GCI Update

The testimony of the Christian life

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the millions of people still struggling in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy. Reports from GCI pastors in affected areas in the Eastern US and the Caribbean region indicate that our members were largely spared the worst (see the update linked at left). For that we are most grateful, though our hearts ache for the thousands who lost loved ones and property.

This week the US presidential election was held and President Barack Obama was re-elected in a bitterly-contested, often divisive election. Isn’t it ironic how elections can bring out the worst in people, while natural disasters like Sandy can bring out the best? It seems that when confronted with catastrophe, we set aside partisan politics to come to the aid of others. In the wake of Sandy, there were many heartwarming stories of selflessness, generosity and genuine heroism (though, sadly, there were also stories of looting and other selfish acts).

These positive reactions give us hope in the midst of appalling loss—pointing us to the time when loving one’s neighbor as oneself will not make news because it will be the way lived by all. Acts of selflessness and reconciliation are the heartbeat—the agenda—of Jesus’ Kingdom of love. And Jesus has commissioned us as his followers to share now, through the Spirit, in his Kingdom way of being and living. As we do, we give to the world powerful testimony to the way things can be.

I’m reminded of a letter written in the second century to a man named Diognetus. Though we don’t know who wrote it, or who Diognetus was, it is a powerful example of the testimony of the Christian life—in this case during a time when Christians were being terribly persecuted. Here is an excerpt:

Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign.

And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives.

They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law. Christians love all men, but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again. They live in poverty, but enrich many; they are totally destitute, but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonor, but that is their glory. They are defamed, but vindicated. A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult. For the good they do they receive the punishment of malefactors, but even then they rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life. They are attacked by the Jews as aliens, they are persecuted by the Greeks, yet no one can explain the reason for this hatred.

To speak in general terms, we may say that the Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body. As the soul is present in every part of the body, while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities of the world, but cannot be identified with the world. As the visible body contains the invisible soul, so Christians are seen living in the world, but their religious life remains unseen. The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any injury the soul has done it, but because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures. Similarly, the world hates the Christians, not because they have done it any wrong, but because they are opposed to its enjoyments.

Christians love those who hate them just as the soul loves the body and all its members despite the body’s hatred. It is by the soul, enclosed within the body, that the body is held together, and similarly, it is by the Christians, detained in the world as in a prison, that the world is held together. The soul, though immortal, has a mortal dwelling place; and Christians also live for a time amidst perishable things, while awaiting the freedom from change and decay that will be theirs in heaven. As the soul benefits from the deprivation of food and drink, so Christians flourish under persecution. Such is the Christian’s lofty and divinely appointed function, from which he is not permitted to excuse himself.

[From The Apostolic Fathers, ed. Michael Holmes, p. 541]

Your brother in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

Joseph Tkach (third from left) with some of GCI’s French members

P.S. Last week, following the GCI conference in the UK, I visited our French church’s Festival of the Kingdom held in Evian on the shores of Lake Geneva. European mission director James Henderson and his wife, Shirley accompanied me. As usual it was an encouraging and uplifting experience. Just before the festival, Gerard Stevenin retired from his various official roles in the church. We thank Gerard and his wife, Francoise, for many years of selfless service. The members of the church met in a special assembly while in Evian and unanimously nominated Dominique Alcindor to serve as president of Eglise Universelle de Dieuthe, the GCI association in France; and Marie-Angelique Picard to serve as president of Prudentielle, the business arm of the association. Just before we left, James and I offered a prayer of thanksgiving for the new leadership and for GCI in the nation of France.

Dennis Wheatcroft

Sidni and Dennis Wheatcroft

Dennis Wheatcroft has a distinction few pastors can claim—he is in a hall of fame. “While running cross-country at Fort Hays University, our team won the national championship two years in a row (1968-69). Just a couple of years ago, we were invited back to the university and inducted into their hall of fame.”

Dennis, who pastors GCI churches in Murphy, North Carolina and Chattanooga, Tennessee, and his wife, Sidni, celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary this year. What many don’t realize is that Dennis and Sidni were born on the same day, month and year. “However, I am nearly 12 hours older, since I was born in Kansas at 6:30 a.m. and she was born in California at 4:00 p.m.”

