Category: Announcements

This update is from GCI-Canada pastor Craig Minke and his wife Debbie.

Allow us to share our joy in the graduation of our son Bryce from Langley Christian High School on June 14. He has worked hard and God has blessed him richly! Here’s what was read by the announcer when he walked up to accept his degree:

Bryce Minke is actively involved in the life of the church he attends, has provided student leadership around LCS for the past few years and is involved in community outreach with Nightshift Street Ministry in Surrey. Bryce will be attending the University of Waterloo for an Honors Mechanical Engineering Co-op Program. He is a recipient of the University of Waterloo’s President’s scholarship, a Dogwood District Award, BC Passport to Education awards, the Modern Language 11 award, and is the winner of both the Calculus and Chemistry departmental awards.

The most exciting moment was at the end of the ceremony when Bryce was presented with the Wes Geransky Memorial Award, which is described as follows:

The Wes Geransky Memorial Award is given to the student who best represents the goals of Langley Christian School. The recipient must show evidence of being a community builder, be serious about academics, be involved in leadership in and outside of the school community, be active in the extra-curricular program, have a heart of service, and must model a mature Christian walk. The award must be used for post-secondary studies and is valued at $4,000.

We are proud of Bryce and his achievements, and look forward to seeing what Christ will do through him in the days and years to come!

 

Congratulations to long-time GCI elder Randal Dick who graduated last week with a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Intercultural Studies. His research topic was the impact of patterned behavior in humans on the church and its mission.

As reported in a previous update, the Tabin family was approved by the U.S. government to immigrate to the U.S. where they will be planting a GCI church for Filipinos in Southern California. We’re pleased to announce that they have now arrived and are ready to proceed. Please pray that their transition to life in the U.S. goes well and that their church planting efforts bear much fruit.

New Life Christian Fellowship, the GCI congregation in Indianapolis, Indiana is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a church on August 19. Here are the details (click on the picture to enlarge):

GCI Canada’s 2012 Thanksgiving Conference will be held in beautiful Penticton, British Columbia from October 6-13. The theme for the conference is Renewed by Spirit. Participants will experience inspiring worship and teaching, uplifting fellowship and fun activities for all ages. Register now to take advantage of early bird rates.

Special guest speaker will be Glen Weber, who has been in full-time pastoral ministry for more than 39 years, starting in the UK, then Kelowna, Castlegar, Prince George, Regina, and Red Deer before moving to the U.S. Glen now serves as a district pastor and a senior pastor in Southern California. Other speakers are Gary and Wendy Moore, Roy Page, Dorothy Nordstrom, Keith Roberts and Craig Minke.

Activities include a tour and catered lunch at Linden Gardens in Kaleden, winery tours, a vinegar farm tour, and the usual favorites – the Thanksgiving Banquet, Thanksgiving Open House, dinner on the SS Sicamous, bike rentals, seniors’ luncheon, bowling, movie night, games night and a worship evening.

Visit http://www.gcicanada.ca/thanksgiving.php for detailed information and forms, or write to the following address to receive an information packet to be sent by mail.

GCI Canada Thanksgiving Conference

22899 14 Avenue

Langley, BC V2Z 2W8

Canada

Early registration closes August 1, so act now to take advantage of discounted rates.

GCI-USA pastoral intern Jason Frantz, his wife Julie and their children are moving from Ohio to start a new pastoral assignment in Kansas City, Missouri. Jason will be serving as an associate pastor being mentored by Ray Meyer who is a district pastor and senior pastor of the GCI church in Kansas City. The plan is for Jason to replace Ray as senior pastor when Ray retires in 2013.

Recently Jason and Julie were given a good-bye party by Christ Fellowship Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Jason interned for about two years with district and senior pastor Rick Shallenberger. Jason and Julie thanked the congregation for their love and support during their training. Then all present joined Pastor Rick in commissioning the couple for their new responsibility.

Rick pointed out that this was a significant moment, because it showed how effective the pastoral intern program could be. He said. “Jason and Julie are a living testimony that the intern program works. We were privileged as a congregation to help launch their career in pastoral ministry.”

Christ Fellowship Church’s launch pad is now empty, and the congregation is ready to help another intern – any takers? If so, email Greg Williams at Greg.Williams@gci.org.

Last weekend at the U.S. Regional Conference in Somerset, New Jersey, GCI president Joseph Tkach and superintendent of U.S. ministers Dan Rogers honored Ken and Nancy Williams on the occasion of Ken’s retirement after 42 years of employment in ministry with GCI.

Ken was born in Bell, California and lived in the Los Angeles area until joining the Navy at age 18. In 1970, he graduated with a bachelors degree in theology from Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas. Following graduation he entered the employed ministry.

Ken served first in pastoral ministry in Duluth and Grand Rapids, Minnesota. There he met his future wife, Nancy Strommen. They married in 1972 and had their first child, David, in 1973. In 1973, the young family moved to pastor the church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Their second child, Heather, was born in Benton Harbor in 1975. While in Michigan, Ken started a church in Coldwater and began postgraduate studies in communications at Western Michigan University.

