Kenneth Charles Fleming was born to Kenneth Lionel and Greta Emily Fleming in Seattle, Washington on June 11, 1927. He entered the presence of the Lord he served faithfully for 98 and a half years on Christmas Eve afternoon, 2025.

Both parents were born in England and immigrated, first to Canada, then to the United States. Most of his mother’s family, the Sillences, remained on Vancouver Island. The Fleming children, which included an older sister, Mary, and a younger brother, Peter, enjoyed many summer vacations there with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins at the beach, where the incoming tides rushed in as fast as little legs could keep up.

Life for the Flemings revolved in large part around activities and friends at Whitman Avenue Gospel Chapel in Seattle. During his years at Queen Anne High School Ken and his brother Pete were part of the early Navigator’s movement, where memorizing Scripture was a key feature of their Bible Studies.

He could have graduated early, in December, 1944, but he decided to stay on and take additional courses in electronics which might be useful for a missionary, the work which he felt called to pursue. He believed this delay in entering the army very likely saved his life, as he graduated on VE Day, May 8, 1945. Had he enlisted earlier he would have been immediately shipped off to the Pacific Theater where the rookies were killed in excessive numbers during the last desperate months of WWII. In recent years he liked to say, with a chuckle and grin, that the Japanese knew he was coming so they quickly surrendered the day he enlisted.

The year he served in Korea was a key training ground for the mission field. Army responsibilities were minimal, requiring him only to walk up a hill a few times a day to calibrate instruments. The rest of the time he studied his King James Reference Bible and honed his self-discipline by looking up every cross reference as he pondered the text.

The GI Bill funded his education in Far Eastern Studies at the University of Washington where he majored in Chinese. He rekindled a friendship with Helena Greenhill who was a good friend of his sister, Mary. She, too, had long been interested in China. By the time Ken graduated from university he decided she checked all his boxes for a life partner and missionary. They married on June 10, 1950, just as China was expelling all foreign missionaries in 1950-1951.

Their interests were redirected toward the Zulus in South Africa, where they arrived in 1952, first, to work near the Natal south coast, and then for 21 years in Durban. Their three children, Lois, Peter, and James were born and educated during these years. Ken was a devoted husband and Dad, always listening to childish ramblings and including the children in his other interests like woodworking. Ask, and you shall be given offcuts of wood, nails and hammer to make a rough airplane or boat while he was finishing a clock. He invented wild stories to entertain children and grandchildren. Lois was astonished by the adventures of Hooshka and Kachunka, two bizarre horses who achieved the most unbelievable things, while grandson Daniel received cassette tapes of Pepito the Pig.

Ken’s focus in missionary work was church planting. He was always forward-thinking, believing that the work of the church-planting missionary should focus on training indigenous church leaders who could carry on effectively when the missionary moved on. The Africans were best suited to reach their own people, and he worked to train well grounded church leaders. A lot of effort went into an informal Bible Training program with systematic teaching two nights a week.

In January 1977 the Flemings relocated to Oak Park, Illinois, where Ken developed the Missions program at (then) Emmaus Bible School. In 1984 they moved along with Emmaus Bible College, now Emmaus University, to Dubuque, Iowa. Ken taught missions courses and mentored young people who were interested in missions, continuing to interact with many as they went overseas. He organized summer missionary exposure trips for himself and others to lead. He taught Bible courses such as a rotation of the Major Prophets.

He also worked with Christian Missions in Many Lands to develop a Missionary Orientation Program (MOPS) where seasoned missionaries and interested younger people could interact for a week. He spoke widely at churches and conferences in the United States and in many parts of the world. He also served for many years as a founding Elder of Arbor Oaks Bible Chapel in Dubuque.

When he retired from formal classroom teaching in 2002 he remarked that his life had consisted of three equal segments thus far: roughly a quarter century of training growing up in the United States, a quarter century as a missionary in Africa, and another 25 years teaching missions at Emmaus. But his work was not yet complete and in his so-called “retirement” he focused on writing, primarily Emmaus courses. The 12 published courses have been translated into many languages. Courses in 10 of those languages are being used on the Emmaus mobile app as well as for courses in print, reaching literally around the globe. An early book, God’s Voice in the Stars, has been in print for nearly 50 years and still pops right up for sale on Amazon.

An overshadowing influence in Ken’s life was the death of his brother Peter, who was martyred at only 27 years of age along with four other missionaries, by members of the Waodani tribe in the jungles of Ecuador, in 1956. One of those companions was Jim Elliot whose older brother Bert was also a missionary, for 50 years in Peru, and a Fleming family friend.

Pastor and author Randy Alcorn met Bert and Colleen Elliot around the time of the 50th anniversary of the Ecuador martyrs and wrote, “Bert said something to me that day I met him that I’ll never forget: ‘Jim and I both served Christ, but differently. Jim was a great meteor, streaking through the sky.’” Alcorn continued: “Bert didn’t go on to describe himself, but I will. Unlike his brother Jim, the shooting star, Bert was a faint star that rose night after night, faithfully crossing the same path in the sky, to God’s glory.”

The Fleming brothers were much the same. Pete was the meteor that flamed briefly across the sky, part of an event with worldwide impact in missions that continues to this day. Ken was the faithful star that rose night after night, faithfully, for 98 and a half years. Only eternity will reveal the extent of his influence for the Kingdom and glory of God.

Ken is survived by his children: Lois Fleming of Prospect Heights, Illinois, and Jim (Sharon) Fleming of Dubuque, Iowa; daughter-in-law Deb Fleming of Dubuque, Iowa, and six grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister Mary and brother Peter; his wife Helena; and his son Pete (Deb) Fleming.

Visitation will be from 10:00 am until 11:15 am Saturday, December 27, 2025 at Arbor Oaks Bible Chapel.

The Funeral Service for Ken will be 11:30 am Saturday, December 27, 2025, at Arbor Oaks Bible Chapel. Full military honors will be rendered by the American Legion Post #6.  Burial will be in Asbury Cemetery in Asbury.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Christian Missions in Many Lands, P.O. Box 13 Spring Lake, NJ 07762. www.cmml.us

The family is very grateful for the loving care of Suzanne Esau and the Oak Park Place staff over many years, and particularly in these last months of Ken’s life.