John Sluyter

JOHN CURTIS SLUYTER

John Curtis Sluyter went home to be with his Lord and Savior on December 23, 2019 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s.

Born in Lima, Peru, the son of missionaries, John grew up in many South American countries. He experienced his own call to missions after the 1956 tragic death of five Ecuadorian missionaries, one of which he knew personally. When John married his lovely wife Laurel in 1963, they both whole-heartedly accepted this call to share the gospel and after starting their family, they moved to Mexico to begin language school.

John’s greatest joy was serving his Lord through ministry both as a pastor and a missionary. His work would often take him into the jungle to work with nationals, developing relationships, and building the church. While in South America, John served as Missionary Director, District Superintendent, and the Director of the Nazarene Theological Seminary. John traveled throughout South America as a resource to other missionaries while being stationed in Mexico, Ecuador, Argentina, and Uruguay.

John’s family embraced this love for missions by traveling throughout the United States creating fun and engaging deputation services, often in authentic national dress. John enjoyed sharing about the countries they lived in and even demonstrated how a blow gun works to the surprise of the congregation.

After leaving the mission field, John pastored churches in Avon Park and Miami, Florida for 22 years and completed his Doctorate in Theology. In retirement, John and Laurel moved to Olathe, KS to be close to their family and lived with their son Jerry. Laurel’s sister-in-law Lea Duryea joined their household in the last few years and has served as a great support for the family. John brought joy to every family get together and loved supporting his grandchildren by attending as many of their events as possible.

John was a fun-loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. In his earlier years, he enjoyed spending time with his sons outdoors, often hiking and camping in unfamiliar locations and creating special memories. He was a Ham radio operator and spent many hours rebuilding computers, sometimes getting lost in MicroCenter. John could often be found at the KC Auto and Air Shows finding joy in airplanes and fast cars. He had a booming, joyful voice and could always be found singing the great hymns of the church.

John left a legacy of love and devotion to the Lord for his entire family. He had unbridled joy when preaching the Word of the Lord and his sons knew first-hand what a man of God looked like. During his later years, John knew that the Lord gave him a special promise – “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” ~Hebrews 13:5b. He held onto this promise throughout his struggle with Alzheimer’s.

John is preceded in death by his parents Allen (Merle) and Thelma Sluyter.

John is survived by his wife Laurel Duryea Sluyter, his sister Lois Sluyter of Minneapolis, MN, his brother David Sluyter (Arlene) of Upper NY, son John Sluyter, Jr. (Tammy), son Jay Sluyter, son Jim Sluyter (Julie), and son Jerry Sluyter, all of Olathe, KS; 7 wonderful grandchildren: Sarah, Emily, Rebekah, Anna, Katelyn, Angellee, and Joshua.

Memorial services will be held on Monday, December 30, 10:30am at College Church of the Nazarene, 2020 E. Sheridan Street, Olathe, KS 66062 in Garrett Chapel. A private family interment will occur prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org).