Category: Be Inspired

Ruel Guerrero, our pastor in Las Vegas, Nevada, learned at an early age that fighting has consequences. “My father was a boxing enthusiast. One day when I was about five years old, he coaxed me to punch our neighbor’s kid on the arm. The kid, who was about a year younger than I, was standing right in front of our house. I went outside as he instructed and punched him. The kid wailed so loud, I ran back inside and felt so sorry for him. From then on, I realized I don’t like hurting other people. I never got into a fight after that even when I was bullied at school.”

Ruel grew up in Manila, Philippines and stayed there until he was 16. “After graduating from high school in 1977, I immigrated with my parents to San Francisco, California. I then moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, where after eight months I enlisted in the US Air Force. On my first tour I was stationed at Nellis AFB, Nevada, where I first was involved with WCG. My sister and brother-in-law were attending WCG in the Philippines when I became interested. While stationed at Nellis, I found The World Tomorrow radio broadcast and began attending the Las Vegas congregation where I was baptized by interim pastor John Halford.”

After obtaining an early honorable discharge from the Air Force in 1980, Ruel applied for Ambassador College. “I attended there from 1980-83. After graduation I returned to Manila with the goal of serving the church there. Marilou (pronounced “Malou”) and I were married in 1985 and I gave up my US green card to continue serving the church in the Philippines.” Ruel and Marilou have four children: Jether (28, who is married and lives in the Philippines), and Joshua (26), Jonathan (23) and Janine (21) who are single and live in Las Vegas.

Speaking of Marilou, Ruel said, “She is my constant companion in ministry, whether at the weekly service, visitation, praying for the sick, teaching home groups, sharing Jesus on the streets, or just listening to God in the park. She is in charge of the congregation’s prayer ministry and helps with teaching worship in the children’s ministry. She is a constant reminder to me that God wants to see us free and that he is the God of miracles.”

Ruel was ordained an elder in 1992. “Around that time God had sovereignly opened my eyes leading to spiritual rebirth. I became assistant pastor of three congregations south of Manila. In 1994, I became pastor of two of those. But my stint as a pastor in WCG was short-lived. In the time of doctrinal turmoil within WCG in the mid 70s, we felt led to leave WCG and become members of Vineyard Christian Fellowship in the Philippines. We planted a church in that fellowship in southern Manila and sponsored another plant in southern Luzon island. We also participated in prison ministry, feeding malnourished children, serving the urban poor and an inner healing ministry. In 2003 I was asked to lead and chair the national board of the Association of Vineyard Churches (Philippines). We thoroughly enjoyed the work God gave us in that fellowship.”

A few years ago, Ruel re-connected with long-time friend, GCI district and church pastor Bermie Dizon. “He invited me to return to GCI and apply to become pastor of the Long Beach, California congregation. My wife and I prayed about it for a couple of months, then we were informed that the position was no longer available but Las Vegas was about to need a new pastor. It took six months of prayer before I finally heard clearly from God that he wanted me to apply for that position. I did so in October 2012 and was installed there as senior pastor in June 2013.”

Ruel and his family love camping. “We try to go at least twice a year. My children and I love to hike, and when we can, we join local hiking groups.” Ruel and Marilou also love to tour, “especially when we can combine sightseeing and missions.” He shared a story about a recent trip to San Diego, California. “We met a homeless man in front of the Catholic church, shared the gospel with him, led him to follow Jesus and baptized him. We gave him the local GCI pastor’s contact information so he could connect with Christians in town.” That evening, the couple was at the marina waiting for what felt like another mission opportunity when a Filipino family approached them. “They invited us to share in their picnic meal. When Mark and Anne Stapleton (pastors of the San Diego congregation) arrived to meet us, they also were invited to the meal. Before we left, we had opportunity to pray for the whole family and to give them Mark’s business card.”

When asked what he enjoys most about being a pastor, Ruel said, “Having the opportunity to point people to Jesus and help them develop a close and personal relationship with him. I especially enjoy helping stir the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit, guiding people towards the appropriate use of those gifts; also helping them realize the deep and personal love of the Father and encouraging them to share that love with others.”

Speaking of GCI, Ruel said he loves seeing the Father at work in GCI and following his lead. “I believe I am here for a divine reason—to discover that reason and join God in his mission. In Las Vegas, we are experiencing God’s favor in the congregation. We are learning to share the love of God with unbelievers, to connect with other believers, and to encounter Jesus 24/7, including gathering in small groups throughout the communities where our members live.”