Dennis and Sidni have three married sons: Brad (Valerie), Brett (Beth), Robert (Jeminah); and five grandchildren: Madeline (8), Ella (7), Isaac (2), Kaitlyn (2) and Andrew (4 months). “We are extremely blessed to have all of our children and their families living in Chattanooga.”

Family is Dennis’ passion. “I see family as one of the primary ways that God reveals his triune nature. With the attack on families and the dysfunction that has become the norm; we lose this important revelation of God.”

Dennis grew up in a small town in Kansas and graduated high school in 1968. “Then I attended Fort Hays University for two years before becoming involved with WCG and attending Ambassador College in Bricket Wood England from 1970-74.” After graduating, Dennis was hired as a ministerial trainee and sent to Alberta Canada. After serving as a trainee for a year and a half, Dennis was ordained and became a pastor. In between Alberta and where he is now serving, Dennis and Sidni served in Wheatland, Casper and Sheridan, Wyoming; Billings, Montana; and Glendora, California.”

Dennis, who was recently asked to serve as a district pastor, said that being a pastor is both rewarding and challenging. “What I have most enjoyed about being a pastor is undoubtedly all of the people that we have had the opportunity to serve with over the years. It is always a privilege to participate in the transformation that Jesus brings, through the Holy Spirit, in people’s lives.”

When asked about his most memorable moment as a pastor, Dennis tied it in with his passion for family. “I had the opportunity to perform the marriage of two of my three sons. Those were special opportunities.”

Dennis says the transformation of our denomination has been amazing and he has enjoyed where God is leading us. “As difficult as it has been, the journey has been well worth it. This gives all of us a unique perspective about God and his grace. I enjoy participating in all that Jesus continues to do in his body as a whole and especially in our little part.”

When asked when he feels closest to God, Dennis said, “More and more I am learning to see God’s presence in all of life. Consequently, I feel close to God not only in intimate times of prayer and study, but as I am living life. Especially time spent together as a family.”

Odyssey in Christ

Retreat participants

GCI district pastor Larry Hinkle, reports that Odyssey in Christ recently completed a spiritual renewal retreats in Florida. The two videos embedded below are testimonials from retreat participants. Following the videos are comments from retreat co-leaders Charles and Carmen Fleming.

http://youtu.be/k_8dRS1ckfM

http://youtu.be/lR_Qui1INAo

Joy in the Lord!

Charles Fleming commented: “I have always valued and made an effort to practice the basic spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible reading, but involvement in this spiritual retreat ministry has exposed me to a range of additional formational exercises that are greatly enriching my own walk with God. And then there is the joy of seeing retreat participants experience a greater intimacy with Christ as they take time to use different formational exercises to position themselves in his presence. As the testimonials express, individuals are impacted in many and varied ways that transform and heal. Perhaps my favorite comments revolve around the themes of experiencing God personally and of growing to a greater awareness of personal value and significance.”

Charles and Carmen Fleming

Carmen Fleming commented: “In the past I have discovered the value of spiritual formation practices and have a longing for others to experience their great value as well. In preparation for leading the retreats, I have discovered many more spiritual formation exercises. It has been a joy to discover them and through them position myself to experience a deeper communion with God. This has given me more stability and health spiritually, physically and emotionally, though outward circumstances may not change. It is a thrill to listen to the comments of participants in our interactive sessions, as they experience what it feels like to get away from their busy schedules, many distractions and anxieties and position themselves to know God better and experience him more deeply. God meets us there.

Journey with the Master

A Journey with the Master (JWM) retreat was held recently in Bremerton, Washington with 12 participants. JWM retreats are sponsored by GCI Generations Ministries.

The topic of this retreat was Ministry with Jesus. Interactive sessions were conducted by GenMin director Anthony Mullins, focusing on what ministry is (selfless service), who may participate (all believers), what it might look like (messy and wonderful), and whose ministry it is (Jesus’). Many aspects of the retreat were led by the young participants and they did a terrific job!

