Category: Be Inspired

“I’m a history nut,” says Ron Felling, pastor of Grace Fellowship, GCI’s church in Tontitown, Arkansas. “I’ve been a historical re-enactor for the French and Indian War (think “Last of the Mohicans”) for the past 20 years. Dagworthy’s company of the Maryland forces made me their unit chaplain. I’ve learned to sew my own outfits [see picture below]. Seeing what their life was like and how God helped them, helps me see how he can help me too. I love seeing his mighty hand at work in people’s lives.”

Ron grew up in Indiana and was active in scouting. “The Boy Scouts made a huge difference in my life. We had an awesome scoutmaster, Otto Jonas, who took us on camp-outs every month, rain or shine. He taught me that I am here to make a difference in the lives of others. Because of him, my Mom and Dad, and many others, I rose to the rank of Eagle Scout.”

It was in 1973 that Ron became part of WCG/GCI. “I was drawn to the WCG after I met a family who attended the Hammond, Indiana congregation. They made me feel like I was part of their family. They adopted me you might say. I attended that congregation until I left for Big Sandy in 1975. I knew I wanted to serve in the ministry, even when we were told that was not the way it worked.”

After graduation from Ambassador College, Ron worked in the Personal Correspondence Department at WCG headquarters, providing encouragement and insight to hundreds of people who wrote asking for direction and help. In 1990, Ron was sent to pastor the Indianapolis and Terra Haute, Indiana congregations.

Ron and his wife Barbara have been married for six years. “She had been my friend for many years, but I was not willing to take another chance on failure after going through a divorce. So for quite a long time I just told myself no. But then my father died of cancer and when I was at the airport waiting to fly to Indiana, Barbara called me and was so compassionate and encouraging and loving that I found the courage to tell her how I truly felt. Now she is more than a friend—she is my wife too. She rescued me.”

Ron and Barbara pastor the Tontitown, Arkansas congregation, which meets just outside of Springdale. “We are a little country congregation. We love the Lord and are growing slowly but surely. Barbara serves as our worship leader—a calling for which she is particularly gifted.”

Ron said he loves to see others step up into ministry and grow. His most memorable moment was the preaching his father’s funeral. “At first I wasn’t sure what I was going to say, but the Holy Spirit was right on time. Surrounded by people I had grown up with, I told them about our Savior Jesus; that he is someone we can trust and not to be afraid.”

Ron shares the following story about how his involvement with re-enactments gives him opportunity to share the gospel: “After going through a divorce, I was discouraged, and was wondering what to do next. I was at one of our French and Indian re-enactments with my son Aaron who was seven at the time. It was a Sunday morning and the French, English and Indians were all there on parade with flags flying and fife and drums playing. It made me think: Our Lord Jesus goes before us just like the banners fluttering past me. I found myself praying, “Lord, wherever you lead me I will follow. If you open a door for me to speak to your glory, I will walk through it. Please allow me to serve you.”

“It was at that very moment that I heard my name being called, so I looked to see who it could be. Across the parade ground the officers were waving for me to come to them. This was very out of the ordinary, but I ran over to them. When I got there they asked me, “Can you provide us with a worship service today? Our regular guy, the priest from Canada, just let us know he can’t make it.”

“After my prayer I could only say, ‘Yes I can, when would you like it?’ So they looked at the ground a bit and then said, ‘Well, how about in five minutes?’ ‘No problem sir, where do you want it?’ One of them said, ‘How about at the foot of the cross?’ The French had erected one all those years ago. That was almost too much for me.”

“When the officers asked, ‘Is there anything we can help you with?’ I said I could use a Bible since I knew I couldn’t get to mine and be back in time. So off I dashed towards the cross, and on my way I ran into three women wanting to know where I was headed. ‘We are going to have a worship service in about five minutes, and they are going to expect to take communion. Why don’t we all take it together?’

“The women dashed off to get the bread and wine and the plate and cup for our communion service. When I got to the cross, there was a fellow with a red blanket and table and I was feeling so overwhelmed in seeing that God had all the details taken care of.

“The commander showed up with a King James Bible out of the fort’s museum, and people start to show up—about 300 of them. A lady asked me, ‘I have only taken communion when a priest was here. What do you think about me taking it today?’ I told her, ‘We are going to hear about Jesus today, and why he gave the communion service to the church. When its time for communion if the Holy Spirit shows you its OK, then go ahead. After the service she came back to tell me he showed her that it was just the right thing to do. Everyone, including children, took communion. It was a glorious time in the Lord’s presence. We went on to hold a similar service each year after that. God is so encouraging isn’t he?”

Ron says he feels closest to God, “When I see the stars at night and I talk to God about how my hand is in his and how awesome it is to know that he did all this just so I would know I can put my trust in him.”

Sonny Parsons, who grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, pastors GCI’s congregations in Big Sandy, Texas and Texarkana, Arkansas.

Sonny has a long history of community service. “I always enjoyed serving others. While in high school as an Eagle Scout I helped start one of the first camps for mentally challenged children in Mississippi and served for seven summers with the program. While working as a school administrator and educator, I served for 20 years in the summers as waterfront director or counselor at a Boy Scout camp. As an adult, I attended the National Boy Scout Camping School and served on the faculty in the aquatic section. For the past 25 years I have served with the Big Sandy Volunteer Fire Department as a firefighter and paramedic. I also have served as captain of Emergency Medical Services.”