Ruel says that his passion is “helping others understand that our worship of God is, more than anything else, the laying down of our lives for others on a daily basis. In that we follow Jesus who gave up his life for us all on the cross. This worship involves every facet of our lives and every facet of church life, including church gatherings. I want to see the planting of churches that express that kind of sacrificial love for others.”

Ruel’s most memorable moment was when he was invited to preach at a church in Manila. “I asked God what he wanted me to speak on, especially since I did not know the congregation and had no idea what they needed. God told me to speak on love and gave me John 15 as my text. I had to reread the whole chapter several times before it finally dawned on me that the central verse in the chapter was verse 13. That incident launched me into a lifelong search in the New Testament as to how the early church obeyed the New Commandment in verse 12 and followed Jesus’ example of laying down his life in verse 13. That search changed my entire ministry, ecclesiology and approach to following Jesus.”

Ruel feels closest to God when he is “walking out in nature and just listening to God’s voice. Sometimes he speaks to me ‘out of the blue,’ when its least expected. I realize it’s from God, because it’s so like how he reveals himself in Scripture and so unlike me in my brokenness. Generally, my whole day is spent talking with God. But the communication is profoundly intimate when he calls me to walk with him outdoors.”

David Botha’s first love was the game of cricket. Now pastoring GCI churches in Akron and Cleveland, Ohio, David doesn’t have nearly as much opportunity to play.

David’s love for cricket developed while growing up in South Africa. “Though in my early years we moved around a lot, I grew up mostly around Johannesburg. My parents met at Ambassador College in Bricket Wood, England, so I grew up in the WCG. I spent most of my time focused on cricket and field hockey. I also loved watching game in the wild and often went on vacations to game parks. A highlight of my youth was attending SEP South Africa three times.”

After high school, David applied to attend Ambassador and initially was turned down. “So I attended Rand Afrikaans University, where I studied Mechanical Engineering for a year and a half, before being accepted to Ambassador in Big Sandy. I graduated there in 1996. While there, I met Lynne Emery; we married in 1996.” David and Lynne have two daughters, Margaret, 14, and Madeline, 12.

After college, David and Lynne moved to Oregon and got involved in the local church. Soon they felt a call to get more involved locally. “We left WCG in 2002 to attend an evangelical church that was closer to where we lived. We attended there until early in 2006, when we moved to Mississippi to serve as field missionaries with Forward Edge International. We facilitated short-term mission trips doing relief work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.”

Based out of Moss Point, Mississippi, David coordinated and facilitated the work of teams in rebuilding homes and churches. During that time, David felt God moving him back toward GCI. “While in the mission field, we were supported by, among others, two GCI congregations then pastored by Glen Weber. Frequently he would ask me what our plans were for when we would leave the mission field in Mississippi. He wanted me to serve as a pastor in his district. This calling to pastoral ministry was confirmed in another confersation with Jeff Broadnax.”

David responded to this call and was hired into full-time ministry with GCI in 2008. “In November we moved to Akron, Ohio, where I now serve as senior pastor of the Akron and Cleveland congregations. We are now working diligently on a new church plant.”

Lynne is an integral part of David’s ministry “helping,” as she puts it, “in whatever way is needed—whenever and however that looks. It could be as simple as paperwork or babysitting, or as involved as moving to another state.” Lynne visits the sick and shut-ins, and she and David double-date on counseling sessions. She fills in to preach or to handle calls when David is out of town. Lynne said she “also runs interference when David’s overwhelmed, counsels those to whom he refers me, assists in the coordination/realization of events for missions or church, and facilitates mission teams. My first duties are to care for David personally, to spend inordinate amounts of time praying for him, to raise our children and to keep our home.”

When asked what he enjoys most about being a pastor David said, “Seeing people become the mature disciple that God has called them to be.” His most memorable moment was “getting to baptize my daughter.”

Talking about GCI, David said he loves “being part of a group that actually cares about others.” Ministry helps fill David’s passion of “seeing people grow in Christ.” Asked when he feels closest to God, David replied, “When I lean on him and he uses me, beyond my capabilities, to encourage others.”

Tom Ecker, pastor of GCI’s congregations in Beaumont and High Desert, California, has been affiliated with GCI since birth. “The year I was born my mother started listening to the WCG radio program, and for several years after I listened from my high chair. My mother and dad did not agree on religion, so I went to church with my dad until shortly after my parents divorced when I was 16. After that, I did not attend any church for about three years.”

