Category: Be Inspired

Eric Warren pastors Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, a GCI congregation in Toronto, Ontario. He enjoys all-terrain biking in some of the more spectacular places in Canada. When he’s not out on his bike, he enjoys working around the house doing home renovation.

Eric grew up on a farm southwest of Regina, Saskatchewan. “I attended my first service at Regina WCG on May 8, 1976. My interest was sparked by my mother.” At that time, Eric never dreamed he would one day be pastoring the church in Regina. “Until I accepted Christ in the eleventh grade I was a quiet, bullied, social misfit with poor grades. It was far beyond my expectations that I would be in this role. The grace and gifting that flows from our Triune God is full of surprises!”

Eric went to Ambassador College in Pasadena and graduated in 1982. He met his wife Amy who was teaching third grade at Imperial Schools. “Amy Jordan and I married in August 1982. We have three children. Our son Brian (married to Melissa) is a high school art and music teacher. Our daughter Shannon is an ER and ICU nurse. Our youngest daughter Brittany is an esthetician. We have no grandchildren (yet!).

In 1982, Eric and Amy entered pastoral ministry in Halifax, Nova Scotia working with Jack and Betty Kost. “In 1986 I began pastoring churches in Moncton, New Brunswick and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. I believe the Spirit enabled these first stumbling steps into ministry and has been our increasing source of strength and direction since.” Eric also credits Amy as another Spirit-led source of strength and direction, saying, “Amy does a lot of volunteer work in the congregation and community and unofficially functions as an associate pastor.”

After serving in New Brunswick and Alberta, Eric and family moved to Regina to serve for 14 years at Pathway Community Church. This brings us to the present. “Amy and I felt led to move to Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Toronto in 2011 to succeed retiring Pastor Doug Smith. With his leadership, in 2007 the congregation purchased a building in the village of Mimico to passionately pursue community mission, to assist local businesses and help agencies in responding to diverse needs. Living within a kilometer of the church building allows us to experience these needs first-hand. Cornerstone is becoming a trusted member of the community and will receive an award for community service from the Business Improvement Association in July. There are an increasing number of people attending from the community, some of whom have been baptized.”

What Eric enjoys most about being a pastor is “the variety and challenge of assisting God in his redemption and development of people in the congregation and community.” Along with this, Eric shares what he enjoys most about being part of GCI: “GCI provides a basic orthodox statement of beliefs and a great deal of freedom for the congregation to customize itself for its context. It also provides significant resources and learning opportunities online.”

When asked about his passion, Eric referred to “all-age people development.” When asked about a most memorable moment, he referred to “performing our son’s wedding last year and performing those of our daughters within the next year.” Eric also refers to the value of mentoring by giving credit to pastor Dennis Lueck, a Lutheran pastor, “who walked with me in a mentoring relationship for 12 years; now retired and still a friend.”

Early Sunday mornings are among Eric’s favorite times. He calls these his “Sunday morning pre-service retreats” and says this is when he feels closest to God.

The day after Christmas in 2007, Mark and Joanne McCulley packed a truck and moved from Southern California to Arvada, Colorado to serve GCI’s Denver North and Colorado Springs churches. “It was both the fulfillment of a lifetime dream and the scariest thing I’d ever done,” Mark said. “Some five years later, I think both descriptions still apply!”

Mark’s journey toward ministry began at about age eight. “I grew up near Wichita, Kansas and started attending the local congregation—then called the Radio Church of God—with my family in 1961. I remember praying one night, without knowing how, but realizing that I wanted to obey God (whoever he was) and needed him to take care of me.”

It was during his teen years that Mark became convinced he was to be a minister. “My first rude shock was that I was not accepted to Ambassador College like I was supposed to be and had to apply a second time. My second rude shock was, at the end of my junior year, two senior faculty members told me I wasn’t cut out for “the field.” So my senior year and graduation were a bit of a blur, because if I couldn’t be a minister, I really couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to do. Two years later, I was able to land a job with the church’s Festival Office.”

Mark worked in the Festival Office for 19 years helping organize the fall festivals for WCG. After being laid off due to downsizing, he started his own business, organizing conferences for churches and other clients.

Mark has two children from his first marriage, Patrick and Heather. “I have no grandkids yet, but I’m keeping my knee ready for dandling, whatever that is.”

Mark met Joanne (whom he calls “The Lovely Joanne”) at church late in 2000. “We went from five-minute phone calls to two-hour calls to 1600 minutes per month on free mobile-to-mobile. We seriously thought about sending a wedding invitation to AT&T when we married in 2002. We still would rather talk to each other than anyone else. Joanne taught me (the native of a state with no discernible bodies of water) to enjoy the beach, and has even taken me on a scuba diving trip, on which I enjoyed watching her and the others dive. I also became a fairly decent snorkeler by the end of the week. She wants to retire by the beach, so I have to work on my metal-detector skills too.”

Mark says his most significant journey in GCI was “trying to comprehend and follow along with our denomination’s shift from legalism to grace. I learned what joy really was by being convinced, finally, that I’m saved by grace because of the immeasurable love of my Savior. But letting go of convictions I’d had since childhood was like letting go of one trapeze, not being sure I could catch the other one. As grace began to make more sense, and the more I’ve learned to focus on Jesus, the clearer everything else has become. I’ve described our experience as a denomination to be something like childbirth—those watching rejoice in the miracle, while the mother is screaming in distress!”

