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Remembering Paul Eshleman

Paul Eshleman

Paul Eshleman, visionary behind the JESUS film and first executive director of Jesus Film Project.

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“Everyone, everywhere needs and deserves to feel His wonderful, tender, loving, merciful, healing, protecting, empowering and, oh so forgiving touch.”
–– Paul Eshleman

A Message from Steve Sellers, President of Cru

It is with deep sadness and great joy that I want to let you know that Paul Eshleman is in the presence of Jesus. He passed away Wednesday, May 24th, in Southern California.

We rejoice that, today, Paul is experiencing the very thing for which he was created, yet he will be missed by so many of us around the world to whom he was both a dear friend and a model of what it was like to be a disciple of Jesus.

Paul’s great faith in a compassionate, culture-penetrating, reconciling God compelled Him to face innumerable hurdles so the world could hear the story of Jesus. As he told the stories of what God was doing around the world he painted a picture of God’s heart that invited and motivated hundreds of thousands of believers to help fulfill the Great Commission.

God used Paul in so many ways during the course of his years on staff. He and his first wife Kathy were married for 50 years and faithfully served together before her death four years ago. The Lord then brought Rena into his life and they have been married since November 2020. 

While he is best known for founding and leading Jesus Film Project, he will also be remembered for spearheading EXPLO 72, directing the Finishing the Task movement and serving for years as the VP for Coverage within our ministry.

In each of these roles he played a significant part in helping to achieve our vision of populating the throne room of heaven. I am grateful that, today, he is able to see that reality first hand.

As you consider Paul and his life in the coming days, please pray for his wife Rena, his kids Jon and Jennifer and their families.

Steve Sellers
President of Cru*

*Jesus Film Project is a ministry of Cru, often known as Campus Crusade for Christ globally.

Celebrating Paul’s Life

Memorial Service
Date: July 22, 2023 at 11 a.m. Pacific Time
View the livestream here

Celebration of Life
Date: August 15, 2023 at 1 p.m. Eastern time
Location: Wycliffe Headquarters
11221 John Wycliffe Blvd, Orlando, FL 32832
View the livestream here

“One simply can’t capture in a few words the impact of Paul’s life. For so many of us, we can remember our own lives taking a different turn because God used Paul to call us to something bigger than ourselves. And it was his heart for everyone to know Jesus that compelled him.”
–– Josh Newell, executive director of Jesus Film Project

Paul’s Life and Ministry in Photos

“If I could choose any time in all of human history to be alive, I’d choose right now.” –– Paul Eshleman
“I think that day I thought, that’s what I want to do. I want to help college students come to Christ. I was never the same after that.”
Paul directed EXPLO 72 in Dallas, Texas—an event that drew approximately 80,000 attendees from across America for training in sharing their faith in Jesus Christ.
During EXPLO 72, approximately 35,000 people indicated decisions to receive Christ. The event set off a chain reaction of large-scale growth in evangelism and discipleship training. EXPLO 74 changed the spiritual face of South Korea. EXPLO 85 was the largest satellite conference ever and trained more than 300,000 people in 56 nations.
“God did amazing things which we’re still hearing the benefits of it, even today … of different people who were touched.” —Jim Green, executive director Jesus Film Project (2004-2012)
“Jen and Jon, I know it’s hard to have your daddy away so often.  But, we also play a very important role.  We get to join him when we pray for all that he is doing to share Jesus with people around the world.  Our role in praying is equally important.” –– Kathy Eshleman
“All I knew was that God had told me to make a film true to the life of Christ.”  — Dr. Bill Bright
In 1979, the JESUS film premieres in 250 theaters in the U.S.
“Paul saw that broad sowing was what drove the heart of Dr. Bill Bright. I have to believe God was using Paul and Dr. Bright to fulfill the vision which was to use media to enflame the hearts of people watching.” —Berry Fiess, Staff Care and Development, Jesus Film Project
“My dad reminds me of Jesus, our Shepherd, who not only treasures all his sheep but especially searches for the lost lamb everyone seems to neglect. My dad absolutely ensured I was loved, adored, and safe. And at the same time, he never once lost the will, passion, or urgency to search for and find ways to bring every lost sheep home.”  –– Jennifer Huff
“My dad was a force in the world in helping people know Jesus. He wanted everyone to know Jesus and took that challenge personally to make it happen.” –– Jon Eshleman
“Paul was a champion for the cause of Christ and challenged the church to consider innovative ways to evangelize.”
 –– Steve Sellers, president of Cru (known internationally as Campus Crusade for Christ)
“Every person who worked with Paul knew what the impact would be and has been and will continue to have an impact for years to come as new languages are developed and new ways of doing things.“ –– Tom Axelson, Mission 865 Affiliate Staff, Jesus Film Project.
Riding motorcycles with Jim Green approximately 105 miles to show JESUS to the Maasai in Kenya, just on the border with Tanzania.
The Haflinger 4×4 used to go 15 km into the bush at night to visit Maasai warriors.
Preparing the projector for a film showing in Swahili on the Kenya/Tanzania border.
One hundred warriors came to know Christ in one night of seeing JESUS.
Before this only a handful of warriors had ever come to Christ––incredible evidence of the power of film and word of God in a visual way.
“It’s not fair that people shouldn’t get at least one chance to hear about Jesus.”  –– Paul Eshleman
“Paul was fearless about going to places that other Christians wouldn’t go. His great delight was being in the middle of nowhere, out in the bush sharing Jesus with people who have never, ever heard His name.” –– Fred and Mary Lil West, longtime friends of Paul and co-laborers in ministry
JESUS film premiere in Tbilisi, Georgia.
“When the Soviet Union did open up, JESUS film was right there. We weren’t waiting; we were recording languages when it was still closed. When it did open up we were ready; everybody knew what they were doing. Paul had great faith to go after what felt God was showing him to do and go for it.”   — Mary Lil West, longtime friend
Giving away training in Kenya, Africa at Campus Crusade for Christ in Kenya.
“If enough people get changed, the country gets changed. It really happens. …I have no doubt that Jesus changes not only lives but families, cities and nations.” –– Paul Eshleman