In 1982, the family moved to pastor churches in Concord, New Hampshire and Montpelier, Vermont. Their third child, Michael, was born in Concord in 1982. In 1989, the family moved to pastor in Rochester and Syracuse, New York. While pastoring there, Ken began serving as a district superintendent. He also continued his postgraduate studies at Roberts Wesleyan College.

In 2004, Ken and Nancy moved to Sacramento, California where Ken served first as district pastor, then regional pastor and ministry developer. In 2007, they returned to Rochester, New York, home of their daughter Heather and their three grandsons. From Rochester, Ken continued in the employ of GCI until his recent retirement.

We wish Ken and Nancy many wonderful years ahead as they continue to serve our Lord and his children.

With Ken’s retirement, Dan Rogers has appointed Greg Williams to replace Ken as the regional pastor for the Eastern U.S. Greg can be emailed at Greg.Williams@gci.org or telephoned at 678.699.2017. His mailing address is 129 Timber Creek Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28739.

At the recent U.S. Regional Conference in Somerset, New Jersey, Pastor Luciano Cozzi and his wife Suzanne were honored for Luciano’s 25 years of ministerial service in GCI. GCI president Joseph Tkach, superintendent of U.S. ministers Dan Rogers and district pastor Larry Wooldridge presented Luciano and Suzanne with a 25-year service plaque and watches to thank them for their many years of service.

Luciano was first hired part-time in July 1980 as a student at Ambassador College in Pasadena, California. He worked first in the Custodial Department, then transferred to Library Services and then to the Italian Department. Later he took a second job on campus, working for Mail Processing’s Telephone Response.

In May 1984 Luciano was hired full-time to work as an editorial assistant in the Italian Department in Pasadena. In April 1988 he was transferred to Rome to serve as the editorial assistant in the Italian Office in Italy. Then in November 1988 he took on a second job, serving as a ministerial trainee in Italy. In February 1991 Luciano was ordained and became a church pastor serving churches in Italy.

In December 1996 Luciano left the employ of the church and returned to the U.S. Then in April 2000 he was rehired to work full time as the pastor of the GCI congregations in Providence, Rhode Island and Norwich, Connecticut.

In December 2009 Luciano developed the Biblical Counseling course for Grace Communion Seminary, serving as an adjunct professor there in 2009 and 2010. Luciano continues to pastor the Providence and Norwich congregations.

Congratulations and thanks to Luciano and Suzanne!

GCI Church Administration and Development announced the following list of recently ordained elders:

• Kevin Bean (1/1/12) Hamilton, Bermuda
• John Nelson (2/12/12) Pikeville, KY
• Richard Gray (3/3/12) Lakehurst, NJ
• Levada Bibbs (3/11/12) Tipp City, OH
• Jason Frantz (4/8/12) Cincinnati, OH (he will be serving in Kansas City, MO)
• Jonathan Henderson (5/19/12) Chaplain, US Navy

Congratulations to these men and women.

A couple of years ago, Jonathan Henderson, then assistant and youth pastor in a non-denominational church in Alabama, approached GCI ministry developer Ted Johnston to discuss his plans to become a chaplain in the U.S. Navy. Jonathan had learned about GCI from Ted’s daughter and son-in-law and was wondering if GCI would endorse him when he became a chaplain. Ted replied that though GCI was not registered with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide endorsements, it was taking steps in that direction.

It turned out that those steps were quite lengthy. In the meantime, Jonathan became a Navy chaplain and was endorsed by another evangelical organization while GCI worked its way through the registration process. That process was completed recently, and GCI is now set up to use services provided by the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) to endorse appropriately qualified U.S. military chaplains.

Upon learning that the denomination was ready, Jonathan again asked GCI to endorse him. We joyfully agreed to do so, and worked through the process with the NAE, the Navy and GCI Church Administration and Development (CAD). Then, in a ceremony during a worship service at the GCI congregation in Coventry, Rhode Island, Jonathan was ordained a GCI elder, serving as a chaplain in the U.S. military with GCI endorsement.

As shown in the photo below, Jonathan (in uniform) was accompanied at the ordination ceremony by his wife Nashisha and their four children. Also present were Jonathan’s supervisory chaplain, Commander Carl Trost (at left) and GCI district and church pastor Paul David (PD) Kurts (at right). On behalf of CAD, PD coordinates GCI’s endorsement and other forms of support for military chaplains.

Jonathan received his Master of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2004. He worked in corporate management for a few years and then served in pastoral ministry in a non-denominational church in Gulf Shores, Alabama, until he became a chaplain in the U.S. Navy about a year ago. He currently is stationed at the Naval Station in Newport, Rhode Island.

Please pray for Jonathan and his family in their ministry serving members of the U.S. military. During this time of extended warfare, chaplains are essential for the spiritual care and support of the nation’s military. If you know of other existing or prospective U.S. military chaplains who might be interested in GCI endorsement, please contact PD at paul.d.kurts@gci.org.