Tom’s family moved from Kansas, to Beaumont, California, when Tom was five. As Tom tells it, he almost didn’t come with them. “I ran away from home, but stopped two blocks away when I ran into a huge dog. I stood there and cried until my mom came and chased me all the way home. It was good that I stayed around for the move to California as my parents chose to live in an area where we had two beautiful orchards with fruit trees, where I spent many happy hours playing with my friends.”

“I attended all twelve years in the Beaumont Unified School System, and enjoyed football, basketball and track. God blessed me with speed, so I lettered in varsity track all four years. I received good coaching from a man who taught me never to quit when things get tough. I was the starting halfback on the only football team in Beaumont history to win the equivalent of a state championship. I was also captain of the track team and set school records that held for a couple of decades. In my senior year, I was elected student body president. All these experiences taught me the value of hard work, the joy of being part of a team, and the importance of friendship.

After high school, Tom attended California Polytechnic University (Cal Poly) in Pomona for two years. “During this time my mother became very ill, and a lady in the church took her into her home and nursed her back to health. This impressed me so deeply that I was led to check out the church in more detail. I began reading The Plain Truth during lunch breaks. I read the article, “The Man Who Could Not Afford to Tithe” and my mother was surprised when I gave her my tithe check. She wisely handed it back to me and said, “You should send it in yourself.” I did, and began attending church about three months later. I applied for Ambassador College, and was accepted for the fall of 1970.”

Tom had many sport and leadership opportunities at Ambassador, which he said, “put ingredients in my life that led me to appreciate our collective calling. As a senior in 1973, I was asked and enthusiastically agreed to become a ministerial trainee, not knowing the great joys and sorrows that lay ahead over the next 41+ years. I was married to my first wife in June 1973 and arrived in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in July 1973. I served in a variety of locations in Canada for 21 years and now am in my 21st year of ministry in the USA, now in California.”

Tom and Alberta (Awana) have been married for over 18 years. “We met in a prayer group at the old HQ Auditorium—the first group on campus led by a woman, Alberta. She received permission to be leader from Joseph Tkach Sr. We prayed together in a group before we ever dated. Nine months later we were married by Joseph Tkach Jr.” Tom notes that Alberta continues to serve actively in ministry to this day.

Tom and Alberta have a large family. “Alberta has five children: Robert, Rose, Jerry, Jennifer, and Eugene. I had one son, Ryan, from my first marriage. Sadly, he is deceased. We have seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, scattered all over the United States.”

When asked what he enjoys most about being a pastor, Tom said that he and Alberta “enjoy the ongoing variety of serving God and ministering to his precious called-out-ones through five ministries that he summarizes with the acronym VASES: Visiting, Administrating, Socializing, Evangelizing and Speaking. “The acronym reminds us that in serving God in these ways, ‘the all-surpassing power is from God and not us’ (2 Corinthians 4:7).”

When asked what he values most about GCI, Tom said, “Alberta and I appreciate being in a church that is willing to change and grow—not afraid to learn something new, and one that appreciates the redeeming qualities of all cultures.”

Though Tom has had numerous memorable moments in ministry, he mentions one type in particular: “Attending or officiating at over 200 funerals. Each time I am reminded of how a funeral is a tribute to our great God, who has carried out his purposes and applied the fruit of Christ’s redemptive mission in the life of that person. This is both humbling and a cause for rejoicing, as I view funerals as a ‘graduation,’ knowing that this believer has died in the faith.”

When asked about his passion, Tom said it “is to bear witness to the amazing Trinitarian theological truth that the Father, Son and Spirit are involved together in the mission of Jesus Christ. This passion leads us to encourage people to recognize, realize, internalize and personalize the reality of the life of Christ Jesus as being their true life.”

Tom says he feels closest to God when practicing the various spiritual disciplines. “One of the blessings that Alberta and I share together is reading daily in the One Year Bible. Doing so provides us with a wonderfully balanced spiritual diet.”

Rex Dela Pena, regional leader and pastor for GCI in the Philippines, started attending WCG when he was five years old. “My mom started attending and was baptized in 1972.”

Rex, who grew up in Manila, is the youngest of four siblings. “I was the singer in the family. The oldest child was our pianist, so we had music in the house most of the time.”

As Rex grew up, he got involved in church activities and started attending SEP. “In 1984, I developed a crush on a girl named Sheila. Who would have guessed she would become my best friend and we would get married 14 years later!” Before that marriage, Rex attended Ambassador College, graduating in 1994. “I was asked to be a ministerial trainee right after graduation. I was ordained in 1999.”

