We are saddened to announce the death of Ira Queener, father of Mark Queener who pastors GCI’s congregation in Belleville, IL. Ira died at age 79 on Monday.
Ira who lived in Mascoutah, IL was born in LaFollette, TN. He retired as a telephone maintenance foreman from Civil Service at Scott Air Force Base after 43 years; he then worked for several years at True Value Hardware in Mascoutah. He also worked at the Mascoutah Senior Center and delivered Meals on Wheels. Ira was a member of the First Baptist Church in Mascoutah and served as a deacon. He enjoyed gardening and was a US Air Force veteran of the Korean War.
Ira is survived by Martha, his wife of nearly 57 years.
Cards may be sent to:
Mark & Rhonda Queener 1108 Linden Place Mascoutah, IL 62258-5400
John and Naomi Biswas, Roger Lippross, and Robin and Arline Connelly left from Southern California on March 11 for a GCI conference being held in Bangladesh. They ask for your prayers for a safe, healthy and successful time.
This conference is of great significance in that it is the first ever Asian GCI Conference. Our members there are looking forward to presentations from visiting ministers and their spouses concerning various spiritual and physical health topics.
In my letter to you this week, I want to draw your attention again to an item we featured in last week’s Update. This was the report on the Generations Ministries (GenMin) annual conference, held at the Mt. Lebanon Camp and Conference Center near Dallas (click here to read that report).
Nearly 100 GenMin leaders and workers attended this conference, which GenMin call their “summit.” The great majority of these were younger people–and that is very good news for our denomination.
As one gets older, the questions we ask about the future begin not just with “what,” but “who”? This is not a new problem. The first Christians expected Jesus to return almost immediately and certainly in their lifetime. “Succession planning” was not a high priority. They were certainly not thinking two thousand years in the future!
However, as the years went by, they had to consider how the work would continue after they had gone. They had to consider the welfare of the church after their contribution had been made. For example, in Acts 20, we have the account of Paul’s farewell to the elders at Ephesus. Knowing that it was unlikely that he would ever see them again, he said:
What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God. And so this is good-bye. You’re not going to see me again, nor I you, you whom I have gone among for so long proclaiming the news of God’s inaugurated kingdom. I’ve done my best for you, given you my all, held back nothing of God’s will for you.
Now it’s up to you. Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people—God’s people they are—to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for (Acts 20:24-28, MSG).
Paul had learned that it is not easy to replace pastors and elders who would put the welfare of their congregations ahead of their own interests. He wrote to the congregation at Philippi, “I have no one quite like Timothy. He is loyal, and genuinely concerned for you. Most people around here are looking out for themselves, with little concern for the things of Jesus” (Phil 2:20 -21, MSG).
Timothy had proven to be reliable. But there was only one of him. So Paul advised him to “throw yourself into this work for Christ. Pass on what you heard from me—the whole congregation saying Amen!— to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:1-2, MSG).
I see some similarities with our situation today. Thankfully, our ministry involves those who are loyal, hard-working and faithful. But we are aging, as are our people. Perhaps if you are the pastor of a small congregation of older people, you might wonder about the future—not just what, but who will come after you?
Anthony Mullins (with baton) is commissioned as GenMin director by former directors Greg Williams (left), Ted Johnston (center) and Jeb Egbert (right).
That is why we should all be encouraged by the Dallas conference. Not only because nearly 100 young people attended, but also because some of our middle-aged leaders “passed the baton” on to another generation of young leaders, and moved into mentoring roles (see picture at left). In this way, their experience is not lost, while a new generation of leaders has the opportunity to build their own experience. This is vitally important for the future of GCI.
Our GenMin programs (camps, mission trips and young leader development programs like Journey with the Master) serve as “incubators” to develop the next generation of pastors and other church leaders. We will invite those who show promise for pastoral ministry into the GCI (U.S.) pastoral internship program, which I discussed a few weeks ago. We can help them receive a quality theological education through ACCM (undergraduate level diploma) and/or GCS (graduate degree).
Maybe you do not have many, or any, young leaders. However, think beyond your congregation. The GenMin conference shows that our denomination does have an up-and-coming generation of leadership, and we do have a future.
It would be foolish in this ever-changing world to be too specific about what that future will be like. New challenges, new conflicts and new technologies will continue to change the world, as they have in our lifetime. But whatever the situation, I know there will always be a need for men and women who hear and obey God’s call to pastoral ministry.
The conference in Dallas shows that we have just those people. Let’s give them our wholehearted support and encouragement. In this way we can all participate in the task of preparing for the future and moving towards the fulfillment of our vision of all kinds of churches for all kinds of people in all kinds of places.
The following report is from GCI member Vladimir Grishin.
Every year Grace Christian Community church in Frankston, Australia has put together Christmas hampers for the homeless in our area. We didn’t have much trouble filling 100 hamper bags in the past, but this year, due to declining attendance, we faced a struggle. So we prayed that God would help us fill the bags (though were prepared to settle for 60 bags – far fewer than in years past).
