John Hatcher, 60-year Missionary to Brazil, Meets His Savior Face-to-Face
“…’Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’” -Matthew 25:23
John Albert Hatcher, died on May 14, 2022, at his son’s home in Clermont, Florida, where he lived comfortably for the past eight years under the loving care of Paul and Wanda Hatcher, his eldest son and daughter-in-law.
John was born in 1925 in Alexandria, Kentucky, to Albert and Beatrix Hatcher. He was the second of four children, reared in a God-fearing home on a dairy farm. He trusted the Lord Jesus at age nine after hearing the Gospel story of the three crosses, which he later made into a visual pamphlet, translated into three languages, and shared with hundreds of people in his latter years.
Upon finishing high school at Campbell County H.S., amidst World War II, he signed up as a volunteer for the U.S. Merchant Marines. He served proudly for four years, including action on D + 1 day at Normandy, France. After the war he enrolled in Georgetown Baptist College, Georgetown, Kentucky, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree. He went on to earn a Master’s in Theology at Lexington Baptist College and a Doctorate in Theology at Luther Rice Seminary.
In his first year at Georgetown College he met his wonderful wife, Alta McKeehan, and they were married for 69 years. Throughout their college years they worked together in home missions in Kentucky. After graduating, he pastored in Shelbyville and Beattyville, Kentucky, and finally in Alton, Illinois before they followed God’s call to be life-long missionaries to Brazil, sponsored by Baptist Faith Missions.
He arrived in Brazil in 1955 with Alta and their children, and dedicated the first 19 years to church planting in the Amazon Valley, working in the city of Manaus and in villages along the Amazon River. During those years John founded Batista das Americas School and the Manaus Baptist Theological Seminary, and was involved in starting several churches. His many skills and talents were put to God’s use: piloting his boat, building churches and school buildings, making pews and desks, educating and training young pastors, translating theology books, printing Christian literature and song books, evangelizing and teaching by radio, using puppets, ventriloquism and magic to reach people for Christ. John played the saxophone and clarinet and loved Christian music.
In 1976 John and Alta felt led to move to the city of Garça, São Paulo, in southern Brazil. There he started ten churches in ten cities where there were no Baptist churches, along with a bus ministry and Bible Institute through which the churches were serviced with leadership.
In 1989 John moved 200 miles further south to Urai, Parana, Brazil. In the next years he repeated the church planting and leadership training, resulting in seven thriving churches in that region, each with its building paid for.
John Hatcher was known for his unwavering faith in God, incredible discipline and work ethic. As his late mission director, Hafford Overbey put it: John Hatcher works!
All of John and Alta’s children are actively involved in church work, serving the Lord as pastors and missionaries.
Only Heaven will tell the extent of John Hatcher’s influence in spreading the Gospel to the nation of Brazil. He is loved and will be missed by thousands. He fought the good fight, finished his course, kept the faith.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Alta McKeehan Hatcher, his daughter, Lynn McGary, his unborn son, buried on the banks of the Nhamunda River in the Amazon, and his brother, Charles Hatcher. He is survived by two sisters Neree Woods and Jessie Sills, his loving children, Ranaah Paul Hatcher (Wanda) of Clermont, Florida, John Mark Hatcher (Judy) of Toulouse, France, David Judson Hatcher (Pennie) of Manaus, Brazil, Kathy Amazonas Barros (Odali) of Iranduba, Brazil, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Arrangements
Visitation | Tuesday, May 24, 2022 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Becker Funeral Home | 806 W. Minneola Ave. | Clermont, Florida 34711 | Directions
Funeral Service | Tuesday, May 24, 2022 | 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Becker Funeral Home | 806 W. Minneola Ave. | Clermont, Florida 34711 | Directions
Graveside Service with Military Honors | Wednesday, May 25, 2022 | 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Cape Canaveral National Cemetery | 5525 US-1 | Mims, Florida 32754 | Directions
Memorials
In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to John’s lifelong passion, missions.