Sonny credits his parents with giving him a heart for serving others. “They instilled in me a commitment to always treat others like you would like to be treated and help care for those less fortunate. As a child I always wanted to obey God and ‘do what was right.’”

In 1964, while a premed student at Mississippi State University (MSU), Sonny was part of a group of 15-20 students who started listening to The World Tomorrow broadcast. “Many of those students became WCG ministers or Ambassador College faculty.”

Sonny met his wife Jane in high school. “She was a sophomore and I was a junior. We dated for five years and married in 1964 during my senior year at MSU. We have been married for nearly 49 years.” While a married senior at MSU, Jane earned her what Sonny calls a PHT (“Putting Hubby Through”) degree! “Earlier, she had earned a business college degree and now worked to help me finish school. When we first started dating, she passed me a note that was signed with the letters MTYLTT which stands for More Than Yesterday Less Than Tomorrow. She had those letters engraved inside my wedding ring. They speak of our love for each other and our love for God that should be more than yesterday but less than tomorrow. In our wedding service, Jane had a song sung from the book of Ruth with the words, “Where ever thou goest, I will go.” Little did she know that I would drag her all over this earth. But she has always been there by my side.”

Sonny and Jane have had two children: Todd, who died in 2006, and Amy who has served as a flight medic and now is a supervisor with Mother Francis Hospital and Champion EMS. Todd had two girls, Amanda and Alison who live in California. Amy has three children: Treston, who just completed four years in the Air Force; Tory, who is in nursing school; and Tyler, who is finishing her second year in college. They also have one great grandchild, Hadyn, who is Amanda’s daughter.

Sonny has always felt that being prepared and seeking counsel is important. “Upon finishing college, I wrote the Letter Answering Department in Pasadena and asked what field they would recommend. Given my background, they recommended teaching and suggested I read Proverbs 3:5-6. With that passage of Scripture in mind, I prayed. The answer came unexpectedly when a man I had never met asked if I would like to teach school and be his assistant principal! I learned then to take the promise in that passage quite seriously.”

Sonny says that, “trusting God in that way has helped prepare me for life. As Director of YES (Youth Employment Services) with the Jackson, Mississippi public school system, I was asked to develop a career development program for seven school districts. I used godly principles in doing so. I told this to the National Director of Career Education in Washington when he asked why the program was so successful. I was then named as a consultant to the US Office of Education and the project was chosen as a National Exemplary Program in Career Development in the US for young people. Only seven were chosen from the nation, and a book was written about it. This helped prepare me for the development of MPEC, (Mail Processing Extension Center) at Ambassador during the 80s and 90s.”

While working at Ambassador in Big Sandy, Sonny was asked to enter vocational ministry. “Richard Rice, the director of the US ministry, asked Jane and me to move to the San Antonio area where we pastored churches in San Antonio, Uvalde, Corpus Christi and Victoria for seven years. We then asked to return to Big Sandy since our children and grandchildren lived there. In 2002, we were assigned to pastor the Big Sandy and Texarkana churches. We’ve been doing so for almost 12 years.” Sonny says that his most memorable moment as a pastor was baptizing three of his grandchildren.

As part of his pastoral ministry, Sonny has been actively involved in the community. “I love serving others, and have had the opportunity to serve as Big Sandy’s Mayor, the President of the Ministerial Alliance and member of the boards of the Community Development Corporation, the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce.”

Sonny has earned five academic degrees: an AA and BA in Theology, a BA in Sociology, and MEd and EdS degrees in School Administration.

Sonny says that one of his greatest joys in ministry is “seeing transformation take place in people’s lives as they believe in and accept Jesus Christ and realize that they are under grace.” He loves that GCI has helped him understand “the awesomeness of Trinitarian theology.” Sonny says that his passion is to “become more and more like Jesus.” Other passions include family and “developing lasting friendships and relationships.”

Asked when he feels closest to God, Sonny replied, “When in prayer or when I see his hand at work in events or when I witness lives being transformed.”

During most of his formative years, Mat worked on a farm. “Starting about age 12, I worked on a truck farm, raising vegetables for a hardworking Christian couple whose children had moved away to the city to work. When I was about 16, I helped manage the farm because the owners were getting up in years. They paid for the seed, the equipment and fuel, and I provided or paid for the labor costs. We split the proceeds. I hired my friends from high school to do some of the work.

I learned to operate about every kind of farm equipment they had and learned how to market tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, beans, sweet corn, cantaloupe, watermelons, squash and other produce to the grocery stores. People also came to the farm to buy produce and when we couldn’t sell it fast enough, we filled up the pickup and sold it beside the highway. It was a practical introduction to a lot of hard work and business for which I am grateful.”

Mat also worked at home. “My mom operated a small café during my high school years in the first level of our house, which was an old hotel built in 1888. My brothers and I learned to cook and wash dishes. Knowing how to motivate teenage boys, my mom would say ‘As soon as the dishes are done, you can have whatever you want to eat.’ I once asked her if she ever made any money with the café. She said ‘No, but I fed four teenage boys.’”