If your district or congregation would like to host a JWM retreat, contact anthony.mullins@gci.org.

Preaching with imagination

This article from GCI pastor George Hart supplements the current issue of Equipper on preaching. 

No doubt many of us remember the Add Color speech from Spokesman Club. Its purpose was “to draw a word picture so clearly and colorfully that a few well-chosen phrases will engrave your key thought on the minds of your listeners. Make your subject live.”

Warren Wiersbe addresses this need in Preaching and Teaching with Imagination. When we hear the word “imagination” our thoughts may run toward the imaginary or fanciful—something that is unreal. However, that is not what Wiersbe advocates. His point is that preachers and teachers should use language that helps their listeners see (imagine) what the speaker is saying—making it come to life. For an example, read Psalm 23 where the writer uses imagery to help us see what he is saying.

Another example is found in 2 Samuel 17. There two people used two different approaches in trying to influence Absalom’s decision about his father David, who had escaped into the wilderness. Read the accounts in 2 Samuel 17:1-3 and 2 Samuel 17:7-13 and note the different approaches. The second, which incorporates the use of imagination, influenced Absalom to go against his trusted counselor, take the advice of David’s ally and spare David’s life.

C.S. Lewis said it well: “For me, reason is the natural organ of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning. Imagination, producing new metaphors or revivifying old, is not the cause of truth, but its condition.”

Death of Epeli Kanaimawi

We are saddened to learn of the death of Ratu Epeli Kanaimawi, the first elder to be ordained within GCI in the Pacific island nation of Fiji. Following is a tribute from Rod Matthews.

Ratu Epeli Kanaimawi

Ratu was a hereditary chief in his Fijian tribe on the island of Taveuni, hence the title “Ratu” (meaning chief) was the term of endearment and respect given him throughout the church in Fiji and among his friends. It is with the deepest sadness that I announce that he died on Sunday evening, October 28 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the age of 74, following a short battle with lung cancer.

Ratu has an amazing life story. He was a student at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia in 1965 when his attention was drawn to the church through The Plain Truth magazine. God’s work in his life led him to be baptized in 1974, ordained a deacon in 1977 and an elder in 1979.

His career path took him to the level of a senior civil servant in various government departments in Fiji and included the office of Director of Agriculture. He was appointed chairman of the Grants Commission of the University of the South Pacific which is based in Suva, Fiji – a responsibility that sometimes required him to visit the 12 extension campuses in other Pacific nations, including Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Kiribati. This turned out to be a God-inspired responsibility because when he traveled on university business, as an elder he also took the opportunity to visit the remote members we had in some of these nations.

As chairman of the Banaba Trust Fund, he served the people from the remote Pacific island of Ocean or Banaba Island who had been resettled on the island of Rabi in the Fiji group by British authorities after World War II. Ocean Island was a British owned phosphate island mined to exhaustion but not rehabilitated. Eventually it could no longer support the native population, and after an extended legal battle in the British courts, the Banabans were given some compensation for the “inconvenience” of losing their homeland to the business interests of the phosphate companies. For a time Ratu Epeli chaired a board of trust administrators to oversee the proper and expeditious use of the funds to best serve the Banaban people now settled in Rabi.

In 1986 he was asked by the Church to take on the role of a full-time employed pastor for the church in Fiji and some neighboring Pacific countries and left government employment to do so. During this time he also served as a negotiator for the Great Council of Chiefs of Fiji, playing a significant role in the negotiations to resolve the standoff arising from the coup attempt of 2000 and he was a leader in the Association of Christian Churches of Fiji. Then in late 2008, he was appointed by the Fijian government of the time as High Commissioner to Malaysia (equivalent of Ambassador within the British Commonwealth) and Ambassador to Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. This required him to reside in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

What was a remarkable honor quickly took on a different perspective when, within two months of his appointment, there was military coup in Fiji and the new leadership of Commodore Frank Bainimarama rescinded virtually all the Fijian diplomatic appointments overseas. Because of Ratu Epeli’s relationship with and appointment by the previous government and his involvement as an intermediary and negotiator in the coup of 2000, which had been severely misinterpreted by some Fijian powerbrokers, he was advised not to return to Fiji. So for the last six years he and Sofi, his wonderful wife of 45 years, continued living in Kuala Lumpur in virtual exile with the assistance and understanding of the Malaysian government. He simply turned his attention to serve with dedication the church in Malaysia, giving occasional sermons, helping with the church’s local magazine production and distribution and even as a van driver facilitating the travel of members to and from services each weekend.

