MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA (April 16, 2018) – Retired Covenant minister James Gaderlund, who was instrumental in introducing and expanding the practice of spiritual direction throughout the denomination, died Saturday. He was 71.
Jim was born June 8, 1946, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in biblical archaeology from Wheaton College and graduated from North Park Theological Seminary.
He married Pamela (Hunt) Gaderlund on August 16, 1969. She survives.
The couple served Glen Ellyn (Illinois) Covenant Church; First Covenant Church in Portland, Oregon; Valley Covenant Church in Eugene, Oregon; and Foothill Covenant Church in Los Altos, California.
Gaderlund and several other pastors decided in 1997 to start a spiritual direction network in the Pacific Southwest Conference. It laid the groundwork for what would become the C. John Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction at North Park Theological Seminary. When the center launched in 2005, it was the first of its kind among any evangelical institution. He also gave leadership to the formation of the Association of Spiritual Directors when it was formed in 2015.
Along with Pam, he is survived by two sons, Erik and Blake.
A memorial service will be conducted at 2 p.m. May 27 at Foothill Covenant Church, 1555 Oak Avenue, Los Altos, CA.