Mat has been in WCG/GCI most of his life. “My parents were baptized in the icy Clark Fork River in northern Montana in 1963. I was two years old. My parents became interested through the church’s media and my mother was miraculously healed of a serious illness not long after they became members.”

During high school Mat became interested in Ambassador College. “I was active in YOU and through the basketball program I visited both Ambassador College campuses for tournaments. My parents and our pastor encouraged me to go to Ambassador after high school and it seemed natural to do so. At the time I was personally more interested in becoming a chiropractor and had applied to Palmer College in Iowa. However, I decided to go to Ambassador in Pasadena where my brother Tim already lived.”

Transitioning from farm to city was not easy. “I nearly left college after a few weeks. I learned that I needed more money than I had first thought and I did not like the city crowds. The smog, which was thick at the time, caused me to have severe headaches. Also, I did not like the fact that I had to give speeches. When I called my parents to tell them I was coming back to South Dakota, they and the pastor encouraged me to stick it out another month and the congregation sent me enough money to get through the first semester. So I gritted my teeth and stayed.”

It proved to be a good decision. Mat survived his first few speeches and started a job on the Ambassador landscaping crew. “Because it was like farm work and because my boss was encouraging, I began to feel better, but I still felt out of place, though I stayed. I called home and had my parents sell my horse to cover my second-semester tuition.”

Mat transferred to the Big Sandy Ambassador campus in 1981. “I was chosen as one of the ‘leaders’ in the sophomore class to go help with reopening the Big Sandy campus. I learned that ‘leadership’ in Big Sandy that year meant working the graveyard shift on security and eliminating varmints like copperheads and armadillos from the property. These critters had used the vacant campus as home for a while and had to be pushed back into the surrounding ‘jungle.’ Because it was more rural and relaxed in some ways, I thrived there. I was baptized in Lake Loma that year.”

While in Big Sandy, Mat became interested in cycling, which would lead to participating on staff at “SEP On Wheels” held in New Zealand. “I still enjoy cycling today in the hills around Glendora—mostly on my mountain bike.”

Mat returned to Pasadena to finish his BA degree. “I became involved in community outreach during that time and began organizing tutors and tutoring children who had been abandoned by or otherwise had lost their parents. Through this experience, I experienced God’s heart for children and the joy of seeing children succeed, even in difficult circumstances. I am a strong supporter of GCI’s Generations Ministries camps and missions because I see the tremendous value in helping kids see who they are in Jesus.”

Besides his job in landscaping, Mat worked in the Ambassador Auditorium. This turned into a full-time job after graduation. “I supervised the ushers, parking attendants, concessions areas at various times, and later served as a foreman and house manager.”

During this time Mat started working with the budget for the areas he supervised. “As part of that job, I worked for Herbert Armstrong, organizing and serving luncheons and dinners at his home where I met many interesting people including Nancy Reagan, Queen Sirikit of Thailand, Prince Philip from the UK, Anwar Sadat from Egypt and several world-renowned performing artists. Although I appreciated these opportunities, I became personally troubled seeing how Mr. Armstrong and some around him handled the finances. I was so troubled that I nearly left my employment. I had no idea at the time that I would have influence in this area later as church treasurer. It reminds me that God has a plan for us all.”

It was while working at the Ambassador Auditorium that Mat met Pam, whom he calls “the most important person in my life.” Mat and Pam were married in Indianapolis where her family was living at the time. “We were married in 1988—25 years ago. We initially had a 5-year plan for just the two of us to be together before having children. This turned into a 5-month plan when Pam got pregnant.

Our son Mathew was born in 1989 and our daughter Jessica in 1991 (see their pictures at left). Both have now graduated from college. Mathew is a financial consultant and Jessica is finishing her teaching credential, hoping to teach early elementary school children. We are very proud of them. Both love God and are working in areas where they are gifted. Family is such a blessing.”

Mat started working with WCG pastor general and president, Joseph Tkach, Sr. “He invited me to work for him as a project coordinator and to do the president’s budget. While working with Mr. Tkach, I helped organize senior dinners at the campuses in Pasadena and Big Sandy. I also served as a steward on the church’s airplane on the weekends when Mr Tkach visited churches. I still have the flight uniform (if only it still fit!).”

While working for Mr. Tkach, Mat entered graduate school. “I could not afford it, so Pam and I worked another job managing property, but it still wasn’t enough for a young family to live on. I asked Mr. Tkach if the church would help pay for me to finish an MBA. He told me if I could show him how I would use what I was learning to serve the church, that he would help pay for it. During that month I renegotiated discounts with existing vendors, which saved more than twice the amount of my complete tuition. After I showed him this, he agreed to help. Looking back I really appreciate that challenge.”