Mark had avoided talking to anyone about pastoral ministry for a long time “because I didn’t look forward to being turned down again. But in 2007, my wife and my dear friend Ken Williams both convinced me to ask to be considered for pastoral ministry for GCI. Soon we were buying airline tickets for Denver to visit two churches and see if moving there was the will of the Lord. Joanne had traveled to Colorado for business and was more than ready to move. It didn’t take us long to fall in love with the people in the churches there.” After praying with the leadership teams and all agreeing to seek God’s will, Mark and Joanne returned home. “When we landed back in California my phone had two voice-mail messages asking us to please come back. So nine weeks later, we waved goodbye to Los Angeles and started driving.”

Ken Williams continued to play a key role in Mark’s pastoral ministry by coaching Mark during his first year of ministry. Mark says he’s been blessed to have a number of good mentors in his life. “One of my bottom-line principles in ministry was given me by my dear friend Mel Dahlgren. ‘Love the people,’ he said. ‘You can’t change them, you can’t fix them and you can’t do anything else to help them except to love them.’” Mark also gives credit to Joanne. “She is about 97% of any wisdom I have in ministry. She loves on people in ways I wouldn’t have thought of, helps me figure out how to word difficult things and reminds me fairly often to follow Mel’s advice.”

Mark says he loves “reading the Bible and finding some nugget—usually with someone else’s help—that the Lord hid there to show me how much bigger his mind and love are than I realized. I love finding a way to explain that bigness to people by using stories or cartoons or physical examples.” Mark said finding that new nugget makes him feel like a kid in a candy store who just found a new flavor. “I wrestle with God in prayer, but I run and play with God in study. (Wow, I just realized that, and I’m blown away!).”

Being a pastor is hard work but quite rewarding, Mark shares. “Preaching is hard work. Sitting with people as they go through life’s challenges is also hard work, especially when I forget to wait on Jesus to say something first. Reading all the books I’m supposed to read is just impossible. But it’s all worth it when someone calls and says they’ve had a breakthrough in their walk with Jesus and others. It’s even better when that didn’t even result from something I said, because then I’d try to say it again. But I live for those breakthroughs! At the end of my time, I think the sweetest sound I could hear is that I somehow helped another person see Jesus better.”

PS: The Denver North GCI church is part of an inter-denominational group of over 50 churches in Arvada (www.artofneighboring.com). The group started five years ago and is focused on getting to know our neighbors and loving them in Jesus’ name. “We pastors are becoming friends and allies, helping each other find better ways to be the kind of neighbors we should be, doing kingdom work together.”

Rod Dean, GCI pastor in Sydney, Australia, grew up in one of the beachside suburbs of Sydney and had a childhood many dream of. “I had a typical Aussie background enjoying rugby, weightlifting, body surfing, cricket and golf. My grandfather fought in World War I and my father in World War II. So I grew up immersed in Australian traditions.”

Rod says he was one of the first state-school educated people to be selected for a university scholarship by CSR, a private school. “I got my Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New South Wales, majoring in statistics and trained as a chemist and factory manager. I did a research project and was about to computerize CSR’s central laboratories when I was asked to leave because of my beliefs.”

Those beliefs started when Rod heard The World Tomorrow program in February 1966. “The message seemed to be practical and relevant. I attended my first church service at the Blackheath Feast in 1967 and was baptized in 1968. I particularly delighted in two teachings: the concept of sonship and the optimistic hope for everyone. I also found a depth in understanding the Old Testament background to the New Testament. My first Lord’s Supper service was joyous and meaningful to me since it happened the day after I was baptized. I remember vividly coming home after baptism and saying in prayer: ‘I am your son and you are my Father.’ That sense of privilege has been with me through thick and thin.”

After losing his job with CSR, Rod thought about starting a new career as an actuary, though at the same time he applied to Ambassador College and was accepted. Rod graduated in 1973 and married Vicki, who was a transfer student to Ambassador College in Bricket Wood, England. They have two adult children, Jenny and Barry and two grandchildren, Beatrice and Claudia.

“After graduation I was sent back to Australia to pastor the Newcastle and Grafton churches under the supervision of John Halford, who was in Sydney at that time. I was ordained in 1974. Since then I have worked in Melbourne, Brisbane, Indiana (US) and now in Sydney with the Wollongong, Canberra and Bathurst congregations.”

“I have been through many of the ups and downs over the years. But I have to say the wonderful people who have invited me into their lives have kept me in ministry. I am continually overwhelmed by their generosity, especially to the needy. They relate spontaneously to Jesus’ example and teaching regarding those who are hungry, cold and without shelter.”

This generous spirit has enabled the congregations Rod serves to reach out to many GCI brothers and sisters around the world. “It has been the passion of this area to be a brother to our international family in Papua New Guinea, Africa, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar.”

Rod still enjoys getting out and enjoying the beauty of Australia. “I enjoy rowing, walking in my personal refuge at Bobbin Head, which has lovely waterways and virgin bush and is just a ten-minute drive from home. I also enjoy body surfing in the summer at Warriewood, my favorite beach. I always feel like a carefree child in my Father’s arms in these situations. I also have coached basketball for Special Olympics for almost eight years. This has always been a pleasure and I feel embarrassed when they thank me, since I enjoy it so much.”

When asked about mentors, Rod said there were several. “I have often thought about who I have respected and learned from. At Ambassador College, Leon Walker and Francis Bergin were formative. In the ministry, one can never forget John Halford, Dennis Luker and Dean Wilson. They all showed trust in me as a young man and allowed me a lot of freedom to grow and develop. I have tried to do that with the young men and women I have mentored over the years. I love the energy and enthusiasm, talent and creativity of young people. A highlight of my pastorates has been the 16 camps I worked at with our young adult team in Victoria during the middle 70s to 80s. Their children now have children.”