You may do so at:
Baptist Faith Missions
c/o Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Please designate to the “General Fund in memory of John A Hatcher”.
Condolences
Condolences may be made to the family at:
Paul Hatcher | 15905 Mercott Ct | Clermont, FL 34714
Click here to read the Autobiography of Alta Hatcher: “The Story of My Life as a Missionary”
“Disse-lhe o seu senhor: Muito bem, servo bom e fiel; sobre o pouco foste fiel, sobre muito te colocarei; entra no gozo do teu senhor.” –Mateus 25:23
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Deloris Lauerman Is With the Lord
Another one of our faithful Veteran Missionary Pensioners has been called Home to Heaven to meet her Savior face-to-face whom she loved and served all her lifetime here.
Deloris Lauerman served with her husband, Walter, for thirty years in South America: 15 years in Peru, and then 15 years in Honduras. The Lord worked through them to establish at least 24 New Testament Baptist churches in those fields of service – and then those same churches went on to multiply still more churches…and they are still going and multiplying!
They maintained contact by letter and phone with many of those saints years later after returning to the States to pastor churches here and serve out the later years of their lives in still others of our churches. Many times, we rejoiced with them as they shared with us conversations they had with first, second, third, and even fourth generation believers – some of them whom they had never met. They would remind them of their love for them, thank them for coming to tell them about Jesus, and keep them updated with what the Lord was continuing to do in Peru and Honduras because of the Gospel witness of Christ they had first delivered to them.
Please join us as we express our deepest appreciation to both her and Brother Lauerman for their lifetime of service to our Lord Jesus Christ – and in our prayers to God for her family during this time of their earthly bereavement.
“Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joys of your Lord!” – JESUS
Her family will be receiving friends Monday night (March 25), 5-8pm, and her memorial service will be conducted at 12:30pm on Tuesday (March 26). A full obituary can be viewed here.
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A Tribute to Brother Jim Orrick
By: Kenny Hurst, Pastor, Storms Creek Missionary Baptist Church and Director, BFM
Bro. Jim Orrick and his wife Irene
To say that Jim Orrick loved Baptist Faith Missions goes without saying. It is like saying the people of Kentucky love basketball: their actions speak for themselves. Brother Orrick, by his actions, demonstrated his love for missions every day of his life.
I became a member of Storms Creek in October 1980. Brother Orrick had already been pastor of this historic church for seventeen years, having been called as pastor in October 1963. What impressed me most about him was his love for the Lord, the Word, and missions. He loved missions, especially BFM, and those who faithfully served as missionaries. Brother Orrick always had the missionaries come to Storms Creek when on furlough. He treated them like royalty, for that is how he viewed them. Many people may not know that Brother Orrick led Storms Creek, which is not a large congregation, to give fifty percent of their tithes and offerings to missions, the majority being designated to BFM. In doing this, he was sometimes taking money from himself and his family, but he was willing to make that sacrifice for the good of BFM. Every year he encouraged Storms Creek to give a special Thanksgiving and Founder’s Day offering, a tradition we continue to this day. My love for missions and Storms Creek’s love for missions was fueled by the example of Brother Orrick. He faithfully served as a director and executive secretary for years, in addition to being responsible for addressing the mission sheets each month. BFM has never had a greater friend or supporter than Jim Orrick.
In 2000, the Lord called me to preach, and in 2001, I was called to serve as co-pastor with Brother Orrick. Everyone knew,though, that he was really the pastor, and I was just assisting him. But he was insistent I be called co-pastor. His purpose for this was his upcoming retirement, and he was preparing me to take over the church full-time. Also, Brother Jim wanted to make sure the church continued its support of BFM. He did not want another pastor coming in and changing the way the church supported missions. In March 2005, he retired after forty-one years of faithful service to the church. As a pastor, what I remember most about him was his ability to say in thirty minutes what it took other men to say in sixty; he was not a long-winded preacher, but he was sound in what he preached. He had a tremendous influence on me, especially in the way he handled funeral services. I learned from him that funerals were the best opportunity to preach the Gospel. Those who knew Brother Orrick know how much he liked to laugh; he had a great sense of humor and loved to show it. He stood up for what he believed in, especially when it came to God’s Word and its importance in a believer’s life.
