John Michael Haskell was born on July 3, 1944, in New Orleans to William Eugene and Sue Mauldin Haskell.

At the age of four, he moved to Greenville, SC, with his mother. While raising him, she extensively taught him the Bible. From a young age, John grasped both the overarching themes and minute details of the Scriptures, including the ability to list all the Kings of Israel and Judah, as well as the prophets who preached during their reigns. At six years old, his mother led him to Christ.

While attending Bob Jones Academy, John felt called to foreign missions through chapel messages, particularly convicted by Matthew 9:38. He believed that planting churches was God’s Plan A for his life, with no Plan B. II Timothy 2:2 greatly inspired him: “...what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (ESV).

On his eighteenth birthday, John joined the Air Force and spent four years in the Netherlands, a testament to how God works His plan in our lives in remarkable ways. After returning to Greenville and Southside Baptist Church on Augusta Road, he participated in the college and career Sunday school class, where he met Anna Kay Rosenau in 1967. They were married in May 1968. In 1969, Southside (Fellowship Greenville) organized John’s ordination and became the sending church when John and Anna Kay went to the Netherlands as missionaries in 1970.

John and Anna Kay served with Baptist Mid Missions for forty-five years in the Netherlands, where they planted and grew two churches—first in Breda and then in Bergen op Zoom. He recognized that this lifelong mission could not be accomplished alone; it was only through God’s help that it became possible. God blessed him with musical and artistic talents, which he used in his work with the churches. He painted biblical scenes, played the guitar, arranged music, and translated songs.

John was an avid reader, particularly fond of histories, and he enjoyed researching the Haskell family genealogy. His greatest pastime, however, was long-distance walking, often undertaking 40-kilometer walks; once, he even walked 100 kilometers (60 miles).

During their years in Breda, God blessed John and Anna Kay with four wonderful children, and later, twelve beloved grandchildren. He cherished his grandchildren dearly, despite not seeing the ones in America frequently. John is survived by his wife, Anna Kay, and their children: Hans (Anna Lisa), Heidi (Benny Vink), Chantal (Eric Anderson), and Ard (Erica), along with grandchildren Kai, Avery, Ian, Alistair, Gabriella, Eva, Linda, Alyssa, Hans, Lily, Connor, and Emma.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Baptist Mid Missions Foundation, Global Impact Fund, P.O. Box 308011, Cleveland, OH 44130-8011. For more information, visit www.bmm.org/give/global-impact.