Category: Announcements

This report is from Sonny Parsons, senior pastor of the GCI church in Big Sandy, TX.

Greetings from Big Sandy! At the Chamber of Commerce banquet here last week George and Sarah Strub were named Big Sandy’s “man and woman of the year” because of their leadership and service in the community and their church. This prominent annual event is well attended by citizens from Big Sandy and the surrounding east Texas area. In the past ten years, seven of our members have been named man or woman of the year. One member has been named twice.

Also this year, Anna Peterson, daughter of GCI members Rick and Lois Peterson, was named “Miss Big Sandy”! She will represent our city in events around the area during the coming year.

Anna, George and Sarah will be riding in convertibles representing their honors in the Big Sandy Fourth of July and Christmas parades.

We are very proud of their accomplishments.

After over 47 years of faithful service as a GCI minister and church pastor, Roy Page retired at the end of January. Roy and his wife Sheila have faithfully served several congregations in Canada, most recently those in Vancouver and Prince George.

At the end of his final service as pastor in Vancouver, Roy called forward Craig and Debbie Minke to install Craig as the new pastor. Joining in the ceremony were GCI Canada director Gary Moore and Vancouver elders Bruce Edmonds and Mike Baker. Craig and Debbie are long-time dedicated and enthusiastic servants of the church in Vancouver.

Santiago Lange, GCI national director in Germany, and his wife Elke are pleased to announce the birth of their third grandchild, Charly Maduka Jr.

Charly was born on February 1 at the city hospital in Worms, Germany. The baby and his parents Charles and Sarah Maduka are all doing fine.

The GCI IT Department announces improvements to the GCI online donation system.

Individuals (members and others) who wish to make a donation or view their personal donation records, may now do so by going to a new donor services panel online at www.gci.org/go/donate (if a person does not already have a login name and password, they may obtain one easily using the login signup process).

The new donor services panel (see the header above) provides these features:

1. A means to donate by credit or debit card to a GCI congregation in the U.S., or to a GCI denominational cause.
2. A donor-controlled recurring donation manager—set it and let it automatically make monthly donations for you.
3. View your personal history of donations to GCI churches and denominational causes.

All donation information on this site is transmitted using a secure connection to protect personal information.

The GCI congregation in Pampanga, Philippines rejoiced on January 22 as national director Eugene Guzon ordained Milo Umlas an elder and commissioned him as the congregation’s new senior pastor.

Milo was joined on stage for the ceremony by his wife Nona, their three children, Milo’s parents, and the rest of the congregation’s pastoral team.

Milo has been active in his local church since he was a young boy. He is the son of Pio Umlas, a GCI elder and long-time member in Pampanga

The ordination and commissioning service was held at the local congregation’s newly-built, church-owned building in Bacolor, Pampanga.

Employees at the GCI home office in Glendora held a party on January 11 to say goodbye to Scott Wertz and his wife Barbara, and to celebrate Scott’s nearly 40 years of service to GCI as an employee in the GCI home office, most recently as the manager of both records and postal services.

Scott recently accepted a job in Indiana so that he and his wife Barbara can be closer to family (it’s what grandparents do!).

Joseph Tkach commented: “Although it feels like part of our family is leaving, we all wish Scott and Barbara every blessing as they open this new chapter in their lives.”

GCI elder Anthony Mullins recently relocated from Atlanta to the Denver area where he will split his time between serving GCI’s newly started Ground Zero Church as co-pastor and ministry coach, and serving GCI Generations Ministries (GenMin) as leader of GenMin camps and mission events.

A special service was held on January 22 to commission Anthony as Ground Zero co-pastor. The ceremony, pictured below, was led by district pastor Mark McCulley (at right) with Ground Zero co-pastor Aaron Armstrong (at left).

Anthony now resides in Centennial, CO.

We are saddened to announce the death of GCI friend and co-worker James Harvin of Long Island, NY.

James, who is the son of Eugene and Vanessa Harvin, died on January 23 at age 27, having lost a courageous battle with a rare form of cancer. Eugene is a member of the GCI church in Queens, NY.

The death of such a young and beloved man is especially painful and our hearts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

For additional information see the funeral home website at http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=James-Harvin&lc=1229&pid=155637681&mid=4971457&locale=en-US.

Cards may be sent to:

Harvins

14 Dubois Ave

Amityville, NY 11701-1534

 

We are saddened to announce that Verlantina Dizon died on January 12. She is the mother of GCI pastor and district pastor Bermie Dizon, and a long-time member of NewLife Fellowship, a GCI congregation in Pasadena, CA.

Verlantina was born on May 10, 1923 and devoted her life to her six children. Three of her sons are pastors and her only daughter is married to a pastor. She is remembered by her family as one who was dedicated to caring for her children and a woman who was prayerful, compassionate and resourceful. Friends in her congregation remember her ready smile, humor, involvement with the prayer ministry and regular Bible study attendance.

A memorial service in celebration of her life in Christ was conducted on January 15. Dr. Mike Morrison, Associate Pastor of NewLife Fellowship gave the message, “Death is a Defeated Enemy.”

Cards may be sent to:

Bermie & Carmelita Dizon

125 E Woodbury Rd

Altadena, CA 91001-5725

GCI media has posted videos of a “Free to Live” conference conducted for GCI by Trinitarian theologian Baxter Kruger.

The videos are posted at http://www.gci.org/media/freetolive. They are useful for personal study and as a curriculum in small groups or Bible studies.