A year ago today, the world lost a remarkable minister of the Gospel to a tragic car accident. This man had ministered to countless thousands of people in the course of his career, introducing many to the saving message of Jesus Christ for the first time, and encouraging many others in their everyday faith. Yet this man wasn’t a famous pastor at the helm of a megachurch, nor was he the author of bestselling books about Christianity. In fact, many of the people to whom he ministered every day—and you might be one of them—may not even have ever known his name!

His name was Dale McConachie, and he carried out his Kingdom work with a remarkable tool: his voice.

By all accounts, Dale was a gracious and generous person whose love for Christ left a mark on his family, church, and community. But you are more likely to have crossed paths with Dale (perhaps unknowingly) through his narration of the Bible. If you’ve listened to an audio Bible on Bible Gateway, you may have been listening to Dale’s narration; we’re privileged to host the NASB and HCSB Bibles that he recorded on our Audio Bibles page.

Take a moment to start up one of Dale’s audio Bible recordings by clicking here, or by visiting the Audio Bibles page and selecting the NASB or HCSB by Dale McConachie from the audio player there. Dale’s narration hits a sweet spot between being too noticeable and being too bland; his approach is almost conversational. He avoids the distraction of an overly-dramatic reading (contrast Dale’s straightforward reading style with a stereotypical “movie announcer” voice, or the ponderous and overly-serious reading style we often associate with ancient texts), while keeping a steady tone and pace that holds your attention. Finding that balance is key for a successful Bible narration, which holds a much greater weight and responsibility than, say, the audio narration of a popular novel. It sounds like Dale is sitting right there next to you, reading the Scripture passages that he loves.

You can read more about Dale’s life and influence at this moving tribute to him, written in the aftermath of his sudden and unexpected passing. On this anniversary of Dale’s death, Pike Lambeth of The Lockman Foundation, copyright holder of the NASB, expresses well what Dale meant to those around him:

Dale had a gracious heart and a love for God that was clearly seen in everything he did. He had a strong passion for the Bible and reaching people with God’s word. He was blessed with a wonderful voice that he used to serve the Lord through his audio Bibles and they will continue his ministry on earth as he is now with our Lord Jesus.

Our contact with Dale at Bible Gateway was mostly limited to brief interactions related to his audio recordings, but his cheerfulness even in those routine communications left an impression on us.

It would be fitting today to honor Dale’s memory by listening to one of his audio Bibles. Or if you already have a different favorite audio Bible, take a moment to find out who the reader is, and let them know what their work has meant to you with an email, Tweet, or other method. And thank God that His faithful preservation of Scripture through the ages applies not only to the Bible in print, but to the spoken Word as well.