When Brother Orrick retired, he and Irene stayed at Storms Creek and turned the leadership of the church over to me. He was never critical and never offered any advice unless it was asked for, but supported and encouraged me in every way. For that, I will be forever grateful. He was my mentor and friend; I dearly loved him. I was so sad to hear of his passing. I am going to miss talking to him on the phone and hearing him preach at our Homecoming service each year. I take comfort in the fact that I know he is with his blessed Lord. There is only one Jim Orrick, and I had the privilege of working with him. May God bless all of those whom Brother Orrick touched during his ministry.
Yours in Christ,
Kenny Hurst
[Full obituary for Bro. Jim Orrick can be found here.]
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Mrs. Alice Joyce “Othermama” Wacaser Meets Jesus Face-to-Face
The Lord called His servant Mrs. Alice Joyce “Othermama” Wacaser home on Saturday, March 14, 2015. She was the mother of our faithful missionary to Brazil, Bobby Wacaser. She was diagnosed with advanced stages of Leukemia during the first week of March. At that time, she was given maybe two months to live. The Lord called her Home to Heaven just a few short days later. Bobby and Charlene were able to make immediate arrangements to fly back to Florida and be with her a few days before her death. Please continue to ask our Father to give them all His grace, peace, comfort, and strength during these times of adjustments.
“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” -2 Timothy 1:5
We thank God for the Gospel seeds Mrs. Wacaser sowed in the lives of her children, who in turn have gone to scatter seeds on foreign soil.
Obituary for Mrs. Alice Joyce “Othermama” Wacaser
from Hopewell Funeral Home
WACASER, Alice Joyce “Othermama”, 80, of, Plant City, Florida, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Saturday, March 14, 2015. She was a selfless servant of Jesus through her unconditional love. She is survived by her husband, Bill Wacaser; children, Joy Pearcy, Terry Wacaser (Allison), Bobby Wacaser (Charlene), Gary Wacaser (Helen), Denise Wacaser (Keith), and Jeffrey Wacaser (Christie); daughter-in-law, Dee Dee Wacaser (wife of Rossie); siblings, Margaret Petrie, and Larry Copeland; and 28 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren; and many other family and friends. She was preceded in death by her sons Rossie Wacaser, and Ronnie Wacaser. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 21 at 5:00 P.M. at Ahava Baptist Church, 6015 W. Farkas Road, Plant City 33567; fellowship to follow. Private interment at Hopewell Memorial Gardens, Plant City. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to LifePath Hospice, and/or Ahava Baptist Church Missions Program. Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mrs. Alice Joyce “Othermama” Wacaser please visit our Sympathy Store.
If you would like to write to Bobby Wacaser, his email address is bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com.
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Ada Mayfield Hunter is now with the Lord
Ada Mayfield Hunter, who faithfully served 22 years as a missionary in Peru with her husband Del, entered the Presence of the Lord on Saturday evening, January 12. Brother and Sister Mayfield went to Peru in 1961 and served the Lord there–principally in the two cities of Pucallpa and Iquitos–until she returned to the States in 1985. Brother Mayfield went to be with the Lord in 1978. The Lord blessed them with a fruitful ministry both in believers brought to know Jesus Christ and churches established.
The family has requested that memorial expressions may be made by contributions to Baptist Faith Missions. Those contributions may be sent to P.O. Box 471280, Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280 or by online donations.
You can send correspondences via USPS to their daughter, Loretta Hokenson, at 305 South Street, Coffeen, IL 62017 / 217.851.0843
Arrangements
Visitation with the family: Friday night 4 – 8 pm
Memorial service: Saturday morning, 10:00 am
Both will be at the Bass-Patton-Dean Funeral Home
624 South Main, Hillsboro, IL
217-532-3636
You can view her full obituary here.
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