
Evangelist Who Carried Cross Around the World Dies
By Movieguide® Staff
Evangelist Arthur Blessitt, who gained recognition for carrying a cross around the world, died on Jan. 14. He was 84.
Born in 1940, God called Blessitt to ministry at the age of 15. He became an ordained minister by 20, and his heart for sharing Jesus’ love with others sent him on a journey that took him around the world.
He carried a 12-foot, 45-pound cross through over 300 countries, walking a total of 43,340 miles (over 86 million steps) over the span of 56 years. He earned the Guinness World Record for the “Longest Walk.”
“I have lived my life loving the people of the world sharing the message of Jesus, the cross and salvation,” Blessitt said.
A documentary called THE CROSS, which Movieguide® called “incredibly inspiring,”
captured his experience.
“…watching his story reveals his dedication to the Gospel that touched thousands of people,” Movieguide® said. “The movie shows how Arthur carried the cross and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ in war zones, Muslim countries, dense impenetrable jungles, crowded cities, deserts, and areas oppressed by poverty and squalor.”
Movieguide® Publisher Dr. Ted Baehr called Blessitt “a blessed and mighty many of God.”
The evangelist is survived by his wife, Denise Irja Blessitt, seven children, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
In a statement he wrote before his death, Blessitt reflected on the glory of heaven.
“What a glorious journey of life with Jesus my Lord and Savior. I’ve really been looking forward to this walk in Glory. These feet that walked so far on roads of dirt and tar will now be walking on the streets of gold,” he wrote. “Ready to see Jesus again! I rejoice in Jesus, now, and in the hour of my passing. ‘Father, into Your Hands Jesus I commit my spirit.’ I am home at last, this was my last trip!”