Roger Merckx, a descendant of a pre-war Adventist family, has passed away at the age of 92. A pillar of the Franco-Belgian-Luxembourg Federation and a load-bearing wall of the Antwerp church.
Those of his generation laid the foundations for our development; he himself was a pioneer of the Adventist Church in Antwerp and the arithmetic brain of the Federation. In the Antwerp community, he served for many years as deacon before being appointed elder shortly afterward. He was the youngest elder in the history of the Antwerp church and had the longest service record in that role.
After completing business studies, he became the trusted confidant of his first employer. His honesty and straightforwardness earned him an important position where financial insight was crucial.
He married Elisabeth Carville, sister of the pastor’s wife at the time, Brother Jacques De Laere. They had three children: Rudy, Martine, and Chantal.
Elisabeth played an important role in his decision to accept the position of treasurer of the Federation in 1967. He managed the finances of the Franco-Belgian-Luxembourg Federation until reaching retirement age.
Sadly, Elisabeth passed away at a much too young age, which led Roger into a period of deep personal reflection. Later in life, he grew close to Maria Brouckaert. They supported one another in their later years.
Henri Van Der Veken, president of the Federation from 1986 to 1999 and therefore Roger’s colleague for many years, shared his testimony:
Roger became treasurer of the FBL when I was a young pastor. Previously, he had worked as an accountant for a company supplying amusement equipment for cafés, etc. Georges Vandenvelde, then president of the Federation, approached Roger and strongly encouraged him to bring his talents to the Federation. For Roger, it became a “calling” — otherwise, one does not work for half of their former salary and without bonuses!
Roger carried out his accounting and administrative work with dedication and humanity. In 1986, when I was appointed president of the Federation, I got to know Roger much better; our offices were next to each other, and our roles meant we saw each other nearly every day of the week. Speaking of offices: Roger’s desk was so tidy each evening when he went home that it looked as if no one had worked there all day. At most, a single sheet or file that would be dealt with first thing the next morning.
No procrastination. I often asked Roger something related to finances and whether he could get back to me within the next few days. “Yes, but I’m busy right now and don’t have the time!” he would reply. Yet, almost always within half an hour, he would bring me the answer! Everything was neatly filed and organized. As for figures, they had to be accurate to the last cent, even in summaries! “About” was a word he did not recognize in accounting. He was meticulous but also willing to invest when he deemed it appropriate or when the Federation Committee had approved a proposal.
A conscientious and loyal servant of God: theology in pure human practice! I carry with me a precious memory of him. Thank you, Roger, for who you were and for what you did and meant within the FBL.