The day came and we set out for church with our car laden with goodies. Once we arrived, we placed the food on tables along with everybody else (32 people, five of whom were children under eight, two young teens and 12 adults on pensions, leaving very few wage earners). We then decided how many items of each food went into the bags. Then we picked up a bag and went along the side of the tables putting in the required number of items.
The bags ended up fairly full and, to our surprise, we had filled 100 bags! Also to our surprise, there was much food still on the tables. So we brought the bags back and kept filling them until the food ran out. Now all the bags were filled to overflowing.
We wondered at the time how it was that we had miscalculated so badly. It was only later that it dawned on us that we may not have miscalculated at all. We had been doing this for many years and not once had we miscalculated to that degree in the past. Loaves and fishes in the 21st century? We think so.
Copyright 1984 Doug Hall and Christianity Today International/BuildingChurchLeaders.com. Used with permission.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Many of you reading this are leaders in GCI churches and denominational ministries. And as the cartoon above suggests, sometimes you are inundated with offers of books, programs, consultants and the like that tend to emphasize efficient program management and guaranteed results more than what is central to Christian ministry—journeying with Jesus as he, through the Holy Spirit, fulfills the Father’s mission to our world.
Theologian and Christian martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer referred to what Jesus is doing in the world as our Lord’s ongoing “place-sharing” ministry. The gospel declares that the incarnate Son of God, through the Holy Spirit, is sharing the “place” or life situation with every person on earth and is at work acting on their behalf.
Many people are blind to this presence and activity of Jesus in their lives. We refer to these people as nonbelievers. However, Jesus, their true Shepherd, refers compassionately to them as his “lost” sheep (Luke 15:4). As believers who know Jesus as their Shepherd (John 10:11, 14), we are aware of his place-sharing ministry and his call to us to join with him in “finding” his lost sheep.
If we are to join actively in what Jesus is doing, we must hear his voice. We must discern the nature of his ongoing place-sharing activity in the world around us, and the nature of his call to us as a community of believers to join in. This participation is not a pre-packaged, one-size-fits-all program. Rather, it is a dynamic, active lifestyle that involves us in Jesus’ missional life, being lived out through the Holy Spirit in our world.
So what place, then, do programs and consulting services have in that context? Theologian Thomas F. Torrance referred to the church’s organizational structures and programs as “scaffolds” that, when used appropriately, can greatly assist the church in doing what it is called to do. Sadly, structures and programs can begin to take on a life of their own, being seen as the ministry itself, rather than as tools to facilitate ministry. When that happens, they become impediments to participation. Scaffolds can be a help to construction, but they can also be used as frameworks for hanging people! Obviously, we need to be selective and discerning in how we use them.
Thankfully, some books, programs and consulting services are helpful scaffolds. They teach us skills of discernment, and processes and approaches that help us join with Jesus in his place-sharing ministry. GCI U.S. Church Administration and Development (CAD) offers US churches one such resource. It’s called Transformational Church (TC) Consulting. It utilizes a survey instrument produced by LifeWay (called the Transformational Church Assessment Tool) that assists congregations in discerning the work that Jesus has been doing among them.
The survey is followed by a daylong Discovery Retreat. At this retreat, which is facilitated by a CAD consultant trained and certified by LifeWay, congregational leaders come together to clarify the Lord’s call to them to share more effectively in the work that he has for them. Following the retreat, the CAD consultant prepares a report that gives form to what the congregation has discerned and committed to do.
For information about CAD’s TC consulting services go to http://mindev.gci.org/services.htm (look under consulting services). For those who do not have access to a CAD consultant, it would be helpful to read and then discuss the book Transformational Church, creating a new scorecard for congregations (by Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer, B&H, 2009).
I am deeply grateful that God has given us a theology that grounds us in the love and life of Christ, and helps us understand more clearly the nature of his ongoing work, and thus of our work. This theology helps us to use wisely and effectively certain helpful ministry tools. My prayer is that our understanding of all these matters will continue to grow so that our ministry activity will be even more focused on what really counts—a life of place-sharing with Jesus.
At the recent Ontario, CA regional conference, GCI Pastor General Joseph Tkach presented a gift to James (Jim) and Hazel Roberts to honor them as Jim retires from full-time employment with GCI.
Over the years, Jim has worked in several GCI departments. Upon entering Ambassador College in Pasadena, CA in 1967 he worked part time as a custodian. Then beginning in 1969 he worked part time in data processing – a job that became full time when he graduated college in 1970. Over the years, his job responsibilities included being tape librarian, operations technical analyst and production analyst. Eventually he became the manager of the CIS Information Center.
Then in 1994, God called Jim into the ministry and he was ordained an elder. In the years that followed, he pastored GCI churches in Dayton, OH; San Francisco, CA and, most recently, One in Christ Community Church, the GCI congregation in San Leandro, CA.
