A Faithful Centurion

by Ruth E. Sheets

The people of Fraser, Idaho, didn't realize what a quiet dynamo was released in their small community on August 23, 1909, when Chester Mulder was born.

When Chester was in high school he was impressed with the exemplary life of a popular student, and readily agreed when that student invited him to church. Chester was astounded when this student stood up to testify. "I know the time and I know the place where Christ saved me," Harold Nevins said. This concept of knowing Christ bothered Chester until in August 1927, when Chester bowed in prayer and said, "If there is a God who hears and answers prayer, I am here to do business!" He confessed his sin and God saved him. Later that year, he was sanctified in that same Church of the Nazarene in St. Mary's, Idaho.

The next year Chester attended Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa, Idaho, where he met Vivian Baud. In 1934, after Chester had graduated from college and had pastored for two years, he and Vivian were married. A few years later, Doryce Irene joined their family. Chester received his B.A. and Bachelor of Theology degrees from Pasadena Nazarene College [now Point Loma Nazarene University] and did his doctoral work at Berkeley Baptist Divinity School. He was honored with a D.D. by Canadian Nazarene College.

Chester eventually pastored Nazarene Churches in Garfield, Washington; Maywood, California; Onoway, Idaho; Tokyo, Japan; and Mission, British Columbia. Chester took time out from pastoring to serve as an U.S. Army chaplain during World War II, from 1944-46. Later he served as a chaplain in Korea for two years. Then Mulder served as a professor and dean at Canadian Nazarene Bible College, and was a contributor to the Beacon Bible Commentary.

If asked when he retired, Mulder will say, "Who said I ever retired?" His official retirement was in 1978. Unofficially, he feels he's still on the job. In 1989, Chester and Vivian ran into their Australian friends Kenn and Marsha Coil at the General Assembly, where the Coils asked the Mulders to help them start a new church in Temecula, California. The Mulders agreed. Within a couple of years, though, Vivian learned that she had cancer and went to be with the Lord six months later. Several years later, Chester married Ruth Wright Cavanaugh, who died in 2000.

In spite of current ill health, Chester remains on staff at Gateway Church of the Nazarene in Murrieta, California. He is a mentor, prayer warrior, and encourager, blessing all he meets. Last May, Chester was awarded the title of Mentor Pastor Emeritus at the Gateway Church of the Nazarene. We congratulate Mulder and pray for God's continued blessing upon his life.

 

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