Rosemary Jensen: Tribute
Dear former BSFers and Leaders in our Pampa class,
Today, I received notice that Rosemary Jensen, former BSF director during the years our local class met, died on Sunday, May 31, 2026. She was 96.
Through the ministry Rafiki (which in Swahili means “friend”), I continued to follow Rosemary, reading her blog, which she began writing in 2020 at age 91. I also received brief personal correspondence which strengthened the love and admiration felt for her. Her birthday each year on July 20 prompted me to send a card to again say, Thank You.
This godly woman deeply influenced my life, contributed immeasurably to my own spiritual growth, and nurtured my desire to help others know God through His word.
In a way, Rosemary brought Pat Kennedy and me together.
Mine and Pat’s friendship began with prayer. Pat came to my house each week, both of us praying to bring a Bible Study Fellowship class to Pampa. Once our applications were accepted, Pat and I trained at Bible Study Fellowship Headquarters in San Antonio in 1984, becoming the first BSF class in the West Texas region. Rosemary was the Executive Director 1980 through 2000––the same year our Pampa class closed.
Rosemary retired as Executive Director, devoting the remainder of her life to Rafiki and the Rosemary Jensen Bible foundation.
Mentored by these two godly women, I can only imagine the reunion of these friends in heaven.
What follows is a copy of the email notification I received:
LAST LESSON #249 — IN MEMORIAM
Dear friend of Rafiki,
It is with profound sadness, yet deep gratitude and hope in Christ, that we share the news of the passing of Rosemary McEachern Jensen, founder of the Rafiki Foundation. Rosemary went to be with the Lord on May 31, 2026, after a life marked by faithful service, steadfast vision, and a deep love for God’s Word.
Those who worked alongside Rosemary remember her as a woman of strong conviction and determination. Her work has left a lasting impact on countless lives throughout the world and for generations to come.
Rosemary had a clear sense of calling—to bring the truth of God’s Word to all and the gift of Christian education to Africa—and she pursued that calling with remarkable focus for decades.
Long before Rafiki, Rosemary and her husband, Dr. Robert T. Jensen, served as medical missionaries in East Africa, where together they helped found the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Tanzania. While raising their three daughters, Rosemary also taught at the International Elementary School.
Later, as General Director of Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), God used Rosemary to guide that organization to extraordinary growth over her twenty-year tenure, resulting in 971 BSF classes worldwide and nearly 250,000 people engaged in Bible study through the ministry. In 1985, Rosemary and Dr. Jensen established the Rafiki Foundation with the goal of helping Africans know God and raise their standard of living.
What began as a vision grew into a network of Rafiki Training Villages across ten African countries. These Villages support programs in classical Christian education, Bible study, orphan care, teacher training, outreach, and the marketing of handmade crafts made by widows. Thousands of children and widows have benefited from these schools and programs, receiving the doctrines of grace and the foundation for fruitful lives.
Key to Rosemary’s vision for long-term impact was a strong commitment to partnering with African Protestant denominations. This eventually equipped over 30 denominations and more than 35 seminaries with Rafiki’s Bible study materials, Bibles, and sound theological resources—laying the foundation for the discipling of millions of Africans.
Rosemary’s commitment to sound doctrine extended beyond Rafiki into the broader Reformed evangelical world. She was a member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, founded in 1994 by Dr. James Montgomery Boice, to call the church back to the theological foundations of the Reformation. Serving alongside towering figures such as Dr. Boice, Dr. R.C. Sproul, and D.A. Carson, Rosemary was notably the only woman among the Alliance’s founding council—a testament to her theological depth and the respect she had earned among the foremost Reformed leaders of her generation.
Rosemary authored two books, Praying the Attributes of God and Living the Words of Jesus, both of which encouraged numerous Christians in their walk with the Lord. She also edited Humble Heroes, a collection of biographical sketches of African church leaders.
In her later years, Rosemary founded the Rosemary Jensen Bible Foundation, which helped catalyze the distribution of over half a million Bibles through the Rafiki Foundation across ten African countries. Pastors, church leaders, and children all benefited from receiving their own Bibles. She also served on the board of the Rafiki Classical Academy. Loved by the students, she was fondly known as “Grandmama Rosemary” and was a constant advocate for the school in the community.
Rosemary believed that lives are transformed through the truth of Scripture, and she worked tirelessly to ensure that children, teachers, and communities had access to that truth. Colleagues often spoke of her unwavering commitment to both discipleship and practical care.
A devoted wife, Rosemary made it a priority to share her work and values with her family, taking her daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren with her on trips to Africa. Dr. Jensen predeceased her, and Rosemary spent her final days in the company of her three daughters.
Rosemary is survived by her three daughters, Annie Jensen Holland, Katherine Jensen Cook, and Tova Jensen Kreps with their husbands Brandy, DC, and Israel; nine grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren; her sister Cecil McEachern Young, and her family; multiple nieces, nephews, extended family, friends, and the entire “Rafiki family,” including thousands of children in Africa and America who knew her as “Mama Rosemary.”
Though she was eager to be with the Lord and to be reunited with her husband, she will be deeply missed by the thousands she inspired to know God and serve Him.
While her earthly ministry has come to a close, her legacy endures in the countless lives touched through Rafiki’s work, the teaching of Scripture, and those who carry forward the mission she began. Rosemary’s legacy spans the globe from America to Africa and beyond, and we give thanks for her life and faithful service. We pray for peace and comfort for all who mourn, holding fast to the hope of eternal life through Christ.
Many tributes to Rosemary will be shared in the coming weeks, but the best way to honor her legacy is to pursue the mission God has given Rafiki with even greater zeal and a desire to bear abundant fruit.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 11 a.m. EDT at Saint Andrew’s Chapel, 5525 Wayside Dr., Sanford, Florida.
In lieu of flowers, Rosemary and the family request that gifts be made to the Rafiki Foundation in honor of Rosemary’s life and legacy here.
Grace and Peace,
Karen J. Elliott
To read more about Rosemary’s life and ministry, visit her
Of all the principles I learned from Rosemary, this stands out.
“You behave as you behave because you believe as you believe.”
Picture I took at the 50th anniversary celebration of Bible Study Fellowship.
