Carol Stream, IL —Richard Swenson, author of the critically acclaimed and bestselling NavPress books Margin and The Overload Syndrome, has died. He was 78. Mennonite Alliance church in Menomonie, Wisconsin, will host the visitation and celebration of life Saturday, October 24. A physician, researcher, futurist, and educator, Richard is best remembered as a husband, father, grandfather, and follower of Jesus.
“Swenson’s book really aided me in addressing the busyness of life as a young father and professional,” recalls Mark Kimmel, former USLT member of The Navigators. “In our fast-paced world it’s a book that offers hope on how to live life at a balanced, manageable pace.”
Faith in Jesus undergirded and propelled Swenson’s sense of vocation as a healer and helper. He has spoken all over the world, to groups as diverse as educators, church leaders, Pentagon staff, and the United Nations. The concepts he developed in the book Margin were the first crystallization of what has since become a commonplace, universally embraced value for quality of life.
Missiologist and NavPress author Brad Brisco said that “there isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t think about the book. I ask myself often, ‘Do I have margin in my life this week? If not, how will I create margin?’ For practical influence there are very few books that continue to impact me more than twenty years after reading.”
“Swenson’s writings connected seamlessly with both Christian and non-Christian audiences,” reflects David Zimmerman, publisher of NavPress. “Though his writings were clearly rooted in Scripture, and though he was quick to point to God’s sovereignty and the centrality of life in the Spirit, as a physician he was especially gifted in bringing lofty theological concepts into practical consideration.”
These connections between Word and world run throughout Swenson’s writing. As he wrote in Margin:
“Discerning Christians have long known that God is not impressed with our wealth, education, or power. Nevertheless, we have labored eagerly in those fields. What if, instead, we were to begin measuring our progress not by our wealth but by our virtue; not by our education but by our humility; and not by our power but by our meekness?”
NavPress is a business ministry of The Navigators. With a rich catalog of bestselling books, discipleship resources, and The Message® Bible, NavPress equips readers to know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same.® Since 2014 NavPress has been in a publishing alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, one of the largest independently owned Christian publishers in the world. NavPress resources are sold, distributed, and marketed worldwide through Tyndale House Publishers.