Rod mentioned a book that has also been influential in his ministry: Community and Growth, by Jean Vanier. “His reflections on life in community with those with an intellectual disability have influenced how I understand what it means to be a community in our congregations.”

When asked about GCI, Rod said, “I think the most important refocusing in the last few years has been how Jesus is the center of all our knowledge of God. I like this comment from Gerrit Dawson: ‘…All knowledge of God now centers in the person of Christ. All truth about who God is, is shown to us in the face of Jesus Christ.’”

Bill was born in Harvey, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago. “As a youngster, I lived for sports. Baseball was my favorite, but I also played basketball, football and soccer. I rode my bicycle everywhere looking for a possible pick-up game at a sandlot. I became a die-hard Cub fan early in life, following the lead of my father. To go to Wrigley Field with a sack-full of White Castles and a bottle of Pepsi was the ultimate thrill. I remain a loyal Chicago fan of all their professional teams, despite the perpetual pain of being a Cub fan.”

Bill grew up going to church. “I went twice on Sunday and sometimes to prayer meeting on Wednesday. Most of that church consisted of family and friends of family. I was baptized when I was fifteen. When I began questioning my beliefs at age 18, I met considerable opposition, tough my family accepted me and my ‘weird’ beliefs.”

It was around this time as Bill studied that he began to question his ambition to pursue the medical profession. “I was a little lost as to what to do next. I was encouraged to attend Ambassador College because most there shared my newfound beliefs. When I told my parents that I was shifting majors from pre-med to theology and going to a college in Texas, they were eventually kind and supportive.”

Bill says he had no ambition to become a pastor, “but as the years went by, it appeared to others that God might want to use me. I placed the matter in God’s hands, wanting his will to be done. Upon graduation in 1970, I was hired as a ministerial assistant to Burk McNair and Harold Lester in the Nashville/Bowling Green/Cookeville, Tennessee area.”

That summer, Bill took on another role as well. “On August 9, 1970, Kathleen Crocker (a 1970 Ambassador College graduate) and I were married in Seattle. We drove from there to our first assignment in Nashville. We decided to have children quickly because we thought the end of the world was coming soon! Our first daughter, Shari, was born via midwife in a farmhouse in November 1971. In August 1974, Elizabeth was born in a little hospital in Zeeland, Michigan. Shari married Jeff Fowler in 2005 and now lives in Neenah, Wisconsin. Elizabeth married Jamin Mills in 2007 and now lives in Lake Stevens, Washington. We have one grandchild, Ethan, and are expecting another in June.”

When asked what he enjoys most about being a pastor, Bill said, “Unquestionably, the best part of my job is working with God’s children. I have always felt blessed to be able to fellowship and interact with such great people. We served four years in Tennessee, ten years in Michigan, nine years in Wisconsin, and twenty years in Washington. We have made life-long friends in each area and love to go visit them whenever possible.”

Kathy is a big part of Bill’s ministry. “Kathy has been my support system through all forty-three years of our ministry. She has been willing to do whatever job needed to be done from cheerleading coach to Bible study leader. I have told her many times that people want us to come back and visit, mainly so they can see her. She argues, but I know it is true. She has been the nurturing part of our ministry and has always been willing to patiently listen to people’s problems. Along with that, she has set a wonderful example in childrearing and in being a loving wife to a sometimes difficult husband. She truly was given to me and others by God.”

When asked about his most memorable moments, Bill said, “My mind is so full of such wonderful memories from the last 43 years that no one moment stands out more than another. There certainly were difficult times that I can remember if I try, but I prefer not to go there unless totally necessary. Kathy and I consider our years of pastoring as one big joy.”

Bill hopes to retire next month. “My wife retired in September 2012, from teaching special education in middle school. I am planning to retire at the end of June this year. If no one is found to fill the position, I will continue to be here for the members, but my vacations may be a little longer.”

“The one thing I enjoy most about being part of GCI,” said Bill, “is that we are blessed to have such dedicated, capable and loving leaders in our organization. I guess one would need to have been in the shoes of those who have been around for a long time to realize what a joy it is to serve with these individuals.”

Bill’s passion and when he feels closest to God both involve his grandson. “My passion is babysitting and playing with Ethan. He is such a joy and blessing—it is hard to describe the love that I feel when watching and interacting with him. After holding out for 16 months I now am changing diapers! I feel closest to God when I rock Ethan to sleep with his head resting on my shoulder. I thank God repeatedly for this little blessing that he has given us. One time I was patting him on the back as I was rocking him to sleep. I thought he was asleep, but I then I felt his little hand patting me on the shoulder. I told God that I hope that he can feel me patting him on the shoulder occasionally.”

Ray Meyer currently serves as the senior pastor of the GCI congregation in Kansas City, Missouri and as a district pastor.

Ray and his wife Carol both began attending WCG/GCI following graduation from high school in 1965. They had both heard The World Tomorrow program, read The Plain Truth magazine and were drawn by the message. They entered Ambassador College in Pasadena, California in 1965, which is where they met. They graduated in 1969, were married and sent to serve the congregation in Akron, Ohio, working first with David Antion and then Bryce Clark.

Carol grew up near Grand Rapids in western Michigan, living and working on a small produce farm where she learned the value of hard work. She responded to the gospel as a child and began following Christ at that time. She did not have the support of her family in many ways and had to swim upstream in order to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Ray grew up near Kansas City in western Missouri, living first on a farm where he learned many practical skills and later in a small town where he worked in a grocery store and then as an apprentice electrician. Ray also responded to the gospel as a child and attended church regularly with his mother and siblings.

