Mary Bacheller was ordained an elder on January 15 during the worship service at New Life in Christ (the GCI congregation in Queens, New York). About 120 attended, with many expressing appreciation for Mary’s faithful service to our churches in the New York City area for over 40 years.
Mary’s ordination ceremony included several testimonies from those who have been blessed by Mary’s life and ministry. Elders from area GCI congregations joined in laying hands on Mary – ordaining her a fellow elder in Christ’s service. These elders have been especially appreciative of the way Mary opens her home for district meetings.
Members of the GCI family from around the country sent messages of tribute concerning Mary. Here are excerpts from three:
“Mary’s ordination comes as no surprise to Tammy and me. Not because she is a dear friend, but it has been our observation that everyone experiences some of the life of Jesus when in her company.” – Joseph Tkach
“Mary, I remember when my wife and I first arrived in New York City the Lord showed me that you are a humble vessel in His hands that He can use to raise up a new church. After seeing how the Lord was working in your life, all the trials you were going through, it was clear to us that you are a woman of faith and prayer.” -Allan Barr
“Mary’s love for God and for people has always shown brightly—even in times of great trial and the stress it brings. She is passionate about the church and its mission—showing herself willing to make great sacrifices to obey the Lord’s call to join him in mission.” –Ted Johnston
Mary is in the process of planting a new GCI congregation in Staten Island, NY, that will focus on ministering to and through deaf people. It will be called Hands for Christ Community Church.
On December 17, GCI pastor Larry Hinkle graduated from Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio with a doctoral (DMin) degree in Formational Counseling. Larry is the senior pastor of GCI congregations in Ft. Lauderdale and Port St. Lucie, FL and is GCI’s district pastor in Florida.
Larry’s doctoral work led to development of two GCI Ministry Development training events. Both offer a Trinitarian approach to spiritual renewal. The first is a three-day long spiritual retreat for pastors and ministry leaders. The second is a daylong seminar, which can be combined with the weekly worship service. For details, go to www.OdysseyinChrist.com.
We are pleased to announce that on December 17, GCI pastor Larry Wooldridge graduated from Philadelphia Biblical University in Langhorne, PA, with a master of divinity (MDiv) degree. Larry tells us that it took him eight years to complete the degree. Congratulations Larry!
Larry is senior pastor of GCI’s congregations in Meriden and Stratford, CT and serves as a district pastor in New England.
Birmingham, Alabama, will celebrate its 50th anniversary on February 12, 2012. Birmingham had its first service on February 24, 1962. It was the second church congregation of the Radio Church of God established in the Southeastern United States. Its closest sister churches were Memphis, Tennessee, and Big Sandy, Texas. We are pleased to have Joe and Tammy Tkach as our special guests. If you are interested in attending, contact Bob Miller for additional details [bob.miller@gci.org].
In the last issue of Weekly Update it was announced that Dr. Gary Deddo is now working part-time with GCI (going full time in July). Here Gary shares some details about himself, his wife Cathy and their three children.
Dr. Gary Deddo
I was born and raised in Glendale, CA, not far from Fuller Seminary— which I attended in the mid ’70s. I was nurtured in a Christian family who attended Glendale Presbyterian Church. The Sunday school and youth groups emphasized studying and memorizing the Bible, which I very much enjoyed and found meaningful. But I also had a lot of questions. Not doubting ones, so much, but more puzzles about the faith and how to live it. Many things just didn’t seem to fit together in a way that could be lived out. But faith in Christ, conversion, and continual growth in Christ were pervasive themes that I seriously took up, as much as I could at the time.
I became a biblical studies major at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. It was there that I began to get a taste of fully Trinitarian faith primarily from Dr. Ray S. Anderson. He taught at Westmont my last year there and then at Fuller, my last year there. He introduced me to the theology of Karl Barth and Thomas F. Torrance. I knew there was something in their understanding of faith that was fresh, deep, vital, renewing and, well, real! But I couldn’t put much of it into words, although I often recognized when preaching or teaching I heard went in a different direction from the path on which these two theologians were traveling. C.S. Lewis also seemed to have a few clues that kept me looking in certain directions for further growth and understanding.
Not sensing a calling to be a local church pastor, I pursued campus ministry, first at Azusa Pacific University, where I was assistant chaplain (to the Dean of Students!) and then, after a couple of years, switching over to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) campus ministry at the Claremont Colleges (in Claremont, CA) for 10 years. It was there that I was invigorated and challenged but was also brought to the brink of burnout in ministry. I had run out of spiritual gasoline.
As I contemplated what to do next, I happened to sit in on James B. Torrance’s (T.F.’s brother) extension courses for Fuller. It was there that I knew I should study with JB (as we came to affectionately call him) since he seemed to be on the same spiritual/theological path I was traveling on, just 100 miles ahead. So we (my wife Cathy, our one year old daughter, Linda, and I) packed up and went to Scotland. I went with the idea to ask him every question I could and read whatever he directed me to. Well, I thought it would only take a year. But as it turned out, I had more like three and a half years of backlog and unscrambling to do. And by staying that long and writing up my thoughts (according to a very specific format!) I would come back with a Ph.D. to boot. It was there in Scotland that so many loose ends came together that had been tripping me up for many years and hindering a ministry that was free and joyful.