When Mr. Tkach Sr. died in 1995, Bernie Schnippert asked Mat to work with him as assistant treasurer and Joseph Tkach Jr. asked him to serve on the church board. “I worked with Bernie for about 10 years during some very challenging times. Our doctrinal changes led to a dramatic decline in income over several years and forced the sale of many of our church properties, including the camp in Minnesota, both college campuses and many other assets. This proved to be a challenging real-world education in finance, real estate and business administration. I would never wish to repeat those years, but, as they say, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. During that time, Bernie carried a heavy burden and served as my mentor. When Ralph Helge retired, Bernie took on the role of the church’s general legal counsel and I was appointed church treasurer in 2005.”

When asked what he enjoys most about being church treasurer, Mat said, “I don’t always enjoy this job because I see both tremendous need and scarcity of resources and feel personal angst about this tension. However, seeing money well spent corporately and by individuals makes me happy. Other things that I see as treasurer that make my heart smile is generosity of spirit and generosity of possessions by people who are helping others. I especially enjoy when resources are well spent for the gospel so that others can understand who they are in Christ and be connected, elevated and energized through this experience. When the light goes on in a young person’s eyes I feel tremendous joy. What a privilege to participate in this adventure! I think money is well spent for the gospel when it is used to help others see their true worth in Christ.

“I have so many good friends in GCI, my family and I feel like we are part of a worldwide family. I also enjoy the foundation of sound theology, which allows us both to feel God’s love and to share it freely with all of God’s children, whether they know Christ lives in them or not.”

Mat’s passion is “seeing young people discover who they are in Christ and view their future from this perspective. I love to see young people learn to handle their finances responsibly. I also enjoy being outdoors in God’s creation, hiking, biking, fishing, camping, meditating. I have climbed Mt Whitney a couple times and several other mountains in Southern California. I think a rainy day outside in the mountains is better than most good days in an office. I am told by my children that I have a stern appearance and for whatever reason I have been placed in a job where I often have to say “no” to people. Those who know me well, understand that under the stern appearance, I care deeply for people. God certainly has a sense of humor.”

When asked if he had a final thought, Mat said, “I am blessed to work with some of the nicest people on this earth every day. If members are ever in Glendora, I invite them to stop by and meet some of these folks who serve them every day.”

Clifton Charles is a regional pastor who also pastors two GCI congregations in Trinidad and Tobago and one in Barbados. Clifton grew up in poverty. He notes that at age 13, following the death of his father, his meals consisted mainly of bread or breadfruit and there was no money to buy schoolbooks. According to Clifton, this “taught me to be resourceful and resilient.”

Clifton feels that these hardships shaped him into the pastor he is today. “Many influences brought me to where I am today. Among the more significant, apart from my surrender to the Lord, are (1) the fine role models of my diligent and outgoing parents who had a great work ethic and were always helping people; (2) the blessing of a keen mind so that learning was easy for me—as a result, all of my education, up to my PhD, was scholarshipped; (3) my divinely chosen wife, Pearl, who is my excellent ministry partner; and (4) many extremely supportive members and leaders in the congregations where we have served.”

Clifton and Pearl have been married for 40 years. “She is my best friend and personal assistant and travels with me most of the time. We have no children. However, one of our members told me that we have children who are even older than we are!”

Clifton became interested in WCG/GCI at age 19. “HWA’s description of his repentance—when he came to see himself as a ‘hunk of junk’ and told God if he could do anything with his life he could have it—grabbed my attention. I was at that point that I realized God was leading me to repentance. One night at age 19 or 20 I went into my room, knelt down and told God that I realized what he wanted me to do but I needed his help. Then I asked him to bring me to the point where I saw myself as a ‘hunk of junk’ and turned my life over to him so that he could do with me as he pleased. That began my surrender to Jesus and my walk with him.”

In 1978, Clifton was ordained an elder and started pastoring GCI churches part-time. “I became a full-time pastor in 1984. This meant resigning from my full-time job at the planning division of the ministry of agriculture in Trinidad & Tobago. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed full-time ministry. To this day, I have never been bored or burned out.”

When asked what he enjoys most about pastoring, Clifton said it is his relationships with God and people. “What I enjoy most is helping people catch God’s vision and mission for them and seeing them transformed by God as they surrender to the Lordship of Christ at new levels in their personal lives. I also enjoy helping develop new generations of leaders, as leadership development is one of my hobbies. Finally, I also enjoy marriage ministry, which is another hobby that God is blessing wonderfully.”

Speaking about GCI, Clifton said, “I enjoy most the freedom we have in Christ to help move people to God’s agenda. I did not anticipate that our transition to a focus on being missional disciples of Jesus would take as long as it did. By God’s grace, it had become my own focus by July 1995. But the wait has been worth it, for God is producing good fruit in our midst. I now feel free to serve disciples of Jesus both in GCI as well as the wider body of Christ in Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago. I currently serve on several national and regional boards of various Christian organizations.”

Clifton transitioned to part-time employment with GCI in 2000 and began teaching economics at the University of the West Indies in Barbados. “At present I teach microeconomics to second year students (about 150 each year) and international economic integration to final year students (about 20 each year). This teaching gives me opportunity to enjoy serving young people and to be on mission on the university campus.”

Clifton’s passion is “making disciples of Jesus and helping them to reproduce more disciples of Jesus.” He said he doesn’t focus on most memorable moments because he doesn’t spend a lot of time looking back. “I live in the present with my eyes on the future. As a result, memories are quickly overshadowed by present realities and future developments.”

