10 notable Christian leaders, influencers who died in 2025
Arthur Blessitt – Jan. 14
Arthur Blessitt, an evangelist who famously carried a large cross over all seven continents and earned the Guinness World Record for longest pilgrimage, died at age 84.
Blessitt came to faith at 7 years old in the 1940s, preached his first sermon at 15 and was ordained at 20.
He gained notoriety for carrying a 12-foot-tall cross around the world, reportedly walking through nearly every sovereign nation with it.
Matt and Laurie Crouch of Trinity Broadcasting Network, which produced a film about Blessitt's journey, released a statement giving their condolences.
"His legacy is not in the estimated 86 million footsteps he took but in the countless hearts he changed, the lives he touched, and the love he tirelessly spread," stated the Crouches.
"How do you live a life of purpose and destiny? Arthur would answer, 'One step at a time!' This seems even more appropriate as he has taken his final step into the arms of Jesus!"