Upon my return to the USA I took up IVCF campus ministry again, but this time on the opposite coast. I served at Princeton University and Princeton Seminary in New Jersey working with graduate students and faculty for another ten years. It was then I began to teach courses in theology for various seminaries and colleges. I haven’t stopped yet.
After ten years in Princeton, I made a shift out of campus ministry over to IVCF’s publishing branch, InterVarsity Press. I have just completed 12 years there, now, serving as senior editor, acquiring and developing new books with authors, about 20 per year. So that’s a different form of discipleship.
Of course, along the way I have also been active as member of various local churches. (I was ordained in California to the Presbyterian Church USA). So I occasionally preach, do Christian education, marriage counseling and officiate weddings. (Recently I co-officiated at my oldest daughter’s wedding.)
Cathy Deddo
My wife of 30 years, Cathy, also graduated from Fuller Seminary and served in campus ministry with IVCF for a number of years. She also has been very involved in women’s ministries teaching and doing intensive Bible study as well as retreats. She hosts a website on which she posts spiritual growth resources for laypersons and those serving in formal ministry. Cathy has led leadership training seminars for small groups and for leadership development in the church context. She has been the guest speaker at numerous retreats on topics ranging from “The Message of James” to “Building Loving Relationships” and “Learning to Worship the Triune God.” She and I have served as co-speakers at retreats. She is also currently working towards a certificate in Spiritual Direction at North Park Seminary in Chicago.
Cathy and I have three adult children. Linda is married, lives near Harrisburg, PA and is a hospice nurse. Our son, Greg, is in his senior year of college studying studio art. Our daughter, Krista is in her second year of college. She is planning on pursuing a degree in occupational therapy. Cathy and I co-authored a little booklet, God, the Bible and the Shack (IVP) and years ago the book George MacDonald: A Devotional Guide to His Writings.
Cathy and I look forward to getting to know more of you in the coming months and years as we join you in the privilege of participating in Christ’s own ministry through GCI.
GCI media announces the posting of a new 2-part Dimensions in Ministry interview with Steve Elliott concerning pastoral coaching. Steve, who was a guest speaker at the 2011 U.S. regional conferences, is president of Church Assistance Ministry, an organization providing training and coaching to church leadership.
Glen and Connie Weber, who pastor New Hope Christian Fellowship, the GCI congregation in Eagle Rock, CA, are happy to announce the arrival of their second granddaughter (third grandchild) on November 29. Born to Dennis and Carolyn Weber, Sophie Elizabeth Weber was 6lbs., 10oz and 19-1/2″.
For the last seven years New Hope Christian Fellowship (the GCI congregation in Eagle Rock, CA) has offered a Sunday morning church service at The Fair Oaks by Regency Park Senior Living Center in Pasadena, CA. The service, which is coordinated by GCI elder Ron Kelly, draws from seven to 20 people with various denominational backgrounds.
One of the most consistent attendees during the last five years has been Peggy Singer. On November 29 the Fair Oaks staff gave her a 100th birthday party. In attendance were the four GCI elders who routinely speak at the church service. The picture below shows some of the celebrants, including Peggy, some of her relatives, and the GCI elders and their wives: Glen and Connie Weber, Larry and Linda Helscher, Fred and Maryann Stevens, and Ron and Norva Kelly.
Curtis May, director of the GCI-affiliated Office of Reconciliation and Spiritual Mediation, has been invited by the COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) office of the U.S. Department of Justice to participate in a one day meeting focused on “racial reconciliation and police legitimacy.” The meeting, which will be held on January 11 in Washington, D.C., will focus on issues involving law enforcement and African-American communities facing challenges of violence, drug activity and high levels of criminal justice system involvement. Those invited to participate are police chiefs and other community leaders from a selection of cities that are focused on this issue.
We are delighted to report two recent elder ordinations and a pastor commissioning.
Gary Glenister of the South Wales (UK) congregation and Nestor Guspodarchuk of the Winnepeg (Canada) congregation were recently ordained as elders.
Lynn Lawrence
With the unanimous support of the elders and other congregational leaders, Lynn Lawrence was commissioned as the new pastor of the Montreal (Canada) English-speaking congregation. Since Lynn’s husband Dennis retired due to disability, Lynn has worked closely with District Superintendent Bill Rabey and the congregation’s elders in doing the bulk of the pastoral work.
Mary’s ordination ceremony included several testimonies from those who have been blessed by Mary’s life and ministry. Elders from area GCI congregations joined in laying hands on Mary – ordaining her a fellow elder in Christ’s service. These elders have been especially appreciative of the way Mary opens her home for district meetings.
Members of the GCI family from around the country sent messages of tribute concerning Mary. Here are excerpts from three:
