\u201cI thought I was heading into oblivion,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was scary\u2014and exciting.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Huffman thrived in Florida, though, getting an opportunity to minister not only to the president but also to an island of young professionals who wanted to grow in their faith and a rotating cast of powerful people spending time on Florida\u2019s beaches and golf courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was careful to \u201cjust preach the gospel,\u201d he said, regardless of who was in church, and to remember he was preaching to everyone, not just the most powerful person in the room. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere may have been someone else in the congregation who needed to hear what I said more than the president,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re there to serve the Lord. That\u2019s the important part. Let the chips fall where they may.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The year after Huffman told Nixon to confess, he accepted a call to be pastor at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Pittsburgh, a prestigious pulpit at a respected and historic<\/a> congregation. Decision <\/em>magazine did a photo essay on the church while Huffman was there, naming it \u201cone of the great churches in America.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Read it all<\/a>.<\/p> We mourn the loss of Rev. Dr. John A. Huffman, Jr., beloved friend, supporter, and former board chair. His life and legacy shaped Gordon-Conwell from its earliest days. Please join us in prayer for his family.
Read more: https:\/\/t.co\/B5s9yM8dRw<\/a>
#GordonConwell<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/mc9Aj8LGtk<\/a><\/p>— Gordon-Conwell (@GordonConwell) September 29, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>