This update is from Philippine members Carmina Gonzales and Beth Leyva.
Nine GCI members from the Philippines are now in Thailand on a “mission exposure” trip. On the trip they are visiting various mission opportunity sites along with Filipino missionaries already at work there.
Visiting and resident missionaries at an orphanage where GCI is doing outreach work.
This exploratory trip is in keeping with the goal that GCI-Philippines has for its congregations to become active advocates of mission work by praying, giving, welcoming, mobilizing or going themselves into the missions field. Prior to their trip, the group was given pre-field training by four GCI missionaries.
As seen in the picture below, GCI Canada director Gary Moore recently led a ceremony installing in the Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada congregation co-pastors Jim Miller and Keith Roberts.
Gary Moore (in the center) with Jim and Keith with their wives (at left)
We are happy to report the official launch of Grace Communion Fellowship on October 20. As we reported earlier, this church plant held three preview services in September and early October. Now they are meeting weekly as a new GCI congregation in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles, California.
About 95 people attended the first service. Of those, about 25 were visitors from neighboring GCI churches, helping out with this service. Thus church planters Angie and Saddie Tabin had about 70 new people attend who had been “gathered” through outreach to the surrounding community over the last 16 months. Although the Tabins primary focus has been reaching the Filipino community, there were quite a few Caucasian and African-Americans in attendance. It looks like God is planting a new multi-ethnic church!
Please pray for this new church. Here are four prayer requests:
For Angie and Saddie as they invite and train some of the new people to take on some of the responsibilities that members from other GCI churches have been temporarily filling.
For people to be open to gathering in small groups so they can be taught how to be disciples of Jesus.
That people will continue to attend. A typical church plant loses about 50% of those who first begin attending. Pray this will not be the case with Grace Communion Fellowship. Pray that they will not only stay but also invite friends and family so that the church will grow.
That our new members will begin carrying the financial load of the rent, advertising, etc. Having sufficient funds to pay the pastors of the new church would be a huge blessing.
While attending confirmation classes for the Lutheran church, David Gilbert felt God impressing on his heart to become a pastor. “Shortly thereafter, I attended a campaign featuring David Wilkerson, author of The Cross and the Switchblade. At that meeting I went to the front of the auditorium and confessed Jesus as my Savior. After that, I began reading as much material on the Bible as I could get my hands on. That’s where literature of the Worldwide Church of God comes in.”
That impression on his heart proved to be a calling and Dave now pastors two GCI congregations: New Covenant Community Bible Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Grace Christian Fellowship in Kenilworth, New Jersey. He also serves as a district pastor for GCI in the New York City to Philadelphia corridor.
Dave grew up in western Pennsylvania where his dad was a general contractor, building homes and churches. “I first attended WCG in 1969 after having been interviewed for Ambassador College by longtime minister Jimmie Friddle.” David was accepted to AC and attended from 1969 to 1973. “After graduation, I returned to Pittsburgh, where I held a number of jobs, including route sales, insurance sales, construction and finally personnel manager for an electrical distributor.
I served in the Pittsburgh church as an elder and was called into full-time ministry in July 1984. We moved to Ohio, where I served as Assistant Pastor under Dave Fiedler in the Toledo-Findlay circuit. In 1988, we were given our first solo pastorate in the Waterloo-Mason City, Iowa circuit. We moved back to Pennsylvania in October 1994, serving in the Philadelphia church. In 1999, I graduated with a Masters in Ministry from Biblical Seminary. Shortly thereafter, I began pastoring the Lehigh Valley congregation in addition to Philadelphia. In 2012, Lehigh Valley closed and I took on Kenilworth, New Jersey in addition to Philadelphia.”
Dave and his wife Hinka have been married for 37 years. They have two sons, David, who is a high school principal near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Nathan, who is studying pre-med and medical technology at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. They have one three year old granddaughter, Esther, born to David and his wife Anna.
Of Hinka’s involvement in ministry, Dave says, “Hinka is the quintessential pastor’s wife and has always been actively involved in children’s ministry, women’s ministry and being an encouraging ear for members and pastors’ wives.”
Dave enjoys hunting, the outdoors, archery and firearms, but his passion is “to help mentor a new generation of leaders in my churches.”
