Author: Elizabeth Mullins
From Equipper—Place-Sharing
Phil Doele Commissioned—Snellville, GA, US
On July 31, in the Atlanta area, I had the privilege to commission Phil Doele as the pastor of GCI Snellville. It was a blessing to have Elizabeth with me as we celebrated Jesus Christ and his unflinching love with the congregation. The day before, we enjoyed the retirement party for their former pastor, David Beckner, and his wife, Gayle.
Installing a new GCI Pastor is a wonderful experience. Within the congregation is a renewed hope through a refined vision in the Holy Spirit, an anticipation for the future, and gratitude for the triune God’s provision. Join me in praying for Pastor Phil and Esther during this time of transition.
Allow me to share a little about Phil and his family and vocational context. He’s married to Esther Carlisle Doele. Many of you will know Esther and the Carlisle family from Alabama. Esther’s sister, Jacquelyn Carlisle, is an elder and facilitator of our fellowship group in Montgomery. Please excuse their love for Alabama football! Their older daughter, Christianna, is a student at Georgetown University in the Washington, D.C. area and has served on our regional GC Next team and as a cohost for GC Podcast. Their younger daughter, Eula, will soon begin her freshman year at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Eula is following in her father’s footsteps by attending Yale. I can’t say enough about Christiana and Eula! They are exceptional young women and emerging leaders in our denomination.
Phil will not only serve as the pastor of GCI Snellville but will continue his full-time employment as an architect. Phil, we are grateful for your humble servant-heart and your deep love for God and your neighbors. Thank you for saying “yes” to God’s “yes!”
By Anthony Mullins
Regional Director, Southeast
OTW—Eugene, OR, US
Grace Communion River Road, just outside Eugene, Oregon, recently held a successful Outside The Walls (OTW) event. We invited neighbors to join us for fun carnival games, free food, and even summer snowball fights.
Our Love Avenue team wanted an event as welcoming as it was repeatable. “Christmas in July” seemed simple to explain and an instant tradition to draw people year after year. Throughout the training the acronym OTW became widespread. Looking Outside The Walls to serve our neighbors is important. 
Even so, I immediately saw OTW as ‘On The Way’ and for me, the event took on new meaning. The great commission is translated with the command, “Go”, but the Greek reads, “as you go.” In other words, ‘On The Way’ to whatever you do, make disciples.
I feared that a failed OTW would discourage our congregation from ever reaching out again. We have to remember that events are opportunities, not obligations. When we have fun engaging with guests, they are bound to want to join us on the way.
We made ourselves known in the community and started some good relationships with the neighbors who stopped by, but we learned we could have had better advertising and signage. Also, reducing the event from five to three hours could prevent wearing out our volunteers in the future. I look forward to seeing more neighbors at our monthly family nights, and we already have volunteers eager for our Halloween event.
You don’t have to spend a fortune or overwork the members of your congregation to attract people to join you in the body of Christ. Your congregation just needs to be welcoming and treat every guest as a new friend. I know that I picked up some friends on the way and am excited to see what God has in store for the future.
By Aleck Thompson
Associate Pastor & Love Avenue Champion
Devotional—Hospitality & Sharing Meals
Editor’s Note: Our overarching theme for devotions during the five months of the liturgical calendar called Ordinary Time is Jesus is sending his church. Using Michael Frost’s B.E.L.L.S. acronym as a framework, the topics will relate to missional living.
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- As “sent” people, we are invited to…
- bless others generously, in word and deed (July),
- eat with others hospitably (August),
- listen to the Spirit while engaging with others (September),
- learn Jesus’ teachings as a disciple (October),
- and, sent people share the good news with others (November)
We are ruled by the love of Christ, now that we recognize that one man died for everyone, which means that all share in his death. He died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but only for him who died and was raised to life for their sake. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 GNT
How great it is to be welcomed in a home where the love of Christ is obvious. You can see it but also smell it in the food prepared by the host and the warm simplicity that makes us feel at home. I have deep memories of the joy, the comfort, and the love I experienced around tables. They were real divine appointments.
In some of our French translations, this passage says, “We are pushed, squeezed by the love of God.” The Message says, “Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.” Hospitality is one of the products or fruits of this love. It helps strengthen bonds between brothers and sisters but also with the spiritually homeless around us. During Jesus’ ministry, many major events took place during meals, and miracles were performed. He showed us a wonderful way to relate with others and touch hearts.
The COVID-19 pandemic made us more suspicious about having people in our homes. Fear took root and affected our relationships.
Yet hospitality can still be shared in different ways in today’s context: at home with the required precautions or at outdoor gatherings and in our workplaces. For those who have mobility limitations, we can visit them in their homes. Hospitality can also be sharing pizza on a park bench or a drink after sport activities. Food brings people together. Let’s be intentional and innovative!
Meal-sharing blesses guests and hosts and is an ideal setting to share the bread of life in us. Just listen to the divine appointments Jesus has already taken for us, and we will be able to live for him and not for ourselves. Bon Appétit!
