Dwight was born and raised in Idaho where he was active in his local church and many school activities. He graduated from Northwest Nazarene College in 1972, and earned a Master of Arts degree in religious education from Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO in 1974.  Dwight served in various ministerial capacities including youth pastor, executive pastor, and senior pastor in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.  He was also chaplain for the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue Department in Oregon.  Additionally, Dwight worked as Director of Christian Life Training for Nazarene Headquarters in Kansas City. 

In 1995, Dwight moved back to Kansas to serve as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at MNU.  In 2007, Dwight assumed the role as Assistant to the President for Church and Community Relations at MidAmerica, and he currently serves as MNU’s Director of University Operations. Dwight and his wife, Marita, have three adult children, Danna (Kevin) Dahl, Michael Douglas, and Lisa (Brent) Hazen.  They also have four grandchildren, TJ, Kimberlynne, Trevor, and Camden.

On Sunday, May 21, 2006, Dwight was admitted to the emergency room at Olathe Medical Center with severe flu-like symptoms.  The medical personnel quickly realized the severity of Dwight’s condition and admitted him to the Critical Care Unit.  The next evening, Dwight suffered a heart attack and had to be revived.  His heart was enlarged to 30% of its normal size and was beating erratically and inefficiently.  He was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. 

On Tuesday, Dwight was put on a ventilator and a balloon pump was inserted to assist his heart in pumping blood.  Doctors told Dwight’s family that they did not know if he would survive the night, but that if he did, they would discuss the possibility of a heart transplant.  That night, a great group of family and friends literally across the world lifted Dwight before the Lord in prayer.  God answered with a miracle and Dwight survived the night.  On Wednesday, Dwight was transferred to the Midwest Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, MO.  He underwent a heart transplant on June 8, 2006.    

Since the transplant, Dwight has used his experience to positively impact the lives of others.  St. Luke’s Hospital invited him to speak to a group of chaplains to share a patient’s perspective on how the chaplains could best minister to individuals and families facing serious medical issues.  The Midwest Heart Institute has also asked Dwight to mentor other heart transplant patients.  Along with his wife, Marita, he has visited many patients, answering questions from a patient’s perspective, offering companionship and encouragement, and walking with them along their transplant journey.  Some patients and their loved ones come to St. Luke’s from far away.  Dwight and Marita minister to the family members by providing meals and transportation when needed. 

Additionally, Olathe Medical Center invited Dwight to speak to medical personnel about patient care.  Along with his two daughters, Dwight visits patients and their families at Olathe Medical Center on a monthly basis, bringing care packages to help make the families’ time at the hospital a little more comfortable.  As a result of these monthly visits, some of the patients who have received care packages in the past have started to “pay it forward” by bringing care packages themselves.  Dwight has spoken to church congregations and groups of pastors about the physical gift of a new heart and God’s gift of a spiritual new heart. 

In December 2008, Dwight learned that a valve in his new heart was leaking excessively.  In February 2009, further testing revealed that the arteries of his heart were beginning to narrow and close off.  This is a complication that occurs occasionally in transplanted hearts.  The progression of this process is medically irreversible, irreparable, and unstoppable.  The result for Dwight is that he needs a second transplant.  In order to afford the second transplant, Dwight requested an extension of benefits on his insurance policy, but was told at that time that the extension of insurance would not be granted.  

During his illness, Dwight and his family experienced first hand the power of praying very specifically and asking God to supply their “daily bread.”  They are asking that you join them now in praying for some very specific requests:

• First, please pray that the narrowing and closing of the arteries would stop.
• Second, please pray that God would heal the valve leakage. 
• Finally, please pray that the funds necessary for a transplant would become available in God’s timing.

You may also ask, “In addition to prayer, is there a tangible way in which I can assist Dwight?” In fact, there is. Click here to find out how you can help >>