Ray developed a love for basketball in the seventh grade and this blossomed into a passion in high school where he lettered three years and was named an All American as a senior. This led to a college scholarship offer, which he turned down to attend Ambassador College. He went on to play basketball for four years at Ambassador.

Ray’s first assignment as a senior pastor was in a circuit that included Cincinnati, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky. He was later transferred back to Akron to pastor the AM/PM churches there. After a sabbatical in Pasadena, the Meyers pastored churches in Houston, Texas; Louisville, Kentucky; Dayton, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wisconsin and most recently in Kansas City. They both feel this journey was the result of God’s call on their lives, and they believe it has been his blessing and grace that has enabled them to endure the ups and downs of ministry over the many years.

Ray said, “God has given us a deep love for our denomination and the people of GCI and that is what has fueled our drive.” Ray has always enjoyed serving in his area of giftedness: pastoring/shepherding with all that his gift entails. Ministry offers a wide variety of activity and responsibility, which they have always appreciated. But most rewarding for both of them is seeing people blossom as they’re transformed by their life in Christ. “That’s what it’s all about!”

What are their passions? Carol’s passion is working with people who have suffered abuse of one kind or another. These experiences led her to write the book, Project Renewal – A Study Guide for Emotional Recovery (now published in three languages). Over the years, she has helped many people on the journey of recovery. Being a member of Heart of America Ministry Women has opened numerous doors for ministry, as has her employment with Avant Ministries (a missionary agency). In addition to helping a number of missionaries and those they serve, Project Renewal is part of the women’s curriculum at a theological seminary in Bolivia. To read more, go to www.projectrenewal.info. Carol has also enjoyed leading the women’s ministry in GCI’s Kansas City church for 17 years, which has hosted 15 women’s retreats.

Ray’s passion has been developing leaders. Early on he used the Spokesman Club/Graduate Club format to develop leaders and wrote a manual on Christian Leadership from his Graduate Club experiences. Later this passion was expressed in mentoring men and women in the recognition and expression of their gifts and in providing opportunity and encouragement to put those gifts to use in ministry. Coordinating festivals also served as a great format for mentoring others and for leadership training and team building.

In response to the question, “When do you feel closest to God?” Carol replied, “Amazingly, when we’re in a crisis. We discovered this when I was deathly ill in 1985 and again when Ray’s life was threatened by pulmonary emboli in 2000. God mercifully delivered us both. We also experienced this when the church was in crisis during the 90s. The song, “The Anchor Holds,” was especially meaningful for us during that time.”

When asked about their most significant mentor, Ray said, “We haven’t had just one good mentor. There were a number of men who positively impacted our lives, including Dean Blackwell, Ron Kelly, Richard Rice and several others.”

When asked, “What do they enjoy most about being a part of GCI?” Ray replied, “Seeking truth was always a prime motivator in the past and that continues today. It’s all about growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the transformation this brings.”

During their tenure in ministry, Ray has served in a variety of responsibilities, including deacon, elder, assistant pastor, associate pastor, pastor, YOU District and Regional Coordinator, Festival Coordinator for 13 years at three different festival sites, district pastor, regional pastor, district superintendent and district pastoral leader. Ray commented, “The major lesson we have learned is that it’s Jesus’ ministry, not ours. He initiates and accomplishes it all—and he gives us the opportunity to participate!”

For diversion and recreation, Carol enjoys oil painting, playing Scrabble and reading historical fiction while Ray enjoys hunting and riding his Harley.

Now for some interesting ironies that Ray has recognized:

• Little did I know that the minister who first came to visit me in 1965 (Rowlen Tucker) would be the man I would later replace as pastor in the Kansas City North church in 1994.
• Little did I know that the pastor I first heard speak in Kansas City in 1965 (Bryce Clark) would be the man I would later work under in Akron, Ohio beginning in 1969.
• Little did I know that the congregation I first visited in 1965 would be the church I would come to pastor in 1994 and would retire from in 2013.
• Little did I know that the young man who will be succeeding me as pastor in Kansas City (Jason Frantz) was a youth in the Dayton, Ohio church which we pastored during the 1980s and 90s (Ray is retiring from employment as a pastor next month).

Ray and Carol are blessed with two children (Janna and Randy) and four grandchildren (Faith, Logan, Gavin and Ellora). They look forward to spending a lot more time with them during the years to come.

Bermie Dizon, senior pastor of GCI churches in Inglewood and Altadena, California, grew up in the Philippines. “I am the youngest of six children. My father was a street laborer for the government and did not earn enough to support the family. As children we helped by selling rice cakes, boiled bananas, etc. My father did not attend church, though he often read the Bible to us. And so we learned about Bible characters like Abraham, Joseph and David. This made me realize that there is a God who cares for us. I remember at age five, kneeling to pray to the God out there who I did not fully know.”

Bermie became interested in WCG as a teenager. “Right after high school at age 16 (in 1974), I moved to Manila for college and joined WCG because my older siblings were members. As a young person, I loved the focus of the church on the youth through camps, community projects and Spokesman Club.” This interest led Bermie to enter Ambassador College in 1980. He graduated in 1984 and became a ministerial trainee. Two days after graduation, he married another student from the Philippines, Carmelita. According to Bermie, “my wife now serves the church as a children’s church teacher, a member of the worship team and a member of the nursing staff at SEP. Most importantly, she is my dearest friend, accountability partner and counselor.”