Jesus, as a sent church, we desperately need to experience and share YOU with our fellow neighbors. Holy Spirit, please squeeze our hearts by God’s love and open our eyes to see the tables you have already set for all of us! Amen.
By Betty Brunet
Women’s ministry coordinator and Faith Avenue assistant, Martinique
Pray Better
Dear GCI Family and Friends,
As I write this update, I am travelling to Fargo, North Dakota (Susan’s home state). From there, Superintendent Mike Rasmussen and I will head north and join the National Director of Canada, Bill Hall, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for a three-day conference with pastors and ministry leaders with the theme, “Welcome Home.” We anticipate a wonderful time of regathering after the Covid pandemic and a time of learning and inspiration. (I’ll write about this in our next issue.)
When I prepare to make such trips, I solicit prayer support from the extended Home Office family. Safe and uninterrupted travel is part of the request (especially with all the travel-related horror stories circulating in the news). In a book on Christian leadership I recently read, the author challenged us to think about better prayers, rather than just more or longer prayers. I surmised this to mean more thoughtful and more specific prayers. It caused me think about the words of James when he said, “You have not because you ask not.”
I have come to take a fresh look at prayer. Beyond my personal safety and comfort, plus a general covering of blessing on the meetings, what if I prayed about conferences and celebrations with more intent? Would you join me?
Lord, be with the presenters in their time of preparation. Give them the thoughts and words that the attendees need to hear. Bless them with creativity and passion so that the presentations of the gospel are exciting and move the listeners to action. Jesus, be in the hearts and minds of all who gather that there is a palpable sense of receptivity. Jesus, meet us in the informal gatherings – the shared meals, chats in the hallway, late night discussions, and even the difficult conversations that need to take place. Bring us together in a spirit of unity and harmony. May we deeply appreciate the opportunity simply to come together after this long season of being unable to gather. We join the Psalmist in saying, “How good and pleasant for brothers to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). Most importantly, we come together to raise up your name, Jesus, and proclaim you as Lord of our lives and Lord of your church. Jesus, we worship you and declare that we are here to seek your will and humbly ask that you empower us to be the church you would have us be. In your strong name, we anticipate your positive response to our requests. Amen!
May we also be in prayer for our weekly services and our neighborhood engagement. God is present in and cares about our Hope and Love Avenues. We’re soaking up Jesus’ presence when we pray, and his presence transforms us.
After the Canadian conference, Susan will join me, and we will jet off to Australia and Fiji. In late September, I am in the Philippines for a week, and I will then end my 2022 travel outside the U.S. in October with a trip to France. All of these are important gatherings that deserve to be covered in prayer. And just as we pray about the preparation and execution of these gatherings of God’s people, let’s remember to pray about the longer-term lasting impact that they have as pastors, leaders, and members return to the local expression of the church. Lord, continue to guide, bless, and empower our journey toward Healthier Church!
Going Forward on Our Knees,
Greg Williams
Death of Tommie Grant, Sr.
Mr. Grant is the father of Tommie Grant, Jr, pastor of Ladson, SC. We share in their grief and in their hope of resurrection.
The following is the obituary shared with Update from his family.
Elder Tommie Lee Grant, Sr., son of the late Archer Keller and Marie Taylor-Stroy, was born November 10, 1930. He departed this physical life on Sunday, July 10, 2022.
Elder Grant attended and graduated from the public schools of Holly Hill, SC. He was married to Josephine (Holman) Grant on December 22, 1949. He became a Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church member at an early age and served as a deacon. Later, he became a member of Grace Communion Ladson, where he was a faithful servant for more than 50 years. Elder Grant served as a pastor until his retirement.
Elder Grant was a businessman, a community leader, and advocate, particularly for the underserved. He had a passion for education and served in various roles, include Holly Hill School Board member and PTA President. He was a skilled tradesman in carpentry and brick masonry. He used both skillsets effectively to help his neighbors over the years. As a foreman with strong leadership skills, he led various teams in both trades to do the same.
Elder Grant is preceded in death by his wife, Josephine Grant, and four children, Johnnie Lee, Robert Lee, Nathaniel, and Joann. He leaves wonderful memories to be cherished by his remaining children, Clara (George) Martin of Summerville, SC; Tommie Lee (Robin) Grant, Jr., of Summerville, SC; Anthony (Valerie) Pelzer of Fayetteville, NC; Rose Marie Hamrick of Summerville, SC; Roger (Tracy) Pelzer of Minot, ND; and Donna Grant of Summerville, SC; and 40 grandchildren, a host of great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.
Cards may be sent to
The Grant Family
c/o Tommie & Robin Grant
115 Heritage Lane
Summerville, SC 29483
Death of Sandy Mayfield
Sandy is the mother of Update editor, Elizabeth Mullins, and mother-in-law to regional director Anthony Mullins.
At the age of 84, Sandra “Sandy” Suzette Mayfield died resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Sandy was born on June 12, 1938, in Clendenin, WV. She received her Bachelor of Education from Fairmont State University and loved being a teacher. She taught elementary school in Washington DC, Miami, FL, Cincinnati, OH, and Huntington, WV. She began attending our denomination in 1973.