Tom Pickett, pictured at right with his wife Adrienne, pastors New Hope Christian Fellowship, the GCI congregation meeting in Fort Worth, Texas. When Tom was just six years old, he was sent to live with his uncle, aunt and cousins in Phoenix, Arizona. “My Dad had graduated from an optometric college in Chicago. During the time he was setting up practice and moving, my parents thought it would be best for me to live temporarily with my family in Phoenix. After they got settled in Gunnison, Colorado, my parents came and got me.” Growing up in Colorado, Tom says, “instilled in me midwestern ethics and a conservative mindset that I still have today.”

In the early 60s, Tom’s dad started listening to The World Tomorrow radio program in the evenings. “He decided to share what he had found with his family. After I first listened in 1963, my dad and mom drove to California to check out Ambassador College. He came back with an application for me to apply for the fall semester. I was 19 at the time.”

Tom got much more than an education at Ambassador. “I met my wife-to-be, Adrienne Russell there. It was 1964 when we first dated on the Pasadena campus. It didn’t take long to realize that she was the one for me. We were married after graduation in 1967. She is the mother of our two sons, David and Andrew, and the love of my life.”

Tom worked at the Pasadena headquarters for a number of years, serving in many capacities. “Before being commissioned as a pastor, my experience in the church was one of service. I was a deacon for 14 years and then a local elder for five. So when I became a pastor, my joy was to serve the members.”

Tom and Adrienne moved to Texas where Tom now pastors the Fort Worth congregation, which meets in Euless. Tom says that Adrienne is a big part of his ministry. “She is my confidant, counselor and prayer partner. She also leads praise and worship at church and gives encouragement and counsel to the members. We are ‘connected at the hip’ in ministry and everything else in our life together. She truly is God’s gift to me!”

Tom’s sons are a big part of his favorite memories of ministry. “My most memorable moment came in three parts when I had the blessing of baptizing my sons David and Andrew and the privilege of officiating at their weddings to their beautiful brides, Joni and Jonelle.”

When asked what he enjoys most about being part of GCI, Tom said, “I appreciate that we are continually growing in the grace and knowledge of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Just when I think I understand who Jesus is, he reveals himself more fully. We as a denomination have responded positively to that revelation each time.”

Tom is also involved in the Office of Reconciliation and Mediation (ORM). “I became involved in 1998 when we hosted a reconciliation conference in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Since then I have been an ORM chapter leader. I also got involved in a related radio ministry with my son, David and Curtis May. It’s titled A Time to Reconcile. It’s a weekly program on KCLE, 1460 am in the Fort Worth and Dallas area. It also is uploaded to YouTube at www.youtube.com/atimetoreconcile.”

When asked about his passion, Tom said, “the reconciliation or eternal relation that Jesus has given to all humanity, and the reality that he has made all believers the ministers of it.”

Todd Crouch (pictured at right with his wife Denise) is living one of his life’s dreams. “For as long as I can remember, even from age four or five, I have always wanted to know God and to really understand the Bible. I even talked to my Methodist minister about becoming a pastor.” Todd’s dream came true and he now pastors three GCI congregations: Wheeling, West Virginia; Washington, Pennsylvania; and Cambridge, Ohio.

Growing up in the small town of Speers, Pennsylvania, Todd’s first contact with GCI was through a cousin. “He gave me a subscription to The Plain Truth as a Christmas gift in 1974. I read it and for some reason it struck a chord…there was a real zeal. I appreciated that the WCG encouraged people to look into Scripture and that Christianity was meant to be something engaging that would change us.” Todd began attending WCG in 1981 in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania (now the Mt. Pleasant congregation), and was baptized later that year.

Todd met his wife Denise at a church function. She was attending the Washington, Pennsylvania congregation. “In 1983 we got married and we moved to Bentleyville which is where we still live. It’s about halfway between our two families. We attended the Washington church with family.”

Todd and Denise have two sons, both married. David and his wife Elissa live in Moore, Oklahoma. David works as a SharePoint Administrator for Chickasaw Nation Industries. Elissa is a meteorologist for Weather News in Norman. They attend the Oklahoma City church. No grandkids yet.

“Our youngest son Jonathan is an officer-ranger with the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources and Conservation policing the state parks. His wife Jill is a forensic scientist with the Pennsylvania State Police. Jonathan is a member of the Washington, Pennsylvania church. Jill attends the church she grew up in. No grandkids yet.”

Todd, who worked in advertising, was asked to become the bi-vocational associate pastor of the Mt. Pleasant congregation in 1999. “I’m not sure what led to it other than at that time when many were leaving our fellowship, we stayed. We attended new pastors’ training at HQ in 2000. In 2005, Todd was hired full time and became the senior pastor of the three congregations.

What Todd enjoys most about being a pastor is, “Telling others about Jesus and having conversations with people about Jesus. I also love fellowship and worship. Pastors have the opportunity to participate with Jesus in ministering in many ways. You are bound up with the lives of so many and you experience so much through these relationships. Building relationships with other Christian pastors and churches is also a big plus.”

