Ronald J. Sider

Howard Ahmanson on a Most Conscientious Believer

I was saddened to learn about the death last summer of the Evangelical Christian activist and author Ron Sider (1939–2022). I’ve always found his ideas thought-provoking and have agreed with him in somewhat unexpected ways.

Before I came to Christ at age 23 in the peak year of the Jesus Movement, 1973, I had been taught that the main obligations of a Christian were to maintain one’s private devotions or “quiet times,” to attend and be involved in a church (though this was sometimes less important than the “quiet time”), to avoid sexual sin, to reach out and be a positive witness among one’s peer group, and to support world missions. We were in the middle of the first energy crisis, but nothing was said from the pulpit about good stewardship and conservation of energy. That was, I guess, “worldly” or something. As a child, I had heard in Sunday school that Christians were to be interested in the poor and in foreign lands. (However, I did not learn why I needed to trust Jesus. That had to wait till the Jesus Movement.)

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Howard Ahmanson has run the philanthropic operation Fieldstead and Company since 1979. Fieldstead concerns itself with applying a Christian worldview in all areas, especially the arts and culture. Howard’s personal area of concern right now is housing affordability and land use law. He writes at Howard howardahmansonjr.com. His wife, Roberta, is especially concerned with the visual arts. They live in Orange County, California.

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