Sandy is survived by her beloved husband of 58 years, Jim Mayfield of Winfield, WV, and her daughters, Emma Lee (Paul David) Kurts and Elizabeth (Anthony) Mullins of NC. Her four grandchildren in NC are Sarah (Trevor) McGuire, LeeAnna Gill, James Kurts, and Michael (Ashleigh) Kurts, and her great-granddaughter is Riley McGuire.
She adored her family, sharing meals and playing board games with them. She preferred to be outdoors, gardening (vegetable and ornamental) and birdwatching. She loved her pets, reading, and puzzles. She was one-of-kind, truly ornery, and “anything but vanilla” (as she always said about ice cream.)
Sandy is hidden in Christ, which is precisely why her life mattered and why she will be fiercely missed.
Retirement of Willie Williams
Join us in honoring Willie Williams, who is retiring as the bi-vocational pastor of GC Madison, MS.
Cards may be sent to:
Willie and Karen Williams
285 Dry Creek Road
Canton, MS 39046-8684
Congratulations, Willie and Karen! We are very grateful to you both for your love and faithful service to the bride of Christ.
We asked Karen and Willie to share their reflections.
From Karen:
After the passing in 2019 of our beloved pastor, John Novick, my husband became pastor of our congregation in Madison, MS. I believe he handled the challenges well as a bi-vocational pastor. It was a learning experience for both of us as many of our new responsibilities were unfamiliar to us. One advantage we had, however, was the prayers and support of our brothers and sisters in Christ at Grace Communion Madison.
We also had the help of our three daughters. Michelle donated her old computer to use for worship services. Jessica helped us set up the Facebook page for our local church during the pandemic. Kristina worked with the financial team to assist with completing the financial.
Even though our congregation does not have a new pastor to replace my husband, I am grateful that we are able to move forward as a non-chartered fellowship. It is my hope and prayer that we will continue to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as part of GCI and the body of Christ.
From Willie:
I am blessed by God to have an amazing Christian wife and sister in Christ! And she has been a very big help to me as a new pastor.
Karen is a great mentor to our three daughters, Michelle (son-in-law, Mekael, and our first granddaughter, Mia), Jessica, and Kristina. We are thankful that all three of our daughters are college graduates and have jobs.
My faith journey (a little over 3 years) as a “rookie pastor” has been amazing! It has been a journey with the prayers of the saints of Grace Communion Madison, and help of Jessica and Kristina, and the support of the home office, especially Anthony Mullins, my beloved brother in Christ.
I have been impressed with the deeply detailed resources of GCI. I believe I have grown as a student of the Bible—my favorite book! I will miss preparing sermons every week. I will also miss the warm and loving fellowship of our brothers and sisters on a weekly basis.
My retirement, though bittersweet, will allow more time for the needs of Karen and her aging, ailing parents. It will also allow me more time to relax and walk my dog in the woods. Additionally, I love sports, making walking canes/staffs, and gardening fruit trees, shade trees, and flowers.
Finally, my retirement decision was difficult but necessary. My adjustment to growing old is up to me. It is hard to say goodbye to yesterday.
Muphana Ngula’s ACCM Graduation—Lusaka, Zambia
The following is an update from John McLean, program director of Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM).
Congratulations to Muphana Ngula who has graduated with a Certificate in Christian Ministry from ACCM! Muphana is the pastor of one of our GCI congregations in Lusaka, Zambia. Additionally, he serves as the national Operations Manager (OM) and Board Treasurer. His wife, Jane, is the women’s ministry and children’s church leader. Having completed the six core courses that make up the certificate, Muphana is continuing his studies for the full diploma (10 courses) next semester. We congratulate him on his excellent efforts.
Let’s hear from Muphana, in his own words:
The ACCM Diploma course material is a treasure trove. It has opened my theological perspective from merely having theological information and knowledge to knowing a primary purpose of Scripture: the centrality of Jesus in all of Scripture.
The course has isolated major theological positions from peripheral issues. Looking at Scripture from an incarnational, trinitarian perspective unencumbered and freed me from many preconceptions. The course Jesus and the Gospels was an excellent starting point. The sequencing of the course modules made a lot of sense.
ACCM has deeply impacted my ministry. Each course brought me new learning opportunities. These days, I give room and grace to my brothers and sisters in the Lord to grow. I have come to terms with the Old Testament’s scheme of things in our incarnational, trinitarian theology. I am grateful to learn that my own Bible interpretations were clouded by personal biases and more by other people’s biases who are not acutely aware of the centrality of Jesus Christ in both the Old and New Testaments. The course has enabled me to understand that the Incarnation is the lens through which we must read the Bible. I have simply fallen in love with GCI doctrinal understanding.
I highly recommend this diploma course to anyone who would like to have a sound basis for both personal theological development and congregational leadership in GCI. Any preacher who would like to proclaim the word with clarity and sound doctrinal basis could benefit from ACCM.