Bermie and Carmelita have four children. Ben (26, married) works for the US military. Carmel (24, married) works as a nurse in the Denver area and will give birth to Bermie and Carmelita’s first grandchild in June. Abel (23, married) is working on a PhD in civil engineering at Caltech. David (18), will graduate from high school this spring and plans to study aerospace engineering.

In 1996, Bermie transferred to serve WCG churches in the Pasadena, California area. He focused on working with Filipino members with an emphasis on developing leaders among them. He has pastored in Southern California since. “I feel good when my kids tell me that they are so blessed to have a dad who is a pastor. Working as a pastor makes me realize that it is Jesus who is at work. I also enjoy helping and equipping members for leadership work.”

When asked what he enjoys most about being part of GCI, Bermie noted, “the fact that I have a part in the journey that God gave us…the transition from law to grace, from exclusivity to inclusiveness…from Jesus plus to Christ alone. This journey is God’s doing and what a privilege it is to have part in it.”

Anyone who knows Bermie knows that he loves to share his love for the Lord Jesus and for his family. He also mentioned, “Somehow, I get excited and feel a great sense of accomplishment in equipping people for ministry work.” He also finds cooking fun.

Bermie said that his memorable pastoral moments are constant. “They occur whenever God gives me opportunity to visit the needy, the poor, the discouraged.” He credits mentor Curtis May for helping him learn to be a good pastor. “Of all the people I worked with, Curtis May was the one I appreciated most. He is so genuine, humble and has lots of wisdom in building relationships.” He also credits the late Aurelio Mandap, a local church elder in the Philippines, who taught him by word and example about Christlike shepherding.

Asked when he feels closest to God, Bermie says, “It’s when I am with my loved ones, especially during family meal times. The love in my family reminds me of our Great God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who loves us unconditionally.”

“My father died when I was four years old,” shares George Hart who is a district pastor and the senior pastor of GCI’s Cincinnati East congregation. “Growing up without a father had a tremendous impact on me. It caused me to become very self-sufficient.”

“I started working when I was eight years old, trucking tobacco with mules. At sixteen I bought a new car and was able to pay my way through school. If I needed or wanted something I bought it myself. My self-sufficiency served me well for years until it all came crashing in on me about ten years ago.

“My self-sufficiency had become my messiah and a roadblock in my relationship with the Father. I never knew I had a Father until one night he showed up and revealed himself to me through Psalm 146. He had been with me all those years and I never knew it. It was an experience that changed my life. I still struggle with my self-sufficiency, but my Father has been patient with me.”

Growing up in eastern North Carolina, George fell in love with the beach. “When I was in high school my buddies and I went to the beach almost every weekend in the summer, sometimes sleeping in the car or on the beach. I’ve always loved the coast and today it is where I feel closest to God. I can walk the shore or just sit and watch the surf for hours. There is something haunting and mystical about the ocean that calls to me. My favorite place is Ocracoke, on the outer banks of North Carolina. It’s about a two and a half hour ferry ride to get to anywhere.”

George came into contact with WCG in December 1973. “I used to listen to Cousin Brucie on radio station WABC out of New York City. One night I could not pick up his broadcast so started searching the dial for something to listen to. I came across a broadcast of an older gentleman–HWA (Herbert Armstrong) and the first words I heard out of his mouth were, “Why were you born?” Those words resonated with me at a deep level because that was something that I had been thinking about for about two years. I continued to listen to HWA for several months. At the end of each broadcast they would mention Ambassador College. In spring 1974 I wrote for an application and was accepted for August 1974. I had not attended a church service or really knew anything about the church before showing up in Big Sandy, Texas. In the first several months I almost left a dozen times but felt in my spirit this was where I belonged and where I would discover ‘why I was born.’”

The first sermon George heard was about makeup. “I don’t recall whether makeup was coming in or going out, and I thought it was a strange topic. However, what struck me was a willingness to change when you thought you were wrong. That willingness is inherent in our denomination and led to an examination of the Bible under Joseph Tkach, Sr. The rest of that story is our common history.”

George met Vicki Wetzel in college and they married soon after graduation. “Vicki and I are in our 36th year of marriage. We have two children. Erin is married and lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband Craig. She works in the social services industry. Erin is expecting our first grandchild in early August. Our son Bryan lives in Columbus, Ohio and works as a financial business specialist for Nationwide Insurance.”

After graduating from college, George and Vicki decided to settle in Greensboro, North Carolina, “because we heard the church there was looking for AC grads and we wanted to serve in whatever way we could. I was working for Fairchild Industries as the contracts and negotiations manager when Dan Rogers ordained me as an elder. About two years later Dan asked me one day after services how much money I made. I told him and he asked, ‘Would you work for less money?’ I said, ‘There is only one thing I’d do for less money.’ Dan said, ‘I’ve recommended you to do it.’ The funny thing is, neither of us said what that thing was, but Joe Tkach, Sr. called me the next week and hired me to full-time ministry. We have served in Greensboro and Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Augusta and Dublin, Georgia; Birmingham and Jasper, Alabama; Buffalo and Olean, New York; and Cincinnati, Ohio.”

Today, in addition to serving as a GCI district pastor and church pastor, George serves on the board of The Office of Reconciliation and Mediation (ORM) and as Chairman of the Board for Equipping Ministries International (EMI), a para-church ministry in Cincinnati.

While George has many memorable moments as a pastor, he said an unusual one was having a federal lawsuit filed against him for violating someone’s civil rights when pastoring in Birmingham. “Long story with a good ending,” he says. Though preaching is George’s favorite part of being a pastor, his spiritual passion is life transformation. “If the gospel is not holistic healing the mind, body and soul, to me it is not the gospel.”

