As noted in this week’s GCI News section, GCI-USA recently held a New Pastors Orientation Conference at the Home Office. Here are short videos introducing two of these new pastors: Josh McDonald and Annette Nettles. In future issues we’ll introduce the rest of them. We encourage you to pray for these men and women, for their families and their congregations in times of transition for all concerned.
On YouTube at http://youtu.be/07PLsfPztwM
On YouTube at http://youtu.be/CCFCe5biKwM
Here from The Big Sandy-Hawkins Journal newspaper is an article that tells about Jane Parsons, wife of retired GCI Pastor Sonny Parsons. Sonny and Jane live in Big Sandy, Texas where Sonny pastored GCI’s congregation for many years.
Jane was Miss Mississippi and a finalist for Miss USA in 1963. In Long Beach, CA, she competed with contestants from all 50 states and the nations of the world for the title of Miss International Beauty. Johnny Carson, host of “The Tonight Show,” selected Jane as the Mississippi representative from young ladies from all over the state. In 1962, Jane was selected as Miss Tammy Teenager from 48 contestants from Mississippi and represented the state in New Orleans for the premier showing of one of the top movies that year, “Tammy Tell Me True.” There she met with the stars. Tammy was played by teen heart throb Sandra Dee and her costar was John Gavin, who eventually became the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. In 1964, she would have been named Miss Mississippi in the Miss Universe contest, but when the judges found out she was engaged, she was named first alternate.
Jane was a licensed midwife in Mississippi for several years during the 60’s and 70’s. She assisted in more than 40 home birth deliveries. She was active in leadership with high school girls and served as President of the Future Nurses program. Jane has always enjoyed serving and helping people. While in Big Sandy she was in charge of the “Meals on Wheels” program for a couple of years.
Jane has been married to her high school sweetheart, Sonny Parsons, for 52 years (they dated for five years before marrying). They had two children Todd and Amy. In their wedding, Jane had a song sung from the book of Ruth that says “…wherever thou goest, I will go.” That day, she didn’t realize just how far that promise would take her. Jane loves to travel and has visited from Oslo to Berlin, Paris to London, Ireland to New Zealand, Rome to Australia, Alaska to Jordon, Scotland to Spain, and many more countries as Sonny had speaking assignments at various conferences, often traveling for weeks at a time on trains and ships. Once, while crossing on a ferry between the north and south islands of New Zealand, they were caught in a storm with waves 30 feet high and winds over 80 mph. The trip usually took two hours, but this one lasted sixteen hours because of the storm that nearly overturned their ship. After arriving on the north shore, Jane was interviewed by newscasters. While driving from there to Auckland, NZ and listening to the car radio, the station interrupted the broadcast and said “We now have an interview with a survivor of the ship the Aratika. She is Jane Parsons from Big Sandy, Texas.” We broke out laughing.
While in Amman, Jordan at a conference where Sonny was speaking, Jane and Sonny were invited to a reception to meet with Queen Noor of Jordan, the wife of King Hussein. There they had the opportunity to speak with the queen, who was a U.S. citizen.
Jane was presented a “PHT” degree from Mississippi State University in 1965 by the University Vice President of Academic Affairs. “PHT” stands for “Putting Hubby Through.” She did this while working while Sonny was completing one of his five academic degrees.
Celestine (Cella) Olive is a long-time employee in GCI’s home office and a music minister at her home church, New Hope Christian Fellowship (one of GCI’s Southern California congregations). Recently, Cella and her husband Leonard were honored by being elected as “Volunteers of the Year” for the County of Los Angeles. Only 55 of the 33,000 volunteers working in L.A. County programs received this prestigious award.
Leonard and Cella (at right in the picture below) received their award at an event at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles (the award certificate is shown below—click to enlarge). In the brochure given out at the ceremony, New Hope Christian Fellowship was honored for participating in the Covenant for Kids Program in conjunction with the Department of Children and Family Services. The program brings to church children who are in the foster care system.
