Portrait of John Ingouf. Submitted Photo
John Edward Ingouf, an International Mission Board missionary emeritus who shared the gospel in Thailand and Indonesia, died Jan. 18, 2026. He was 93.
John was born May 14, 1932, in Shreveport, Louisiana, to the late John and Blanche Crain Ingouf. He graduated from Byrd High School in Shreveport and received the Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University, Waco, Texas, and the Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist (Louisiana) Theological Seminary.
In the fall of 1954, John entered New Orleans seminary and accepted the pastorate of Union Baptist Church in Joyce, Louisiana. During his years in seminary, he commuted 250 miles one way each weekend to the church. John married Glenn Green on Aug. 14, 1956. In September of 1957, they moved to Hartselle, Alabama where John became pastor of West Hartselle Baptist Church and served several roles in the Morgan County Baptist Association.
While seeking missionary appointment John wrote, “My personal sense of a call to service on a foreign mission field has become more definite than ever before. I would say that this sense is based on several facts: the large number of people in the world who need an opportunity or a better opportunity to hear the gospel; the command from Jesus Christ that we, His redeemed, go and tell others how to be saved; and the impression of a personal call for me to go with my wife and child to serve the Lord in another land where preachers are not as plentiful as they are here.”
In 1960, the International Mission Board appointed John and Glenn missionaries to Indonesia. They lived in Thailand briefly before their arrival to Indonesia, where they served until 1989. During their years in Indonesia, John discipled new believers, planted a number of churches, taught theological education by extension, felt called to get more Christian literature available in Indonesian and worked at the Lembaga Literatur Baptis. John then served at the offices of the IMB in Richmond for 10 years as a regional associate. During their time with the IMB, John and Glenn also served together in various roles, including their ministry leading workshops on marriage and family, Sunday school leadership, and discipleship.
John was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years, Glenn Ingouf; a son, Michael Jonathan Ingouf; and a daughter, Ann Catherine Ingouf.
He is survived by his children: Susan Lafferty (Todd), John D. Ingouf (Casey), Julie Ingouf; his grandchildren, Becca Lafferty, Jenna Long (Josiah), Jonathan Lafferty (Ashley), Laura Ingouf, Anna Ingouf, Emily Ingouf; and his great-grandson, Theodore Long.
A celebration of life service was held Jan. 23 at Roselawn Funeral Home in Decatur, Alabama.
Donations in his memory may be made to the Lottie Moon Offering, IMB, 3806 Monument Avenue, Richmond, VA 23230, or online at Generosity Resource Center – IMB Generosity.
Read an obituary here.