“Nobody can take credit for these kinds of things. Nobody could work it out. God had to simply do it.”
–– Paul Eshleman

His Legacy

Paul Eshleman’s life was driven by a desire for everyone, everywhere to hear about the love of Jesus in their own language. Paul grew up going to church but turned his life fully over to Christ while attending Michigan State University. After graduating with a master’s in business administration, marketing and finance, he enrolled in Bible college in Miami and began sharing the gospel with students at the University of Miami using the “Four Spiritual Laws” booklet. 

In 1966, Paul joined staff at Cru (known then as Campus Crusade for Christ), co-founded by Bill and Vonette Bright. In his early years with the ministry, he led EXPLO 72 in Dallas, Texas—an event that drew approximately 80,000 attendees from across America to learn how to talk about their faith in Jesus. A few years later, he directed the I Found It! campaign, which shared the message of the gospel in more than 200 American cities. 

In 1976, at Bill Bright’s urging, Paul stepped up to lead production on the JESUS film, a feature-length movie based on the Gospel of Luke. The film premiered in the U.S. in 1979 in 250 theaters. Paul spent the next years of his life leading teams into major cities and remote regions of the world previously closed to Christians and the gospel to show the JESUS film. 

As executive director of Jesus Film Project®, Paul spearheaded the initiative to translate and dub JESUS into hundreds of languages. By the year 2000, the JESUS film was in 600 languages! But Paul is perhaps best known by his friends and co-laborers in Christ for his personal yet innovative approach to evangelism. Paul constantly sought out ways the gospel could become more accessible to everyone on Earth, spurring on the development of portable film screening equipment and adaptable dubbing technology. 

Today the JESUS film is the most-translated film of all time. It’s available in more than 2,000 languages and has been shown in 225 countries—many times on equipment that fits neatly in a backpack. And thanks to partnerships with local believers, recording teams can turn out a new translation of JESUS in a matter of days. Jesus Film Project’s library of films holds more than 200 short films designed to spark conversations about Jesus and aid believers in evangelism, discipleship and church planting wherever they are. Many of the films are available in hundreds of languages.

For many years Paul served as vice president of coverage for Cru, providing strategy and counsel and coordinating partnerships between Cru and other Christian organizations. He gave direction to the Finishing the Task Movement, which seeks to engage the last unengaged and unreached people groups of the world. He also authored several books, including The Explo Story: A Plan to Change the World (1972), The Touch of Jesus (2002) and I Just Saw Jesus: The JESUS Film (2016).

Paul died on May 24, 2023, in Southern California. He was 80 years old. He and his first wife Kathy were married for almost 50 years and served on Cru staff together before her death in 2019. Paul re-married in 2020 and is survived by his wife, Rena, two grown children, Jennifer and Jon, and six grandchildren.

Read more about Paul

Honoring Paul Eshleman’s Memory

Have you been touched or impacted by Paul’s life and ministry? You can honor his memory in a couple of ways.

1. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Animated Story of Jesus, a new Jesus Film Project initiative close to Paul’s heart.

Watch this video to learn more:

Memorial gifts may be sent to:
Jesus Film Project
Living Memorials: Paul Eshleman
27631 La Paz Rd., Suite A
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677-3917

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2. Leave a message on our Facebook page. Leave your memories and stories of Paul or share your condolences for Paul’s family and friends.

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Video Memories of Paul

Watch to hear powerful stories and learn more about Paul’s life and ministry.

“Only one life, twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”
–– C.T. Studd

Thank you for remembering Paul’s life, ministry and legacy with us.
God bless you.