Josh McDonald is a new pastoral resident, serving alongside Dave Perry in GCI’s congregation in Indianapolis, Indiana. One of the elders serving in that congregation is retired GCI pastor Abner Washington. Josh recently interviewed Abner and posted the interview along with some of his reflections on Abner’s life on his The Indy Project Blog at http://theindyproject.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-way-it-was-talking-race-and-faith.html. We think you’ll enjoy reading the amazing story.
In August, a new cohort entered the GCI Intern Program (click here for details). We’re running a series here in “Up Close & Personal” to introduce you to some of these newest interns. This week we want you to meet Patrick Quinn, who is interning in Salem, Oregon.
With a degree in aeronautical engineering, Patrick could be pursuing a career in that lucrative field. Yet at the GenMin Converge conference last March, he sensed a call from God to vocational ministry. Here is his testimony:
While attending the Converge conference, my friend Anthony Mullins suggested I consider enrolling in the GCI Intern Program. I didn’t think too seriously about it at the time—I was still set on engineering. But the idea wouldn’t go away and after talking with Anthony again, I thought and prayed about it over the weekend of the conference.
The more I considered it, the more I felt called to the program and to youth ministry. I made the decision to put my life into God’s hands and join in the GCI Intern Program.
Giving up control is a strange feeling—more than a little terrifying, but it comes with profound feelings of peace and excitement. I’m thrilled to be following God’s plan for me in my life.
Patrick is now interning alongside Pastor Tim Sitterley in Salem, Oregon, where, thankfully, a couple in the congregation is remodeling their home to provide a studio apartment for Patrick to live in.
In August, a new cohort entered the GCI Intern Program (click here for details). We’re running a series here in “Up Close & Personal” to introduce you to some of these newest interns. This week we want you to meet Cara Garrity who is interning in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Cara graduated from Tufts University in 2014 where she studied music and biopsychology. During her years at Tufts, she committed her life to God. Through her Christian fellowship there, God gave her a heart for his kingdom. Over the summers, she worked at a Christian camp for girls where her passion for ministry was confirmed.
After graduation from Tufts, Cara accepted a year-round position at the girls’ camp, putting on hold her plans to pursue a Master’s degree in music therapy. In the months following her decision, Cara became increasingly involved in her GCI home congregation, Grace Christian Church (GCC) in Waltham, Massacusetts. Sensing God leading her to serve her church in some way, she accepted the opportunity to participate in the GCI Intern Program.
Cara is now a pastoral intern at GCC, being mentored by the congregation’s lead pastor, Dishon Mills. She is helping the congregation develop a young adults’ community, where through fellowship, discipleship and service, young adults are helped to experience the kingdom of God and grow into their identity in Christ. Her vision is for a vibrant community of young adults who encourage and challenge each other in their walk with Jesus, contribute their gifts to GCC, seek to proclaim the gospel in all they do, and sacrificially serve the communities in which they live. Cara and Dishon believe this community will be a place of encounter and participation with and in Jesus Christ that the upcoming generation of postmodern young adults yearn for.
Alongside her work at GCC, Cara is working in campus ministry with the New Humanity Institute at Tufts University and Boston College. In these ways, she is growing in love and in an ability to develop leaders, preach, guide Scripture study, and support and encourage young adults.
In August, a new cohort entered the GCI Intern Program (for details, click here). We’re running a series here in “Up Close & Personal” to introduce you to some of these new interns. This week we want you to meet Lakeisha Blake who was recruited into the program by Andy Rooney, who is ahead of Lakeisha in the program. Here is Lakeisha’s testimony:
I didn’t envision being a student again. But here I am—part of the GCI Intern Program, which makes me a student at Grace Communion Seminary.
In the last two years, my life has changed drastically. Between May 2013 and August 2015 I went from a secure and fulfilling job teaching sexual integrity, to being unemployed and living at home. During that time, God began an intensive work of renewal within me—helping me learn to depend on him moment-to-moment.
I learned how to receive from God, and he birthed within my heart dreams and desires way beyond anything I could ever accomplish on my own.