George has other passions as well. “I love working with power tools. My garage is pretty much a cabinet shop. I remodeled our kitchen a couple of years ago and made the cabinets. I’ve made a number of cabinets and bookcases for our home and I am presently finishing up a welcome center for our new worship center.”

An adventurous spirit is another part of George. “A few years ago I fulfilled a desire I’ve had since a teen. I went skydiving, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane at 12,000 feet. I highly recommend it!”

When asked about a mentor, George said, “For the last two years I’ve been a part of a triad with non-GCI ministry leaders in Cincinnati. It is a peer group that we refer to as a “dream group.” We share our dreams, hearts, struggles and successes. It has had the greatest spiritual impact on me, more than anything I’ve ever done.”

When does George feel closest to God? “Other than being at the seashore, I feel closest to God when watching Nova or something on the Discovery channel about creation or the origin of the universe. The mystery and expanse of the universe fills me with awe for a God who is both the Creator and a loving Father. It reminds me that I have no comprehension of the future God has in store for his children.

“I grew up at a time where kids could be kids,” said Mike Rasmussen, who serves as an associate regional pastor and district pastor for GCI Church Administration and Development and is the senior pastor of GCI’s congregation in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. “I remember leaving in the morning on my bicycle and not coming home until it began to get dark. My friends and I would build forts and make ramps to jump our bikes. We would spend time making and setting off explosives. We’d spend the morning making the explosive devices and then spend the afternoon setting them off. Mind you, this was at a time when you wouldn’t be thrown in jail for such activities by Homeland Security. I would have told you I had a normal childhood, but as I have become an adult myself with two sons of my own, I realize it may not have been that ‘normal.’”

Mike’s family moved to Southern California when Mike was two years old so Mike’s dad could work in the Printing Department of WCG. “I grew up in Pasadena and attended our denomination’s elementary school, grades 1-7. When Imperial Schools closed, I attended a local high school. I wanted to be an architect and so after graduating from high school, I attended Pasadena City College. However, after spending a semester totally frustrated by the number of young adults who seemed to be more interested in challenging the professors’ authority than in actually learning, I decided to step out. My plan was to attend the University of California and continue my studies.”

As is often the case, our plans don’t coincide with God’s plans. Mike explains: “While I was between colleges, my mother began to nag me (love you Mom!) about applying to Ambassador College, our denomination’s college. I assured her that I had absolutely no interest in attending Ambassador, as I had no desire to be a pastor or anything even remotely like it. God sure has a sense of humor! Because of her persistence, I finally agreed I would apply and ‘when’ I was rejected, we wouldn’t talk about it again. She agreed. Several months later, I received a letter and much to my chagrin, I had been accepted. I spent the next three years doing all I could to ensure I would never be on any ‘future pastor list’ the College may have been putting together.”

Mike decided he wanted to be a salesman for 3M’s dental division during his junior year at Ambassador. “I found out where they were holding a meeting for some of their top executives and key salesmen in downtown Los Angeles. I put together a resume and sneaked into this closed-door meeting. I had researched who the National Sales Director was and waited in ambush for him outside the meeting room. When they went on break, I approached him and handed him my resume. I told him that if he hired me that in three years I would be one of his top ten salesmen and in five years, I would be his number one salesman. I was such an arrogant little jerk! He asked me if I had any sales experience or if I had taken any business classes. I told him no, but that I was getting my degree in liberal arts with a major in theology. He looked a little perplexed. He told me to take some business classes and to get a job that would build my sales experience. He then asked me how I got into this private meeting. I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders.”

Again, God had different plans for Mike. “At the beginning of my senior year, I was notified by my boss that Mr. Tkach Sr., the Director of Church Administration, wanted to see me in his office. I protested and assured my boss that nothing good could come out of such a meeting. As the day went on, I decided I better go ahead and show up for the meeting—I wasn’t completely stupid! While in the meeting, one of the first things Mr. Tkach asked me was ‘what are your plans after graduation?’ I was absolutely thrilled he asked. I exploded with all my plans to work for 3M and how I had it all arranged. He looked at me—in a way that only he could—and said, ‘Let me ask you one question Mike. What would you rather do—make money or serve God?’ I couldn’t believe it; how could he ask me such a question? I took a moment, which seemed like a lifetime, and I said, ‘Well if I have to make a choice between the two—I would have to say, serve God.’ He said ‘I am glad you said that—you start tomorrow morning!’ Did I mention that God has a sense of humor?

“I worked for Mr. Tkach Sr. for twelve years and then when he passed away I worked for his son Joe Tkach Jr. for several years. Joe Jr. didn’t have the same needs as his father, so in 1998 the decision was made that we would move to Oklahoma City to help pastor the congregation there. We have been pastoring there ever since and loving it!”

The “we” Mike is referring to is his wife Juli and their two sons, Grant and Kurt. “Six months after college graduation, I married the love of my life, Juli. We have been married now for 28 years. We have been blessed with two amazing sons. Grant our oldest, age 23, is currently at the University of Oklahoma and pursuing a degree in the medical field. Kurt, our youngest, age 21, is also at OU, now in his junior year. We do not have any grandchildren yet. We are looking forward to that phase of life, even though neither one of us looks old enough!”

