My forty-five year old friendship with Dr. Wayne Mack began in the early 1980s through the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (NANC), known today as the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC). Dr. Mack had already been a foundational member of the organization, serving on its Board since its inception in 1976. In 1990, I had the privilege of joining him on the Board of Trustees—a relationship that deepened my admiration for his life and ministry.
Dr. Mack possessed a shepherd’s heart, marked by an unwavering commitment to the sufficiency and authority of God’s Word. He was driven by a deep compassion for those who were suffering or caught in sin, always eager to offer rich biblical counsel rooted in truth and grace. I count myself among the many who were personally discipled by him.
In 1999, he and the late Dr. John MacArthur extended a call for me to join him in a professorial role at The Master’s University and Seminary. Over the decades of board meetings, classroom instruction, co-counseling, shepherding at Grace Community Church, and countless hours spent engaging with his writings, one thing became unmistakably clear: if you cut Wayne, he bled Scripture! Every student and counselee who sat under his instruction knows exactly what that means.
Even into his 70s, Dr. Mack remained tireless in his service to the Lord, moving to South Africa to launch ACBC-Africa and continue his ministry of biblical counseling and training. Alongside his deep love for Scripture, he had a passion for The Pilgrim’s Progress—the second most widely read book in history. Fittingly, his own life mirrored that of Pilgrim: a journey marked by trials and triumphs, faithfully pressing onward to the Celestial City.
To his beloved wife, Carol, and their dear family, I extend my heartfelt condolences and love. While we mourn the loss of a faithful servant, we do not grieve without hope. I look forward to the day we will worship our Savior together once again—this time in glory.
With deep gratitude for his life and legacy,
Dr. John D. Street, Jr.
President, ACBC Board of Trustees
Distinguished Lecturer and Research Fellow
The Master’s Seminary
