Obituary: Gustav Siebert - Active in the service of love

It is our most heartfelt wish to express our appreciation for Brother Gustav Siebert, for his life and work for the Lord, with this report:

Gustav Siebert was born on August 2, 1956, the fourth child in a devout family in Shezkasgan, Kazakhstan. At the age of 18, he was baptized, and at 23, he married Lydia, née Konradi. On August 2, 1988, Gustav and his family moved to Speyer, Germany.

In 1989, he was one of the founding members of Mission Stephanus e. V. On countless journeys, he brought humanitarian aid to the poor and sick of this world and proclaimed the message of the Gospel.

On July 15, 2001, Brother Gustav assumed the full-time chairmanship of Mission Stephanus. He organized countless shipments of aid to various countries. Throughout this time, he never lost sight of what truly mattered. He remained steadfast in his conviction that lost souls could be won for Christ through material and financial assistance, as well as by spreading a living faith. This was not driven by a sense of duty or a desire for recognition, but by love for God and neighbor.

The expressions of condolence are his testimony:

“Dear brothers, managers and employees of the Stephanus relief organization,

The news of the sudden passing of our long-time chairman, Gustav Siebert, has deeply saddened and affected us at Inter-Mission. We greatly valued him as a spiritual brother. His interactions with fellow believers were always encouraging and respectful. We are very grateful for the time we shared and extend our heartfelt condolences and deep wishes to his bereaved family. May the Father of Mercy and God of all comfort comfort those who mourn with the hope that Brother Gustav has completed his journey and is now with Him whom he loved since his youth and whom he served to the best of his ability. (Walter Fischer, Chairman of Inter-Mission Hannover)

"Dear Siebert family!"

The staff of Mission Speranta, Moldova, mourn with you and express our deepest and most sincere condolences to the relatives and loved ones on the loss of a dear and precious person. Gustav Siebert was a kind, intelligent, sensitive, and helpful man. He left behind a legacy of good deeds and many grateful people. For many, he was a source of guidance and support in life.

Let the hope of our future meeting with the Lord comfort your grieving hearts. We will forever cherish the fond memories of our friend in our hearts.

Your friends from Moldova

“[…] to mourn the death of a respected and distinguished gentleman who diligently served the organization and the church to improve humanity, especially in Mpigi, Uganda. Gustav was concerned with positively influencing the people around him, not with accumulating wealth. Indeed, Missionary Gustav was a true embodiment of this great wisdom, and therefore I am especially grateful for the tremendous support he gave to Stephanus Uganda.” (Naturinda Eliab, member of Stephanus Uganda)

On April 22, 2020, our chairman was bid farewell into retirement by a small group of volunteers due to the coronavirus pandemic. In his farewell address, he spoke of love in service. It plays a vital role in the work of the mission. Despite the many daily decisions, one must distinguish between what is important and what is most important, and often this decision is incomprehensible to outsiders and may even seem wrong. But the main motivation should and must be love, and it must be lived out.

His unexpected passing on July 13, 2020, is a great loss for the aid organization, for all his acquaintances, and for his family. Most especially, and above all, for his wife Lydia. We would like to express our deepest sympathy to her once again and our appreciation for her support of him in prayer and in his ministry.

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on! Yes, says the Spirit, they will rest from their labors, and their deeds will follow them” (Revelation 14:13).