Rex and Sheila have been married now for 15 years. “This December 6 will be our 16th anniversary. We do not have children. We have two fur-kids named Peanut and Miny (a mini-pinscher and a Jack Russell terrier).”

Sheila works full-time in sales, but prior to this job, she often traveled with Rex. “I was able to take her on different church trips and training sessions. During the time when I was serving as a camp director, she was the artist and the consultant I relied on in making sure that the operations went smoothly.”

When asked what he enjoys most about being a pastor, Rex said, “Getting involved in some of the most awesome life celebrations like baptism at youth camps, weddings, anniversaries and the like… and being there when life is at its most difficult for people, particularly times of bereavement.” When asked about his most memorable moment, Rex said it was in 2012 when he conducted the funeral services for his mom.

Rex’s passion has always been for the youth. “I have been involved with SEP since 1987 —serving as camp director for 14 years while assisting other camps in the country.” A new passion for Rex is photography. “Recently, I have started learning photography. I am an aspiring photographer and someday I hope to be featured in National Geographic! (It’s free to dream!).” Photography helps Rex worship. “I feel closest to God when I am photographing awesome scenery, including landscapes. I feel God’s love when I am surrounded by nature.”

Raul Ramos, pastor of Desert Oasis Community Church, the GCI congregation in Lancaster, California, grew up in Puerto Rico. “I moved with my mom and brother to New York City when I was 12. I learned English at that age. Being bilingual has given me opportunity to serve in speaking and training people who are Spanish-speaking. This has brought me to various countries as well as to translating duties at CAD conferences.”

While in New York, Raul began attending WCG. “I started around September 1964. My next-door neighbors, who were members, invited my brother and me to their home to share Bible study. After seeing their example, we decided to attend. I couldn’t have imagined then that I would someday marry their eldest daughter Sylvia.” Eight years later, Raul and Sylvia were married. “We have been married for 42 years. We have two sons. Steven Ramos (married to Elizabeth) lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They have 3 children: Elijah, Zoe and Josiah. David Ramos is single and lives in Fullerton, California.”

Raul felt a calling to serve God at an early age. “When I was a boy in Puerto Rico, I had a dream in which I was preaching to a group of people. From that time on, I felt God calling me into ministry.” Sylvia became his ministry partner. Raul says that she is involved in “almost every aspect of my ministry. My wife and I were very involved with the local church—serving, translating and visiting those who were Spanish-speakers. Eventually the Brooklyn-Queens church started a Spanish-language service, which I helped lead. We grew to approximately 75 members. I coordinated the service, gave sermons and conducted baptism and marriage counseling. As my responsibilities grew, I felt the need to be better prepared, so I applied for Ambassador College in 1982. Upon arrival, I was hired to serve in the ministry by Mr. Tkach Sr.”

Raul said he loves being a pastor and his most memorable moment was baptizing his sons. “I love God and I love serving him. The church is my family. My wife and I love to see new converts and maturing members grow in their relationship with our Triune God and with their family in Christ. There is no greater work on earth, in my opinion.”

Concerning his appreciation for GCI, Raul said, “Though it was difficult in the beginning, I believe that the transformation of our denomination is nothing short of a miracle.” Raul has had his trials. “About 18 months ago I went through renal failure and a diabetic coma with serious complications. I know that many were praying for me, and God raised me up. Thank you all for the prayers and thank God for his loving-kindness and deliverance. I am happy to still be above ground and pastoring part-time.”

When Raul isn’t serving the congregation, he tries to get out to enjoy his other passion, which is fishing. When asked when it is that he feels closest to God, Raul said, “When I am worshiping, I feel his presence.”

Robert W.T. McKinney, GCI senior pastor in the Bahamas, was born in Freeport, Bahamas. “I was born on December 19, 1961, then born again on December 20, 1981.”

Robert first became aware of WCG when only eight years of age. “I grew up in Freeport, where I graduated from Hawksbill High School in 1979. One week later I began my employment as a banker, and was fast-tracked to become a bank manager. My experience was to prove very beneficial later in pastoral ministry. I became pastor of our congregation in May 1995 after the senior pastor left over the changes. Prior to that, I served as assistant pastor.”

Robert was always interested in attending Ambassador College, but it took a dramatic event to get him to actually send in an application. “When my childhood friend Nathania Curling was accepted in 1984, my interest in attending intensified. At that time I was interested in her and the thought of losing her led to my applying. I was accepted the following year (1985). We were married a year later and continued as married students. We both graduated in 1989, and since then, she has been my partner in ministry.” Robert continued: “My wife and I thank God for GCI (she grew up in the church as well), and there is no other place we would rather be than right here with God’s people in this part of his vineyard.”