His most memorable moment as a pastor happened in Palm Springs during the International Pastors’ Conference, “when I first realized that Jesus had not left his humanity in the grave and is thus still ‘one of us’ and always will be.”

Speaking about GCI, Todd said, “God has given us a unique history and story to be a part of. I also like that so many of us know one another and have mutual friends. Also there is an intangible quality with GCI that is hard to define, but it’s there. It’s the desire, I think, to be transformed by the Holy Spirit with the focus on Jesus. We desire to know Jesus deeply and to see lives changed as we understand what Jesus has done for us all.”

Todd loves to share what God is doing with the three small churches he pastors. “We have a radio program called Fountain of Life. It is heard on a small radio station here in Washington and we have an ever-growing audience of online listeners in over 310 cities in America and all over the world at www.rkpradio.com. This shows us that Jesus uses our loaves and fish as we bring them to him.”

When does Todd feel closest to God? “In times of worship, both privately and when the church comes together.”

Mike Swagerty’s career track made a radical turn at a young age. He explains: “I have never been convicted as an arsonist, but as a child I am afraid I was a budding pyromaniac. At age eight I started a fire on our farm that nearly burned down all the houses and out-buildings. Needless to say the punishment that was forthcoming basically got me over my ‘fire bug’ ways.” Mike has replaced pyromania with playing cards. “I love to play cards, especially bridge. I have belonged to a Thursday night bridge group for many years.”

Mike, who pastors GCI’s church in Sacramento, California, lives about 100 miles from where he grew up. “I grew up on a peach farm about 11 miles southeast of Modesto. I never moved from birth until college from that farm. After being accepted to college and being ordained a minister at graduation, I simply moved wherever HQ told me to go. My first assignment was in Toledo, Ohio and my last transfer was to Sacramento in 1991.”

At age 15, Mike started listening to The World Tomorrow radio broadcast. “I remember the question on the broadcast that caught my interest: ‘Why were you born?’ This led to booklets, 58 Correspondence Course lessons, magazines and then applying to college after my graduation from high school. I became a baptized member of GCI during my freshman year at Ambassador College in 1964.”

Mike and his wife Sandy will celebrate their 46th wedding anniversary in May 2014. “I met Sandy while we were in college in Pasadena. Funny that we didn’t even date until we were seniors. Our final week was a real whirlwind. We got married on a Sunday. We graduated and I was ordained the following Friday. By Monday we were headed for Toledo, Ohio, our first pastoral assignment.”

Mike and Sandy have two sons. “Terry, our first, was born while we were finishing our stay in Toledo. He was only three weeks old when we traveled to New Jersey. Our second son, Robert, was born in New Jersey. Terry is now 44 and Robert is 40. We have four grandchildren—a boy and a girl from each son. The boys are Jakob and AJ,and the girls are Trinity and Maddie.”

When asked what he enjoys most about being a pastor, make replied: “There’s almost nothing I don’t enjoy—even the paperwork. But my greatest love is sharing the lives of people. I have met so many interesting people over the years and I never get tired of hearing their stories.”

Mike has several stories of his own. “The one that stands out is a baptism in a stream. I was in my suit and didn’t have a bathing suit. So I took off my socks and shoes, and my coat and tie, and rolled up my pants. I was baptizing a lady and her adult daughter. The bottom of this stream was covered with round stones that had moss growing on them. The footing was treacherous. Just as I bent over to lower the daughter into the water, my foot slipped and the whole crotch of my pants tore from one end to the other, leaving me just a bit exposed! Not to be defeated, I tied my coat around my waist like an apron and we finished the baptism. Funny thing, the mother was a seamstress and we went back to her house where she sewed up my pants!

Sandy is a big part of Mike’s ministry. “Besides helping me with office work, visitation and all the normal things pastors’ wives do, Sandy has hosted a women’s small group at our home for 18 years. She has been involved as a singer on the worship team for our entire 22 years here. She has been very much involved with Connecting and Bonding, which is an outreach to ministers’ wives led by Jannice May. Sandy is a prayer warrior, never missing the opportunity to add to her considerable prayer list. She also works as a cashier at Target, where I refer to her as “Mother Teresa,” as she is always a good listener, comfort giver, and prayer partner for all who come through her line.”

When asked what he loves about GCI, Mike shared, “The fellowship and the many friends. We have folks scattered all over the world that we consider friends. I know of no other church denomination that can say this.”

When asked about his passion, Mike said, “My passion right now is to pass along my faith to the next generation. I am very active in the lives of my children and grandchildren. In the last two years I have found a real interest in summer camp. I am part of the team preparing to start a new GenMin camp at Lake Tahoe.”

Mike feels closest to God “in the early morning, and especially in the beauty of his creation. I love my morning time spent with God at around sunrise each day.”

John Knaack, pastor of Living Hope Christian Fellowship in Buffalo, New York, grew up on a dairy farm in central Wisconsin. “I began attending WCG in 1974 after my dad and I began listening to The World Tomorrow. We asked for a ministerial visit and were invited to attend the local congregation.”

John’s parents and most of his siblings eventually became WCG members. About his early life, John says, “I loved the fact that our family had many activities and social events that involved extended family and I realize now how much that shaped me to be part of a bigger spiritual family.”

