Rick Jett, 1956-2023

On Wednesday, July 26, 2023, Rick Jett left this earth and began celebrating his eternal reward with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

I have been blessed to know Rick for the past seven years. For five of those years, he was my boss where I had the privilege of working closely with him and learning from him. I saw how Rick’s leadership, and the way he lived his life, impacted the IDES ministry.

Rick was focused on the mission, cared about helping the hurting, dedicated to the Word of God and passionate about spreading the Gospel. But what I remember most was his quiet dependence on God. Dependence on God is not just some Core Value stuck on our wall, it’s the heartbeat of IDES’ mission. Rick showed this to us. He lived it out.

Regardless of what went on around him (and he dealt with a lot), Rick was always solid, steadfast, and dependent on the Lord. Psalm 112:1 says, “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.” This was Rick. A great example, mentor, and friend.

- David Stine, Executive director of ides 

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith.”

In 1986, Rick was invited to join the IDES Board of Directors, a ministry which was founded by Nancy’s father, Milton Bates, in 1973. Rick served not only as a board member, but also as Treasurer, then for 10 years as Board Chairman.

In 2002 following the retirement of Richard Sprague, Rick agreed to accept the role of Executive Director at IDES, providing daily leadership to the staff, and overseeing all aspects of IDES’ ministry. As Rick accepted his new leadership role, Nancy began serving as his unpaid Executive Assistant. Together they have traveled extensively on behalf of the ministry, visiting hundreds of IDES’ supporting churches from Florida to Alaska, many U.S. disaster sites, and making on-field visits to IDES’ mission partners in several nations.

A few highlights of Rick’s leadership tenure include: 

• An increase in IDES’ annual budget from $1 million to $5 million, enabling IDES to greatly increase the ministry’s kingdom impact

 • The staff has grown from 6 to 14 members, allowing IDES to improve and expand its ministry services

• In 2005, following Hurricanes Katrina & Rita, IDES began mobilizing & deploying volunteers to physically help with disaster recovery in the USA - 35 homes were constructed in Pearlington, MS for hurricane survivors

 • In 2009 Rick served as president of the National Missionary Convention (now known as ICOM) 

• In 2010 IDES launched the GAP meal packing program to help with earthquake recovery efforts in Haiti (GAP now feeds chronically hungry people in several additional nations)

 • In 2012 Rick & Nancy were honored with the Outstanding Alumni Award at Ozark Christian College, acknowledging their faithful service and the significance of IDES’ ministry 

• In 2013 Rick and the IDES board launched a successful capital campaign (known as I3: Increasing International Impact) to relocate the ministry to Noblesville, IN 

• In 2014 IDES took possession of its new headquarters and volunteer center, where we have been blessed by dozens of regular volunteers and hundreds of occasional helpers each year

• First in 2011, then again in 2015, Rick & Nancy taught at the Golden Triangle Leadership Conference in Thailand (which serves church leaders from several nations)

• Throughout 2015 & 2016 Rick led the effort to recruit partners and develop a ministry center which ministers to refugee families living atop a landfill near Mae Sot, Thailand 

• In 2018 IDES hosted an open house to celebrate 45 years of faithful ministry. IDES’ leadership also set goals for even greater effectiveness, preparing to follow where the Lord leads over our next 45 years!

• In 2021 a prayerfully prepared leadership succession plan was announced to our constituents. David Stine became IDES’ new executive Director on January 1, as Rick began a 9-month process for transferring leadership responsibilities.

The impact of Rick’s devoted leadership will continue to be felt for many years to come! Throughout Rick’s years of service, he made it a priority to foster a healthy culture of integrity, and an environment of unity among the IDES staff and board.

At Rick's retirement, the IDES' Board set up the Rick Jett Leadership Fund to help our churches and mission partners with their leadership training and needs. If you would like to make a donation in honor of Rick,  the family requests that donations be made to the International Disaster Emergency Service  and designated for the Rick Jett Leadership Fund. You can simply use the Donate Now button at the top of this web page or mail a check designated to the Rick Jett Leadership Fund to IDES 355 Park 32 West Dr, Noblesville, IN 46062.