Robert and Nathania have been married 28 years this month (July). “We have three children, Robert Jr, (24), who is completing a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering Technology, Gabrielle, (22), who is a pre-med student at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad, and Ann-Marie, (12), who will enter the 9th grade in September.”

Robert says what he loves most about being a pastor and being part of GCI has to do with connections. “As a pastor I really enjoy seeing people connect with Jesus and begin to grow spiritually. I also enjoy performing weddings. I truly treasure our international and local connections as a church fellowship.”

When asked about his passion, Robert said, “One of my greatest passions is helping the young people see that Jesus and his way of life is really fun. I especially enjoy working with them at summer camps.” In his personal home life, Robert said he also enjoys gardening.

His most memorable pastoral moments include his family. “Over the years I have baptized a lot of people, but my most memorable moment as a pastor has been baptizing my three children. Other memorable moments have been planting a Sunday congregation in our fellowship and overseeing the purchase and acquisition of our church premises.”

Living in the Bahamas, it’s no surprise that Robert loves the beach. “I feel closest to God when I go to my particular spot on the beach, which I have been doing for more than 20 years. There I enjoy a nice, gentle breeze on my face, smell the ocean, listen to the waves lapping in and meditate on the goodness of God. I always find it to be a time of refreshing and renewal.”

Bharat Naker, pastor of GCI’s congregation in Adelaide, Australia, seemingly has been everywhere. He was born to Indian parents in Tanzania, Africa. “I lived in Tanzania for ten years, in India for two (at age 5 and 11), then at age 12 to 24 in London as part of the East African Indian diaspora. Due to family and church moves, I’ve lived on five continents, in six countries and in eight cities.”

Bharat says he had an enjoyable care-free upbringing, “playing in the streets late into the evening—marbles, cricket, hide & seek—in tropical Dar-es-Salaam.” Bharat was raised a Hindu. “My mother was very devout. I was the last born of seven children. She brought me up with stories from the Hindu scriptures. We would often sit in the evenings listening to and discussing these stories.”

Bharat says that David Nunn, one of his teachers in London, introduced him at an early age to the Bible in a religious education class. Though that didn’t have a significant impact on him at the time, things changed at age 14:“I was looking through a Reader’s Digest for free postage stamp offers and came across an ad for the free Plain Truth magazine. I thought, ‘why not—what harm could it do?'” Bharat started reading church literature and at age 16 converted to Christianity. “At age 21 I started attending WCG/GCI at the Indian YMCA in London.”

In September 1982, Bharat married Urvashi, also the youngest child in a large family. Their two families were interconnected from several generations in India and Africa. “We both come from religious and business families and have siblings spread over four continents.” Urvashi’s brother lives in Toronto and is married to Bharat’s sister. “We went to Switzerland for our honeymoon, followed by a week-long church festival in Bonndorf, Germany. John Halford was there that year and he strongly encouraged us, as newly-wed young Indians from the UK, to apply for college and see what God’s will would be. So we ended up in Pasadena, California, before our first anniversary.”

Bharat and Urvashi (“Katie”) attended Ambassador College from 1983-1986 and he was hired in 1986 by Joseph Tkach Sr. as a trainee serving with Abner Washington in Los Angeles. In 1987 he was ordained and sent to India where he served until 1990, then to Sydney, Australia, and then in 1992 to Sri Lanka, and then in 1997 to Adelaide, Australia, where he lives today. Bharat has been employed in ministry part-time since 1999.

The Nakers have been married for 32 years and have two sons. “Sawan, 24, is a law graduate. And Sajan, 22, is studying hotel management. Sawan was born in London, Sajan in Sydney.”

Of Urvashi, Bharat says, “I would not be in ministry without her—quite literally. When I joined the church, interracial marriage was not an option. God provided a person known to me, of my own background, who came along to church and upon marriage opened the opportunity for us to go to college and hence into ministry. We have ministered together, except possibly in preaching—though she’s my best source of feedback in that area!”

Bharat said what he enjoys most about being a pastor is “learning and then teaching as I learn and grow. Also loving and being loved.” When asked about GCI, he said, “One way or another, our belief system (though having changed and grown radically) has always allowed room for people to ultimately come to God, sooner or later. This has been critical for me, as most of my family, including my beloved mother and father, did not (as far as I know) come to know Christ as believers in this lifetime.”