Mike and Juli met in college while skydiving. “Now both of our boys are licensed skydivers as well. Grant is a skydiving instructor and tandem master, which means that he takes passengers who are attached to him. We enjoy the time together jumping and sharing the sport with others. During the summer, Grant took his mom on a tandem skydive and Kurt and I were able to join them on the plane and jump out. It was the first time the four of us were able to jump out of the same plane. Twenty or more of the members of our congregation have made one or more skydives. Interestingly enough, we have had a number of new members join our church family from the Drop Zone.”

Asked to elaborate on Juli, Mike shared the following: “Juli has a full-time job at a local Christian Daycare. She takes care of babies—newborn to one-year-old—and absolutely loves it. Anyone who knows Juli knows she is serving in her giftedness and passion. Even though she has a full-time job, she is active serving within our congregation, coordinating one of our praise teams, serving on the women’s ministry team, helping teach children’s church, directing our Crosswalk junior camp, helping clean the church, etc. etc. etc.”

When asked what he loves most about being a pastor and being part of GCI, Mike said, “I love sharing the good news of who God really is and who we are, as his dearly loved children. I enjoy the variety that comes with the job as well; no two days are exactly alike. Mike’s favorite pastoral moments? “Probably when I see the lights go on in someone’s thinking and they realize who they are in Christ. I also love being able to do camp ministry where you get to work with teens and young adults. They are so amazing and a blast to be around – at least most of the time.”

Speaking about GCI, Mike said, “I am thankful for the journey that God has taken us on. I wouldn’t want to go through it again, mind you, but I know God has used it to grow us and teach us who he is and who he isn’t. I also love that we have the freedom to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. Also the fact that we have come to realize each congregation is unique, with different gifts and strengths. We also understand that each congregation has a unique way in which they have been called to serve their neighborhood and community.”

Mike said he feels closest to God when he skydives. “I feel closest when I am falling at 120 miles an hour or when I am wing suiting, which is when you wear a jumpsuit that’s like a flying squirrel. In free fall, you have a unique perspective of God’s creation and his blessings.” This ties in with Mike’s passion: “To be able to love on people and share the good news of Jesus Christ and also jump out of perfectly good airplanes.—I don’t think it gets any better than that!”

“I love having a front row seat to watch how God is working in the lives of many people,” said District Pastor, Karl Reinagel, who pastors the GCI congregation in St. Louis, Missouri.

Karl spent his early years on a 40-acre Christmas tree farm in Eden, New York. “I sold trees as a boy of 8 or 9 when dad was at work. We stopped running that business after embracing WCG teachings against Christmas. Oddly enough the last time we had a Christmas tree in the house is one of the acts that my mom and sisters remember most fondly of me. I barely remember it, but it always comes up at family reunions. I helped them by cutting, hauling and standing up a tree in the living room after it was forbidden by Dad. I don’t think I got the memo on that one – at least my conscience was not developed enough to have a crisis. I just saw my mom and sisters struggling with something that was important to them and needing a strong hand from an older brother.”

Karl first became aware of WCG in the late ’60s through The World Tomorrow radio program, The Plain Truth magazine and especially the Correspondence Course. “Dad asked me to read the Correspondence Course and scriptures as he typed every word. We began attending church, along with two of my brothers, in the early ’70s following a public Bible lecture series in Buffalo, New York. We had no idea there was a congregation in the area until then.”

Karl’s parents divorced when he was about 12 and Karl became “chief cook and bottle washer of the bachelor pad with dad and two brothers.” In late 1974, they moved to central Tennessee where his father remarried and began a mixed family of “yours, mine and ours.” Karl graduated from high school in 1977 and went off to University of Tennessee-Knoxville to study accounting.

Karl was baptized right after high school and started participating in the local Spokesman Club while attending college. “It was a pretty scary adventure for me. I usually enjoyed my astronomy class at 7:50 a.m. except Wednesday mornings when I began to anxiously anticipate my assignment at club that evening” His passion for pastoral ministry started developing and Karl transferred to Ambassador College in 1979. “Events in WCG and in my home church area led me to attend AC. I wanted to learn to be more helpful to the church in a troubled time.”

It was in college that Karl met his wife, Carla Abbey. They were married August 8, 1982. Karl and Carla have three children and two grandchildren. Jon is married to (another) Carla and they have two children, Kyran (3) and Jariel (six months). Their other two children are Kneight (who currently lives in Chicago) and Krissy, who will graduate from high school in 2014.

After graduating from AC in 1982, Karl began working in the Mail Processing Department of WCG. “I was hired to serve those responding to The World Tomorrow program and The Plain Truth magazine. At the same time I started serving members of our local Auditorium PM congregation in various capacities alongside a whole bunch of outstanding men and women over the years.”

Karl worked in various departments of Mail Processing for a number of years overseeing office staff and working with volunteer phone operators for the WATS line. In 1995 he transferred to Church Administration to assist Richard Rice. Karl calls that time, “the year all heaven broke loose in the church.”

Richard Rice was a mentor to Karl for many years. “Richard Rice helped me grow as a Christian in many ways during my years in Pasadena and helped me to navigate through various rough patches of ministry as a new pastor who faced sticky situations I had no idea how to approach. I especially treasure the hours we spent travelling to and from the Los Angeles airport as he and his wife Ginny made many trips across the country to encourage pastors and congregations. This gave me the opportunity to learn how to graciously and lovingly deal with many of the difficult circumstances ministers face.”

In the mid-90s Karl became aware of the importance of identifying spiritual gifts. “I realized shepherding was one of my strongest gifts. It became apparent that my position in Pasadena would soon be phased out and I was sure I would serve in pastoral ministry when that happened. Unfortunately in the spring of 1996 when ‘my number came up’ with another wave of massive layoffs, they were also cutting back the already depleted field ministry. That was heartbreaking, but it gave me the chance to gain some useful experience serving the congregation in Olean, New York, while I sought work in the area. Pastor George Hart was most encouraging at the time in ministering to me as well as giving me opportunities to serve others. In July I was hired to replace a transferring minister in Wausau, Wisconsin.”