When asked what he enjoys most about being a pastor, Dave said, “Studying and teaching the Word of God and loving the people God has entrusted to me.” About being part of GCI, Dave said, “GCI is the only denomination I know of that gives genuine hope for humanity (Trinitarian theology).”
Dave gives credit to Don Lawson who was “always affirming and helpful to me as my pastor in Pittsburgh” and to David Fiedler who Dave calls “a very balanced pastor.”
Dave’s best moments as a pastor and with God revolve around his family. His most memorable moment as a pastor was when he baptized his own children. And when asked when he feels closest to God, Dave said “I have a wonderful marriage and I feel closest to God when I’m close to Hinka.”
This update concerning GCI district and church pastor Arnold Clauson is from his wife Trish.
Arnold and Trish Clauson
It has been determined that Arnold has prostate cancer, which has metastasized to the left hip that was causing him so much pain and to other bones. Thankfully, it has not spread to any vital organs.
Arnold is receiving advanced, non-traditional therapy with an Integrative Health Clinic in the Dallas area. This treatment has shown good results in Europe and a few clinics in the US. Because Arnold has never taken medications, he has responded “too well” to the cancer treatment, which have overwhelmed his kidneys, shutting them down. This is an obstacle since he needs his kidneys to continue to rid himself of the dead cancer cells. He is receiving dialysis as we pray that his kidneys will return to normal function.
Arnold is now in his 13th day in the hospital. So much has been done to him during that time that it is miraculous that he has survived. He continues to struggle with pain.
God is sovereign and we know that this situation did not take him by surprise. In fact, the day we learned that it “might” be cancer, God already had orchestrated a path by which we were given the name of the Integrative Clinic. We also know that God is good and knows what he is doing. . .even if we do not. We are in constant prayer for his will to be done, and for his guidance in everything that is happening. We cherish the prayers of our brothers and sisters in the ministry. Thank you. . .we love you.
Cards may be sent to:
Arnold and Trish Clauson 109 Melrose Circle Denison, Texas 75020
Why is it that atheists often are seen as rational and logical while Christians are seen as desperately clinging to their beliefs when all the evidence is against them?
It seems to me that some of the reasoning exhibited by atheists is anything but logical. For example, some of them are pressuring Congress to provide non-believing chaplains to serve members of the U.S. military who do not believe in God.
I am not making this up! Jason Torpy, president of the Military Association of Atheists and Free Thinkers (MAAF), noting that 23 percent of those in the military say they have no religious preference, claims that existing chaplains are unable to provide the “positive outreach and support” unbelievers need. Therefore, he concludes, non-believing members of the military should have chaplains who share their lack of belief.
A chaplain who does not believe in God? To me, that sounds like the ultimate oxymoron.
Reproduced with permission from Monte Wolverton
Though I’m sure you’ll get a chuckle out of the cartoon at right (by GCI elder Monte Wolverton), this situation is no laughing matter. How would an atheist chaplain counsel, console and encourage an atheist colleague? Would the chaplain remind them that they are a cosmic accident, with no purpose other than what they decide to pursue? Would they find consolation and comfort in being reminded that they are only a product of their genes and that their brain doesn’t really have original thoughts, so there is no reason for them to have anxiety before going into battle?
Some of today’s atheists would have felt right at home in ancient Corinth. At the time Paul wrote his letters to the church there, Corinth prided itself on its liberal, freewheeling lifestyle. The city’s “anything goes” approach was adversely affecting the church, and Paul’s letters were wake-up calls to the members, reminding them of their responsibility to come out of that world and embrace Christian values.
Paul wrote, “Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become ‘fools’ so that you may become wise” (1 Corinthians 3:18). He then admitted that he was one of those “fools for Christ” (4:10). I suppose that atheists today would say a hearty “Amen” to that! They consider Christians to be fools for believing in God’s existence and that Jesus Christ died for our sins.
But we are not the only fools. As Psalm 14:1 states, “The fool says in his heart that there is no God.” So both sides are fools. The question is—Who is the bigger fool?
Some atheists and other nonbelievers, seeing that they lack political influence, seek to bring unbelievers together under the common heading of “brights“—those with “a naturalistic worldview, free from supernatural and mystical forces.” Think about that—would atheist military chaplains encourage non-believing soldiers with affirmations that they are smarter than soldiers who seek comfort from God in whom these “brights” do not believe? It’s no wonder that many people see through the “logic” behind atheists’ arguments. Remember, that to be successful, atheists must prove that God does not exist. They cannot claim victory just because we believers cannot prove to their satisfaction that God does exist. However, we must also remember that exposing the weakness in the atheists’ argument does not, in itself, prove God’s existence.