His most memorable moment as a pastor involved baptism. “The first baptism I performed on my own was in India for a wonderful man who had been born so small that I could carry him in my arms and had to baptize him in a large round plastic bin (we were in a hotel without bath tubs).”

Because of local church size and finances, Bharat went part time. ”I now run my own small business importing jute shopping bags from India and selling them in Australia and elsewhere as opportunity permits. Not quite tent-making, more like bag-making.” Being in business gives Bharat opportunity to feed his passion, which is “connecting with people, connecting people to others, hopefully making a difference as Christ works in and through me.”

An example of this connectivity happened last June when Bharat was visiting London where met up with David Nunn, his school teacher from 40 years ago (see the mention of David above). David learned for the first time of Bharat’s Christian journey and was most pleased. David has produced seven DVDs about the Holy Land that sell in some of the same religious stores in Australia where Bharat sells his jute bags!

Bharat says he feels closest to God “at various times in various ways. It may be singing in a congregation or singing on my own to a Bollywood romantic song adapted in my mind and heart for personal worship expression, or when preparing a message where a clearer insight is gained or when reflecting on creation or simply on seeing people going around in crowded places, praying in the knowledge that the Lord loves us all.”

Don Engle, pastor of Grace Fellowship, GCI’s congregation in Wichita, Kansas, was born in Abilene, Kansas, famous for being the home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. “He lived a short walk from my mother’s childhood home, and as a young girl she was acquainted with Ike’s parents.” Don’s father died at the age of 24, leaving Don’s mother with three small children. “My mother remarried a year or so later and we moved to Big Sandy, Texas, to be near what we thought at the time was ‘the one true church.’ I attended Imperial School in Big Sandy for all twelve grades.” Don said he remembers many of the Ambassador College construction projects and often volunteered for work parties. “I especially remember helping to clear the land for Lake Loma. I do not remember a time when I was not a part of WCG/GCI.”

In 1968, Don applied to attend Ambassador College in Bricket Wood, England. “I loved the international flavor of that campus and thoroughly enjoyed my four years there. For some reason, I had a special affinity with the Brits. I traveled through many countries in Europe, including Hungary, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Greece.” Don said he was always interested in going into pastoral ministry but hadn’t been encouraged to do so in college. “Shortly before graduating in 1972, I was shocked to hear announced in a student assembly that I was being sent to be a ministerial assistant in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I have now been in pastoral ministry for over 40 years and have pastored churches in Louisiana, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, New Zealand, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas.”

At the beginning of Don’s junior year in college he met Alexandra. “Alix had just arrived on campus as a freshman from New Zealand. People often say love at first sight is nonsense. Not in my case! The moment I laid eyes on her I had a strange feeling that I may have encountered the love of my life. I was the second guy on campus to ask her for a date. How I remember that date! I was bragging about living on an 80-acre property when Alix quietly informed me that she had grown up on a 5,000-acre sheep and cattle station on the east coast of New Zealand. Although I grew up in Texas, the land of cattle drives, it wasn’t until a trip to New Zealand shortly after we were married that I was able to experience such a thing.”

Don and Alix recently celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary. “We have three amazing children: Jeannine, Chad and Jonathan. Jeannine attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy and is married to Nate who works for Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. They have five children: Jack, Alexa, Erica, Ahna and Emmy. Chad, who now lives in Thailand, also has lived in Iraq, Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea. His children, Madyson, Sydney and Nikolae, live in Texas. Jonathan, an accomplished flutist, is the associate director for admissions for Mannes School of Music in New York City.”

Don said one of the most memorable moments of his ministry occurred while he and Alix were attending the ministerial refresher program in Pasadena, California, in 1979. “Joseph Tkach Sr. approached us one evening during dinner and told us, ‘You’re being transferred, guess where?’ I had a feeling it was not going to be a short distance away. I will never forget the look in my wife’s eyes. Four months later we were moving to New Zealand where we spent 10 of the best years of our lives.”

Don has always loved the fellowship he finds in GCI. “We have a special spiritual bond because of our unique journey. We have the dearest of friends who are truly like family to us—scattered across the globe though we may be. How we wish we could gather them all up and bring them within a close radius. Maybe one day that will be the reality. I also enjoy the fact that, as a denomination, we are willing to learn new things and continually refine our theology—to think outside the box a bit from time to time, without completely departing from orthodoxy. The truth about God and our existence is indeed a life-long quest.”