John went to Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas in 1976. After the campus closed, John transferred to the Pasadena campus for a year. In 1978, that campus started reorganizing and John left for a year to return in 1979. He was part of a ministry training program during his senior year (1981). That May, John was hired to serve as a ministerial trainee. His first assignment was Monroe, Louisiana.

John met Hannah (Pope) in college and their relationship blossomed while serving at the SEP camp in Orr, Minnesota. “Hannah and I celebrated 32 years of marriage last October; we were married in Wausau, Wisconsin, six weeks after our second year as SEP counselors.” John says, “God has blessed us with three children: Matthew is an officer with the Milwaukee police department, Sarah and Andrew live locally and enjoy coming over to harass their dear old dad on frequent occasions. Hannah and I have been dropping hints about grandchildren, but they seem to fall on deaf ears. Hannah’s mother has lived with us for the last four years. She will celebrate her 90th birthday in May.”

After getting married, John and Hannah began serving three congregations in Monroe. “From there we moved to Iowa where we served for ten years. We are in our 17th year of service here in the snow belt of Western New York.” John says he and Hannah love old movies. “And soon I’ll be watching my favorite, It’s a Wonderful Life.”

About being a pastor, John shares, “I truly enjoy being able to help people through the difficult journey of life. I’ve noticed over the years that my gifts fall in areas of comfort and encouragement. I receive more feedback from this area than any other. Pastors like encouragement, too!” This ties in with what John enjoys most about being part of GCI. He loves, “being able to freely share how much God loves each person. I realize this can be done outside of a church, but this is where being a part of GCI has brought me over the years.”

When asked about his passion, John said this: “Bottom line: telling others how special they are to our Lord and how much he cares for them. I find this to be the central theme in my sermons and in my work as a chaplain.

Due to declining financial resources, John took a second job as a chaplain. “Because of our transitions in GCI, I’ve been encouraged to share the gospel wherever I go. My work as a chaplain allows me to do that. I’m now a division director with Marketplace Chaplains, USA where I oversee 60 chaplains in the upper Northeast. I love most of the work, but driving in Boston traffic is not one of them!”

John said his most memorable moment as a pastor was “being able to baptize each of my three children!” When asked when he feels closest to God, he said, “It’s in the ‘aha!’ moment that comes after I’ve been burdened with an issue or trial for some time and finally I hear the Spirit’s voice in the matter. Praise God!”

Dan Rogers serves GCI as the director of Church Administration and Development (CAD) and the superintendent of US ministers.

An only child, Dan was born in rural Tennessee. “We lived in a tar-paper shack with no electricity and no running water. My parents picked cotton for a living.” When Dan was six, the family moved to St Louis, Missouri. “My parents found work in the factories there. We then lived in a single room in a tenement, sharing a bathroom with five other families.” Shortly after Dan began attending school, he was selected to be part of a program for gifted children. He refers to this as “one of the great blessings of my life.”

Dan’s parents were listening to Herbert W. Armstrong on the radio before they were married. Dan says that one of his earliest childhood memories was hearing HWA’s “distinctive voice.” His mother, who was deeply committed to HWA’s teaching, was also committed to having Dan attend Ambassador College. This was not Dan’s original plan. “Most of my youth was devoted to sports. In high school I was approached by two major-league baseball teams and offered minor-league contracts. My father and I were interested, but my mother insisted that I attend Ambassador College. She got her wish.”

Dan graduated from Ambassador’s Pasadena, California campus in June 1970, then entered a whirlwind weekend. “I graduated on a Friday, married Barbara (Rand) on Saturday, and on Sunday my new bride and I left for my ministerial assignment in Boston, Massachusetts. I was ordained an elder less than a year later and a year after that I became the pastor of the churches in Concord, New Hampshire and Montpelier, Vermont at the ripe old age of 23.” Dan and Barbara served in New England for 12 years. “During our time in New England I was privileged to start all the churches in Maine. I also enrolled in the M.Div. program at Boston University.”

Dan and Barbara have been married for 43 years and have three children. “Our daughter, Christine, was born in Rhode Island in 1971, our son, Christopher, was born in New Hampshire in 1973 and our son, Steven Earl Preston Rogers (SEP, OrR), was born in 1989 in North Carolina.”

After leaving New England, the Rogers were transferred to Greensboro, North Carolina and soon started a congregation in Winston-Salem. “Later in 1989 we were transferred to the Atlanta area and during the seven years we served there I was the area coordinator for YOU and then the district superintendent for that area. While in Atlanta I was able to get a Master of Theological Studies degree from Emory University with the hope of someday teaching at Ambassador University.”

Dan’s life took a dramatic turn in 1996 when he received a phone call from headquarters. “After serving seven years in the Atlanta area, I was surprised that instead of being asked to go teach at Ambassador University, I was asked by Michael Feazell and Joseph Tkach to come to Pasadena to serve as director of CAD and to pursue a PhD degree. The doctrinal changes that began in late 1994 had resulted in the loss of many members, ministers and money by 1996. By this time, there had developed a great deal of mistrust of headquarters by the field ministers. An “us” and “them” mentality prevailed. It was thought that bringing in a long-time pastor to direct CAD might help heal the breach.”

