming; O happy, glorious day!
Then for Jesus’ bride shall all her sorrows pass away.
Think what rejoicing will arise from all of them
who then may move into the New Jerusalem!

Ways of the Lord no. 81

He was only 9 years old when he chose to follow Jesus, and already in his early youth he became a faithful worker in the service of his Lord and Master.

At the end of the 1950s, he was actively involved in a time when the church spread to many countries in Europe, and in 1963 he moved to France to help with the church’s early beginnings there. He lived there for over 50 years, and together with his beloved Mirjam, whom he married in 1961, they became grains of wheat that fell into the ground, working tirelessly with souls on a one-to-one basis and bearing abundant fruit. Yes, in many countries, both in Europe and on other continents, he became a shepherd and a church builder who laid a solid foundation by giving the friends the word of God, by preaching the life-giving gospel that was the cornerstone of his own life.

Arild Tombre lived a long life – in May this year, he would have turned 94. Until his health began to fail a few years ago, he was actively involved in work at home and abroad, serving with God’s word and with exhortations and words of wisdom from the rich treasure his godly life had given him.

We remember well his blessed “imprinting ministry” at meetings and conferences, how he made God’s word so plain and clear that it was firmly fastened into our minds. For many years, he also wrote the reports from our conferences, clearly conveying what the Spirit wanted to say to the church. At the same time, he was a simple and friendly man with a good sense of humor, a living example of how being spiritual means being natural.

Brotherly greetings
Kåre J. Smith

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