Since that time, Karl and his wife Carla have served congregations in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nebraska before finally settling in St. Louis. “Carla is very supportive of me in my ministry, but her ministry priority has been on providing a stable home and rearing godly children. She serves the church by filling in where needed as she is able and encouraging the body of Christ through art.”

When asked about his most memorable moments as a pastor, Karl said he’s had three. “It is more as a parent than as a pastor, so maybe it doesn’t even count but it is the baptism of each of my children. Carla and I have been blessed beyond words to express just what it means that each of our children loves Jesus and serves him according to their gifts, abilities and opportunities.“

A couple of interesting things about Karl that others may not know: “Several years ago we installed a wood burning stove on the hearth and have used it for our primary heat ever since. It gives me lots of good exercise splitting, stacking and hauling wood most of the year and the radiant heat is hard to beat. Carla and I have also begun to make homemade wine and are trying our hand at hard apple cider. We have little success to date, but we eagerly await next year’s apple harvest so we can test modifications to our recipe.”

Karl enjoys the “amazing journey” of GCI. “The variety and breadth of friendships over the years is wonderful with friends and acquaintances literally throughout the country and all over the world.” As a pastor, Karl says, “I want to see people growing into maturity in Christ: discovering God’s love for them and responding to it, finding their spiritual gifts and passion and taking their place as active members of the body of Christ.”

Karl says he feels closest to God “in those quiet mornings before anyone else gets up just watching the birds and other wildlife interact with one another and enjoying the native garden Carla and Krissy have planted in the backyard—our sanctuary. Also, sitting by the fire in the middle of a cold winter’s night meditating and praying while reloading the stove. Oddly enough there are more public times as well, such as standing with a couple during their wedding ceremony and feeling for those brief moments that God has included me with them inside a special circle of his love. Or when I am privileged to participate with Jesus as he comforts mourners before and during a funeral service as we reflect upon the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the deceased and the survivors.”

“My heart’s desire is for all those who have been hurt by our past teachings and legalistic practices to be healed and to forgive, and for there to be reconciliation,” says Bob Regazzoli, pastor of GCI churches around Brisbane, Australia.

Bob grew up on a sugar cane farm in Ingham, North Queensland in Australia. “Growing up on a farm was a great start to life—the outdoor life, work and family being able to do so much together was a good grounding for the future.”

Bob was quite young when his father responded to a “Why Were You Born?” advertisement in Reader’s Digest and started listening to the Radio Church of God program in the early 60s. “The nearest congregation to us at the time was in Brisbane, 1500 kilometers away, so for the first seven years of our church life, the only contact we had was at the annual Festival and a ministerial visit every three or four years. Our parents were conscientious and we had regular Bible studies at home.” Bob said these family studies paid off. “Our immediate family, including my mother, two brothers and wives are still active members of GCI. My father died a number of years ago.”

When Bob was 16 years old, his family sold the farm and moved near Brisbane so they could attend church services. “During my last year of high school, I applied for Ambassador College and went to Bricket Wood, England as a 17-year-old. After two years there, I was transferred to Pasadena and graduated in 1974.”

Bob met his wife, Kathy, at Ambassador College. They married right after graduation. They have now been married 38 years and have three children. “We have two sons, Jonathan and Mark, who live in Brisbane, and a married daughter, Katie who with her husband, Andy, live in Frisco, Colorado.”

Bob was hired as a ministerial trainee after graduation and he and Kathy began their pastoral life in Melbourne. “After a year there, we were transferred. We have pastored in Ballarat, Bendigo, Perth and Sydney—and for the last 19 years in Brisbane and surrounding congregations.” What Bob enjoys most about pastoring is being involved in the members’ lives. “I find it a great privilege to be invited to share life experiences with our members—the joy of births, weddings, baptisms, as well as being there through the difficult times. I really enjoy the teaching aspect of the pastor’s role.”

Speaking of his wife, Bob said, “Kathy has been a great support in my ministry and has a real love for all our members and contributes in a number of areas in our congregation. Her professional life is as a teams coach with Medicare, and she has a strength in helping people utilize and develop their gifts.”

Bob’s most memorable moment as a pastor came in the midst of WCG doctrinal changes. “The most significant turning point in my ministry was in the midst of the major doctrinal changes in 1995 with all of the questions and turmoil, both internally and externally. It was then that the lights came on for me. It was a time of much study and prayer, and then the realization of what the new covenant was truly about, and then the ongoing understanding that this has led to, and our being ministers of the new covenant.”

When asked about being a part of GCI today, Bob said, “I believe that we are now at a wonderful stage in our journey as a fellowship. After 50 years of involvement with this fellowship, we have experienced the most remarkable changes. I wish the many who were part of our fellowship in the past could also come to experience the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit as we are being led to see and experience. Today we have many wonderful, mature Christians in our fellowship, including younger members who are enthusiastic about their life in Jesus.”

Bob said he considers the apostle Paul his greatest mentor. “I have found the epistles of Paul the most helpful guidance in pastoral ministry. In his writings we find the Holy Spirit’s expression through his heart and mind.”

When does Bob feel closest to God? “There are various times and locations, but coming to the Lord’s Table is no doubt the highlight. I love the lyrics by Getty and Townend in the song, “Behold the Lamb.”