We must be careful how we go about trying to prove that God exists. A common mistake is to claim that creation proves God’s existence by quoting Romans 1:20: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” But this verse does not say that creation proves God’s existence. Rather, it says that if we already believe that God is Creator, then we are able to see in the creation something of God’s own nature.
A stronger proof of God’s existence is the life of a believer who is being transformed—a person who, in relationship with God, through the Holy Spirit, is sharing in the perfect humanity of Jesus Christ.
Reproduced with permission from Matt Bors
It is often said that there are no atheists in foxholes. Like all people, when unbelievers find themselves in fear or torment, they need a reason for hope. They certainly don’t need an atheist chaplain who would reinforce their unbelief (as in the cartoon above). What they need is a caring believer who will offer the comfort and unconditional love that come from the one Source of eternal hope. More than anything else, such comfort, hope and love may get them wondering if perhaps God really does exist.
We asked last week for prayer for GCI district and church pastor Arnold Clauson (click here to see the previous request). Arnold had surgery today (October 16), necessitated by kidney failure. Trish Clauson tells us that the surgery was successful. Your prayers concerning his recovery are needed and appreciated.
This prayer request is from GCI Philippines director Eugene Guzon.
On October 15, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit Bohol Island in the Visayas Region of the Philippines. The quake, which caused the death of over 100 people as of the date of this update also destroyed homes, major landmarks, bridges and highways. The quake affected other provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao—some that had been devastated by a cyclone not long ago.
According to GCI pastor Romy Pusta, it appears that none of our members experienced loss of life. However, Romy’s own home was damaged and his family has had to relocate.
Due to the extensive damage in Bohol, the festival we had planned there probably will be canceled. It doesn’t seem right that we would be rejoicing while others are suffering. We hope to be able to assist people in need. Please keep us in your prayers.
Video and audio recordings of some of the presentations at the 2013 International Denominational Conference held in Orlando, Florida are now posted at http://www.gci.org/media/conference2013.
This update is from GCI-USA regional pastor Ted Johnston.
It was my pleasure and privilege to participate in a worship service on October 5 in which Rannie Childress was installed as the senior pastor of the newly-chartered GCI church in Attalla, Alabama (congratulations, Rannie!). Also participating were district pastor Dennis Wheatcroft, former district pastor Tom Mahan and Rannie’s former pastor Bob Miller. Our thanks to each of these pastors for their role in preparing Rannie for his new responsibility.
Left to right: Ted, Rannie and Shirley Childress, Bob, Tom and Dennis
You may recall Rannie’s story from an earlier Update post. This post continues that story, telling now how God led GCI Birmingham pastor Bob Miller to partner with Rannie and other members in first starting a Bible study, then planting the new church in the town of Attalla, east of Birmingham. A primary focus throughout has been to minister to men in nearby residential addiction-recovery programs. The story is told by Bob and Rannie in the video embedded below. By way of background, here are excerpts from what Bob wrote recently in his Birmingham church newsletter:
The Attalla church plant became a chartered congregation of GCI on September 11, 2013. It will be called New Outlook Christian Fellowship…. When I reflect back on how all of this came about, it’s an amazing story. We were trying to meet a need and were not following any carefully thought-out plan. It’s a though we were being carried along by the Spirit to an unknown destination… Our GCI church planting motto is: All kinds of churches for all kinds of people in all kinds of places. Three years ago Grace Covenant Fellowship (and a year later, Good Hope Community Church) began providing financial support for a worship service in a community called Hokes Bluff. We had no idea what might develop from this mission outreach… [though we] wanted to reach out and serve men who were in drug and alcohol recovery programs. God blessed those efforts, and in April the church moved to Attalla—a much closer location for those in recovery to attend…. Little did Rannie and I know 24 years ago when we first met—in prison—that we would one day serve in ministry together—let alone raise up a new church. We feel humbled and honored to be a part of this process.
Our thanks to Bob, Rannie and the other members of the congregations who sacrificially parented this new church. You have faithfully followed where the Spirit led. We are excited to think about what God will yet do in and through the Attalla church.