Though Don enjoys being a pastor, he still reflects on the discouragement he faced as we went through our denominational changes. “The only theology I knew came from growing up in WCG. My wife, however, was raised Presbyterian, spending seven years attending an Anglican boarding school, so the changes were much easier for her and she was a huge help to me as I struggled to understand. With her encouragement, in 1996 I attended a pastors’ conference at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Presenting were a number of internationally known evangelical authors and speakers, including Warren Wiersbe. I well remember him expressing concern for the many pastors in attendance who were considering quitting ministry. He implored us to think long and hard before making such a decision. It was as if God was speaking to me personally and it was a major turning point for me. I soon entered a Master’s degree program in Pastoral Ministry through Moody Seminary, which I completed in 2006.”

Alix is not only Don’s encourager, he says he would not be where he is today without her and likes to brag about her a bit. “Alix has an intriguing blend of no-nonsense and playfulness that is a perfect balance for my largely sanguine nature. Having her by my side through the years has been invaluable. She is always willing to help in any way that she can and often says her purpose in life is to make me look good! She has excellent computer skills and has, for many years, organized the PowerPoint presentations for our worship services. She also has great editorial skills and was an enormous help in my securing a second Master’s degree through Grace Communion Seminary, especially with the recent completion of my master’s thesis, “Peace When Facing Death.” We both have enormous appreciation for our time serving in pastoral ministry within WCG/GCI for all these years.”

Don says his passion stems from our understanding of Incarnational Trinitarian Theology. “My passion is helping people know that they are truly loved and accepted by God, no matter what their failings may be. There is a huge deficit in this area, even among those who have attended church all their lives. Recently, I completed a year’s residency at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, earning four units of Clinical Pastoral Education and presently, along with pastoring the Wichita, Kansas congregation, I am working part-time as the chaplain in the inpatient unit at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice. I find it particularly fulfilling to work with patients and families as they experience end of life. It is such a potent time to reach people with a spirit of hope. Often this is when I feel God’s presence the most. After retiring from pastoral ministry in August 2015, I hope to work full-time as a hospice chaplain. I have a feeling my best years of ministry are still ahead.”

Don also enjoys guitars and motorcycles. “I love playing guitar and plan to spend a lot more time learning how to play well. My collection includes Fender, Gibson, Takamine and Ovation guitars. Just recently, with the help of my son Chad, I acquired a 2005 Triumph America motorcycle. I’ve been taking riding lessons and look forward to long rides on quiet country roads where I can enjoy the blessing and freedom of God and his creation.”

Leonard Banks, senior pastor of Abundant Grace Church, our GCI congregation in Rochester, New York, started attending the Rochester congregation in 1991. “I was watching The World Tomorrow with HWA and heard him say a few things that got my attention. One was his statement (while pounding on the desk and quoting Revelation 21:2) that, ‘The New Jerusalem is coming down from heaven.'”

Leonard grew up in Rochester with three brothers. “We all were into sports—we played football and wrestled through high school. After I graduated I returned to coach the JV wrestling team. I had aspirations of becoming a pro football player, but two separated shoulders and a concussion (during which I lost my memory—scary) changed my plans. I did get a kick out of going to a football camp in Boston where I met Joe Namath and some other pro football players.”

As a bivocational pastor, Leonard works for the City of Rochester in the refuse department. “I’ve been employed there for 30 years. I’m a professional heavy equipment operator (boom truck)—the truck with the big claw bucket. I have become quite good at picking up things. Just the other day a man watching me said I handle the boom like a surgeon.”

Leonard and his wife Patama have been married for 32 years. “She was born in Thailand and is a great cook. She really helps keep me grounded and focused on the Lord. She is the person that talks about God and Jesus more than anyone I know. Patama is a constant reminder to me that God is in charge.” Leonard and Patama have one daughter, Arianne Banks, and twin stepsons, Derrick and Davin Tillman. They also have five grandchildren, Darius, Geo, Tajh, Drew and the newest, India, who was born April 11, 2014.

After joining GCI, Leonard got to know Ken Williams who was pastor of the Rochester church at that time. “Ken ordained me in August 1999 and took me under his wing to help groom me.” Leonard replaced Ken as pastor 15 years ago.

When asked what he enjoys most about being a pastor, Leonard talked about watching people grow. “I would have to say being able to help people spiritually then see them grow in the grace of God and seeing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit at work in their lives.”

About GCI, Leonard said, “I marvel at the direction the Spirit is leading our leaders who then funnel that understanding to our local churches around the world. When we come together and share our experiences with each other we see the same Spirit working and achieving the same goal—to make disciples.”