Jim retired on February 10, 2012, after almost 42 years of full-time employment with the church. Our thanks and best wishes to Jim and Hazel!
GCI’s Generations Ministries (GenMin) recently held its annual summit at Mt. Lebanon Camp and Conference Center near Dallas, TX. The event was attended by about 100 GenMin leaders and workers. Activities included times of worship, presentations and break-out discussions. Plenary presenters included Joseph Tkach, Dan Rogers, Ted Johnston, Greg Williams, Mark and Anne Stapleton, Carrie Smith, Sarah Miles and Jeb Egbert.
A principal focus for the summit was to explore GenMin’s mission to help congregations build cross-generational communities that share actively in Jesus’ mission. A principal GenMin concern is helping churches identify, equip and deploy a new generation of ministry workers, pastors and church planters. Toward that end, GenMin programs are designed to be “incubators” of young leaders.
Anthony Mullins (with baton) is commissioned as the new GenMin director by former directors Greg Williams (at left), Ted Johnston & Jeb Egbert
This year’s summit was an encouraging demonstration of progress, with several “leadership batons” passed to younger leaders. GenMin director Greg Williams passed his baton to Anthony Mullins, who will serve as the new GenMin director. Following that, several GenMin camp directors passed their batons: PD Kurts passed directorship of Higher Ground Camp to Natalie Wendt; Anthony Rice passed directorship of YES Camp to Brandon Antwine; Jeff Broadnax passed directorship of New Heights Camp to Dishon Mills; and Jay Richie passed directorship of Pathways Camp to Aaron Frim. It was also announced that Darlene Davis will direct the newest addition to GenMin’s camp ministry family – Camp Oasis in Tennessee. Congratulations to these new leaders, and thanks to those who have served so well!
Mission Event Resource Team
It was also announced at the summit that GenMin has formed a Mission Event Resource Team, made up of leaders from GenMin short-term mission agencies and others with mission experience. The team met at the summit to brainstorm ways to help resource GCI congregations and ministries for conducting mission events of their own to reach out with God’s love both locally and globally.
To learn more about GenMin’s camps, mission events and other programs, go to http://genmin.gci.org/.
GCI Church Administration and Development (CAD) director Dr. Dan Rogers recently announced several CAD leadership transitions. These transitions, listed below, express CAD’s ongoing commitment to leadership multiplication in pursuit of GCI’s denominational vision: All kinds of churches for all kinds of people in all kinds of places.
Ken Williams
Ken Williams will retire later this year from his responsibility as GCI US Regional Pastor. Ken shared his thoughts on this milestone event:
I celebrated my 65th birthday in March, 2010 and started receiving my pension early the next year, while continuing to serve as a regional pastor. Though I love serving full-time in GCI, I realized that it was time to ask CAD to implement a succession plan to replace me. Dan Rogers agreed and thus we are now announcing this upcoming leadership transition. I will retire on June 30 of this year.
We are grateful for Ken’s visionary commitment to leadership multiplication, including his willingness to help prepare his replacement, Greg Williams.
Greg Williams
Greg will be replacing Ken as regional pastor in the Eastern two-thirds of the US. Greg is now working side-by-side with Ken and will take his place in this CAD leadership role beginning on June 30.
Anthony Mullins
Anthony Mullins has replaced Greg as director of Generations Ministries. Anthony has served for several years as part of GenMin’s core leadership team, which will continue to include Greg and Ted Johnston (both former GenMin directors).
Shirley Nelson, John Nelson and Rick Shallenberger
Long-time GCI member John Nelson was recently ordained an elder in the Pikeville, KY congregation. John was then commissioned to serve on the Pikeville pastoral team by district pastor Rick Shallenberger.
When the Pikeville church members were asked if they wanted to participate, the entire congregation came forward and laid hands on John and his wife, Shirley.
The following report is from Raymond Olson, pastor of The Harbor Missionary Church, GCI’s congregation in Juneau, WI.
Raymond Olson prays for Kishore.
My wife Denise and I recently participated in a three-week mission trip to India. We helped provide medical care to 1600 people in six camps. The congregation I pastor supplied money for medicine. Denise, who is a nurse, partnered with a local pharmacist named Kishore (who is also an evangelist and pastor), and three area doctors to provide medical care.
For three weeks we ministered to people’s physical needs while looking for opportunities to minister to their spiritual needs by talking about Jesus and the gospel. Those who showed interest were invited to one of the churches that Kishore oversees in the area. I had the opportunity to minister with Kishore in worship services. It was a very moving experience.
God is certainly moving with power in India. It was a great joy to be part of that movement – seeing people’s faith and the miracles that God provides to reassure them of his presence. It was a real eye opener.
We are saddened to announce the death of Ira Queener, father of Mark Queener who pastors GCI’s congregation in Belleville, IL. Ira died at age 79 on Monday.