He developed an excellent relationship with the Sidant Injil Borneo (SIB) church close to where he lived in the suburb of Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur. He was asked to conduct a Christian education course for their young people using our Discipleship 101 course. He also spoke occasionally to their congregation. More than 70 from this congregation joined with our members for his funeral service in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, October 30, conducted by Malaysian senior pastor, Wong Mein Kong. In addition to eulogies from GCI members, the service included a heartfelt and moving tribute to Ratu from Pastor Edwin Agong from SIB and a group of SIB youth sang a song. Pastor Agong plans to establish a scholarship fund for young people in SIB to be named after Ratu Epeli.

Throughout their six years in Malaysia, the Kanaimawis have dearly desired to return home to be with their children and grandchildren but apart from occasional visits to Malaysia, Skype© has had to provide the blessing of ‘virtual’ contact with the family.

In early October, Ratu experienced significant breathing problems and was advised by the doctors not to attend the church’s annual retreat and festival in the Genting Highlands because of breathing difficulties at that altitude. He had to have fluid drained from his left lung on several occasions.

These circumstances prompted Epeli and Sofi’s daughter Alisi, her husband James Panuve and their son Dovi to travel to Kuala Lumpur the week prior to Epeli’s death, so that all of his immediate family was present. He was cremated on October 31 and his ashes will accompany Sofi back to Fiji next week where a memorial service will be hosted by the Suva congregation.

Ratu was a man of exuberant spirits, with an always-positive disposition that reflected his vibrant faith. He was everyone’s friend, embodying a humble attitude of acceptance and service not often found in someone who held the high offices he did. He left a fine example and legacy for his country and for our fellowship through his life and family. He was one of those special people whom we eagerly anticipate embracing when we pick up on our relationship in the resurrected life around the table of the Lord. I know that Sofi and all her family appreciate your love and care expressed through your prayers.

Cards may be sent to:

Grace Communion International
PO Box 16697
Suva, Fiji

Superstorm Sandy

As of today, we’ve not heard of any GCI members in affected areas who experienced significant property loss or any loss of life. For this we are grateful, knowing how horrendous the damage was (see the pictures). We ask for continuing prayer for all who are suffering and grieving.

 

Here are prayer requests and updates received at the GCI home office concerning Sandy’s aftermath. If you know of others, please send them using the comments feature on this page.

  • Maureen Warkentin who works at GCI headquarters in Glendora reported that a woman from Bank of America in New Jersey called (on a separate matter) and reported that GCI pastor Tony Caputo was seen “visiting all the shelters [in New Jersey] after the big storm and helping lots of people.” Let’s pray for Tony and others like him who are on the front lines of the relief effort.
  • GCI district pastor David Gilbert reports that his electricity is back after a week. He visited Staten Island where there was horrendous damage and asks that we pray for all affected there.
  • GCI pastor and church planter Mary Bacheller who lives on Staten Island thanks God that her home was undamaged. Please do pray that electricity will be restored soon to the church where the new church plant meets–they are anxious to seek the Lord together.
  • GCI district pastor Larry Wooldridge reports that he reached most members of his church in Stratford, Connecticut, which is near the shoreline. All seem OK, and he and his wife Connie are thankful that power has been restored at their home.
  • GCI district pastor Timothy Brassell reports that all has been well among members in the Baltimore area, though the hurricane narrowly missed them. There have been power outages in the area and some flooding.
  • GCI Rhode Island pastor Luciano Cozzi reports that most of this congregations’ members are fine, with no significant damage to their homes, though he’s been unable to contact some members living on the coastline—they evacuated before the storm hit and have not been reached. The Rhode Island coastline experienced extensive property damage, but not as dramatic as the damage farther south.