When asked about his most memorable moment as a pastor, Leonard shared a story about someone being healed right before his eyes. “This one was a learning experience for all people involved. This young girl suffers from sickle cell anemia and was in the hospital about six months out of the year. At the age of 13 she was having a bad time on that day with a temperature of 103 and pulse of 170. I anointed her and asked for two things, her temperature and pulse to return to normal; within two seconds everything returned to normal. She didn’t return to the hospital for another 12 years for her chronic illness.”

Leonard noted that his passion is helping people stay focused on our Lord and Savior. “It seems that people easily lose sight of Jesus in the midst of life’s difficulties. I bet you that in every sermon I give, I somehow come back to reminding the congregation to stay focused on Jesus.”

When asked when he feels closest to God, Leonard said, “During the morning devotionals my wife and I have together before I go to work. It helps us focus and prepare ourselves for the day.”

Bernie Schnippert, who recently retired as GCI’s General Counsel, grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where, at age 11, he began attending WCG church services with his parents, Bernard and Irene Schnippert, and his sister, Karen. After high school, Bernie entered Ambassador College in Pasadena, California. He graduated in 1971.

A tall man at 6 feet, 9 inches, Bernie says his life has been greatly affected by his height. “I always feel conspicuous when I walk into a room because people tend to stare at me because of my height, and someone is always bound to approach me and ask how tall I am and whether I play basketball. If I hadn’t been in the church, I probably would have pursued basketball more wholeheartedly. I couldn’t do that, of course, because of the church’s former teaching about strict Sabbath observance.”

Bernie met Arlene Pratt of McMinnville, Oregon, at Ambassador College. They married shortly after graduating. “Arlene has been my partner and soul mate through this entire journey over the past 43 years,” Bernie says. “The joys, the highs, the sorrows, the lows. We have experienced it all together, and I could not imagine life without her. We have three daughters, Crystal, Amber and Coral. Our lovely daughter Amber died a year ago from breast cancer. We also have four wonderful grandchildren. Crystal’s children, Clint and Heather, are 17, and Julia is 13. Amber’s daughter, Megan Patrick, is seven.”

Regarding his service in the church, Bernie says, “I have had absolutely awesome opportunities afforded me over the years. I entered the Canadian pastoral ministry about a year after graduation from college. I pastored in Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; and then in Las Vegas, Nevada, before being transferred to Pasadena in 1987.”

At church headquarters in Pasadena, Bernie served as Director of Media Operations before being appointed in 1995 as Treasurer and finally as General Counsel in 2005. “Bernie was a talented and creative church pastor serving our Las Vegas congregation when we asked him to come to HQ to combine all the church’s editorial, publishing and broadcasting functions into one coordinated media operation,” recalls GCI President, Joseph Tkach.

With a tenacious love for learning, Bernie holds both a Juris Doctor degree and a Ph.D. in Management and Administration. Dr. Schnippert has also been an active member of the California State Bar since 1992. “Bernie is one of the most devoted, trustworthy and hardest working people I have ever known,” said retired GCI vice president Mike Feazell. “We met during my sophomore year of college when we lived in the same dorm, and I was immediately impressed with his honesty, his positive outlook on life and his ‘let’s find a way’ approach to challenging projects. People used to call us ‘Mutt and Jeff’ because of our difference in height. Bernie has never ceased to be a faithful and dependable friend.”

Looking back over his career in the church, Bernie said, “The most important contributions that I feel I have made to the church are the successful sales of the Big Sandy and Pasadena campuses during a critical period in the church’s spiritual journey and establishing a sound employee retirement plan.” GCI Treasurer Mat Morgan said, “Working at first for Dr. Schnippert, and then alongside him, during those challenging years afforded me a depth of rich experience that helped prepare me for the work I’m doing now. I count it a blessing to have worked so closely with such a dynamic personality.”

Dr. Russell Duke, President of Grace Communion Seminary, said, “We herald Dr. Schnippert’s decades of service in helping the church and its educational institutions work through challenging transitions, including his assistance in preparing our seminary to meet the legal standards of accreditation. Thank you, Bernie!”

Bernie isn’t all work. “Until I got sick,” he explains, “my passion was fishing and camping. But now that I am mostly confined to my home, I’m back into ham radio, which has been a hobby of mine since I was 12 years old.”

Bernie has been battling a slow-moving carcinoid cancer, a major factor in his decision to retire.

“I want to thank all the people over the years who put their trust in me and afforded me opportunities to serve in so many different capacities,” Dr. Schnippert said. “It has been an exciting, sometimes even wild ride, and it has been my hope and prayer that my contribution to the Church has been a positive one.”