I will never forget him. On Tuesday, September 5, 2006, the Lord took my dear friend, Dave Petrescue, home to be with Him.  From our finite perspectives this could not have happened at a more unexpected time.

No one gave of himself more to the Lord’s work at Maadi Community Church than our senior pastor, Dave Petrescue.  Four days later, two thousand five hundred people gathered together at Victory Park, Maadi, to celebrate the life of our dear friend, and to say “Thank You” to the Lord for blessing us through him.

It was my privilege to share the following eulogy with those gathered:

The Lord used our dear friend, Dave Petrescue, to save and transform the lives of many thousands of people, for God and for “good”.  I know this to be true because my changed-life is a living testimony of this. Six years ago I had seriously considered resigning from Christian service as an associate pastor in Australia.  For several years I had battled with discouragement and frustration through trying to function in a constricting and smothering leadership team situation, and the joy of ministry had almost extinguished from my life.

God’s unexpected and timely intervention, however, saved me from the ministry scrap heap by placing me on Dave’s leadership team at MCC as one of his associates. Why? What good had I done in life that I should deserve this gracious placement? To this day, I still don’t know the answer to that question.

Dave Petrescue was an exceptional leader who did not suffer from personal insecurity.  His joy and satisfaction in life was to see those around him grow to their full potential in Christ. There was nothing he would not do to provide opportunities of growth for those under his care and leadership. Ministry was never about him, but about God and others. He lived and led with an encouraging presence. No one in all of life has encouraged and inspired me more to grow to become all I can be in Christ than my dear friend, Dave.

Dave’s character, personality, and leadership brought to the surface of my life an amazing amount of unrealised leadership potential.  His warm, supportive and approving smile set me “free” to dream big … to soar higher and higher… and expand my horizons to limits set only by the Lord.  Friends, I have learnt more, grown more, and experienced more satisfaction in life and ministry in the last 6 ½ years than my previous 50 years!

Throughout our 6 ½ years of ministry partnership Dave and I saw God work miracle after miracle in the lives of His people at MCC, and beyond.  Each time we marvelled because we saw ourselves as very ordinary, weak men. We began to respond to these miraculous happenings with the comment, “It doesn’t get better than this!”  Because the Lord continued to do greater things, we had to modify our response to, “It does get better than this!” And friends, it has … and will continue to do so until the day we reunite with Dave in glory.

Dave Petrescue, my dear friend, as I continue in my earthly journey with the Lord, I will continue to testify to the world that life does get better than this. But, for you, from where you stand, I’m sure your testimony is now … “Friends, it doesn’t get better than this!”

David Petrescue, well done, good and faithful servant.  You have left behind an amazing legacy of hundreds of fired-up successors who are eager to carry on the good work the Lord began through you. Dear friend, you have entered into His eternal rest.  Until we see you in glory please don’t waste your time rehearsing those corny jokes and lightning-quick puns.  In this area of your life, for our sake, we’ve often prayed, “It must get better than this!”