It was a difficult assignment for a difficult time. “My first several years as director of CAD were spent battling doctrinal division, reorganizing the structure of the field ministry and planning for regional conferences that would not only be opportunities for training pastors but also provide opportunities for fellowship between pastors and headquarters personnel.”

In the midst of it all, Dan gave much needed attention to providing ministry development services that would help return the church to a clear focus on the Great Commission to “make disciples who make disciples.” “I envisioned the need for multiplication of members, ministers, ministries and churches in the face of all the denomination’s declines in those areas.” It was also during this time that Dan encouraged what he calls “the most unpopular move I have ever made since I became director of CAD.” Dan asked the Church Board to close and sell our SEP camp in Orr, Minnesota. “Instead of one camp, I wanted to see many camps throughout the US with many camp directors, multiplied staff and campers. Eventually, I hoped our camp system would spawn short-term mission trips and would train our youth to be missionaries (both domestic and international). This development led to the ministry we now call Generations Ministries (GenMin).” Though Dan initially received “tons of hate mail and several death threats,” the decision helped launch now 17 camps and hundreds of youth having the opportunity to participate in the camp experience.

Dan also realized for GCI-USA to meet the needs of the future, we needed to start new churches. “Even as some of our long-time congregations began to close, we needed new churches for new people in new places, doing church in new ways for the future. This concept led to the ministry we now call Church Multiplication Ministries (CMM).”

When asked what he enjoys most about being director of CAD, Dan said, “Perhaps my greatest joy has been to dream of what might one day be for the denomination in the US, to pray for it, to strategize for it, and now to begin to see it happening. There is much left to do, of course, but it is encouraging to see how far we have come since 1996.”

Dan says he is passionately loyal and committed to this denomination and to its future. He adds, “I have been privileged to be a member of the Radio Church of God, the Worldwide Church of God, but most of all, a member of Grace Communion International. We have always sought to worship God, to take God’s Word seriously, and to make whatever sacrifices and changes necessary in order to live by every word of God. Where we are today in Grace Communion International is a testimony to God’s grace and, by his continued grace, I believe the best is yet to come.”

Jonathan Rakestraw is the bivocational pastor of GCI’s Tallahassee, Florida congregation. “I grew up near Tallahassee where my family has lived for over 150 years. I grew up hunting and fishing with family and friends on a Civil War battlefield along the St. Marks River.”

Jonathan left Florida for a few years to attend college and work in Pasadena, California, but he and his wife Carolyn moved back in 1987 after Jonathan accepted a position with the state of Florida. “I am in my 25th year of employment with the state and currently serve as lead over the Contract and Project Management Office for the Division of Telecommunications. My primary responsibility is to oversee 40+ telecommunication service contracts.”

Jonathan was 10 years old when his family was visited for the first time by a WCG pastor. “Being from a small community with a large extended family, having traveling visitors was unheard of—much less ministers from another state!” Jonathan credits his grandmother for his family’s interest in the church. “My dad started listening to The World Tomorrow radio program in the ’60s but was skeptical about the offer of free literature from a church in California. By chance he mentioned to my grandmother Dosia that he had been listening to the program but that he thought the free offers too good to be true. To my dad’s amazement, my grandmother said that Mr. Armstrong was good to his word because she had requested and received free literature herself in the ’40s. Because of my grandmother’s endorsement, my dad and the rest of my family started the journey of becoming part of WCG/GCI.”

Jonathan and Carolyn (Tatham) met in 1980 as Ambassador College students, and married after graduating. They have been married for 28 years and have three children: Matthew (24), Charlotte (21) and Andrew (13). “All three are GCI members who enjoy participating and serving at our youth camps.” Of Carolyn, Jonathan says, “She is my best and most helpful evaluator in ministry. She does the weekly church bulletin, leads youth church, manages our congregational Facebook page and keeps in touch with our church family and friends around the world.”

Jonathan served as an elder in both the Tallahassee, Florida and Moultrie, Georgia congregations and also served briefly as interim pastor during a change in leadership. “I was installed as pastor of our Tallahassee congregation in November 2004 when the current pastor retired.”

Jonathan’s favorite part of pastoring is “serving my brothers and sisters in Christ and being part of what Jesus is doing in GCI.” What he enjoys most about being part of GCI is “the close relationships and the shared experiences together with such a diverse group locally and internationally.” He credits his District Pastor, Larry Hinkle, as his mentor. “He has helped me grow in my relationship with God by mentoring me in spiritual formation and providing the Odyssey in Christ retreats.” Jonathan mentions his three most memorable moments as pastor: “baptizing each of my three children.”

When asked about his passion, Jonathan said, “Freshwater fly-fishing is my hobby and passion. It’s my way of enjoying God’s wonderful creation and recharging my soul. Thankfully, I have fishing buddies in Florida and also in New Hampshire when we visit my mother-in-law there.”

When does he feel closest to God? “During quiet time at sunrise on the weekend while my family is asleep. I enjoy the time with God to listen and reflect so I can be more balanced and centered for the day.”