During the time living at home, I often questioned what God was doing and where he was leading me. At the encouragement of a friend who is already attending GCS as an intern, I checked out the program and began asking God if this was the next step for me. Then God reminded me of a puzzling dream I had months earlier, and gave me the assurance that this new opportunity was a partial fulfillment of that dream. With that assurance, I jumped right in!
Lakeisha is now being interned in Durham, North Carolina. Since there is no GCI congregation there to sponsor her, she receives most of her support from the GCnext fund. Shortly after her internship began, we received a call from a GCI church member who felt led to give a gift to the GCnext fund to sponsor Lakeisha for the duration of her internship. We thank the donor, and we thank God for leading the donor to be so generous.
In August, a new cohort entered the GCI Intern Program (for details, click here). Over the next few weeks we’ll introduce you to some of these new interns. This week we want you to meet Jaron Sanders.
Following graduation from Bethune Cookman University in Florida, Jaron returned to his GCI home congregation in Sacramento, California, where he now is interning with Lead Pastor Mike Swagerty (pictured with Jaron at right). Here is Jaron’s testimony:
Though it took me a while to discover, I came to understand that, at the most basic level, our purpose as humans is to glorify God. It was such a relief to discover this—it freed me from beating myself over the head with “What am I supposed to do?” The answer is that I am supposed to trust and follow God—to walk in a manner pleasing to him. The details will come!
In college I studied mass communications with the intent of becoming a broadcast journalist, but it did not fulfill me. At the time, I was throwing myself into extra-curricular ministry activities, and found that this is what makes my heart beat! Eventually I realized that I was called to full-time ministry. I love seeing people experience the loving presence of Jesus.
Jaron is receiving free housing from Tim and Linda Wakeley (pictured with Jaron below), a generous couple in the Sacramento congregation.
Welcome to the GCI Intern Program, Jaron. Our prayers are with you. And Mike, Tim, Linda and the Sacramento congregation, thanks for all you are doing to support Jaron at this important time in his life and ministry with Christ.
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To learn more about the GCI Intern Program, click here.
GCI-USA Regional Pastor Randy Bloom provided this update concerning Stephen Larison, son of Eric and Sue Larison. Eric pastors GCI’s congregation in Syracuse, New York. Randy had the honor of leading a special “blessing ceremony” for Stephen the day he left to enter the U.S. Naval Academy. At the end of the ceremony, all present sang the hymn mentioned below. Randy said it was a particularly moving ceremony (no dry eyes!), since Randy had performed a blessing of children ceremony for Stephen just after he was born.
It has been a momentous year for Eric and Sue Larison along with their son Stephen, who graduated from high school on June 28 and was inducted into the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) on July 1. Steve also had been offered appointments to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and a full ROTC scholarship to the University of Rochester. The decision was not easy, but Steve felt he would have the most opportunities by going to the USNA as part of the Class of 2019. Steve started classes there following “I-Day” and “Plebe Summer.” He is now serving as a member of the USNA’s Drum and Bugle Corps (if you watch a Navy football game you might see Steve performing in the half-time show).
An Eagle Scout, Steve has many other accomplishments to his credit. At his high school graduation, he received awards for leadership, community service, athletics, and academics, and his peers selected him to be the honors graduate speaker. Steve also received several scholarships including the Driver/Sweet Scholarship, one of the top scholarships offered to graduates from his high school (his father Eric received the same scholarship 37 years ago). He also was awarded the Lt. Patrick Kelly Connor, USN, Scholarship to help develop new leaders with Christian values in the United States Military.
During high school, Steve was active in his GCI congregation and in a local Young Life chapter. At the USNA, he is part of the a choir serving the USNA Chapel most Sundays during the academic year.
Steve’s GCI congregation in Syracuse now sings the hymn “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” (known as the “Navy Hymn”—click here to watch an excerpt on YouTube). The fourth verse of the hymn is the congregation’s prayer for Steve:
O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them where so e’er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.
Jeff McSwain (pictured at right), a member of the GCI-USA Church Administration and Development team, is national coordinator for the GCI-USA Intern Program. Jeff and his wife Susan were recently profiled in an article appearing in a Durham, North Carolina newspaper. To read the article, click here.
