Category: Stay Connected

Ruth was a true Minnesotan girl. Born Ruth Marie Bauer in St. Paul on August 5, 1951, she grew up on a small farm southwest of Minneapolis and recounted stories of walking – and riding a horse – to school in the winter snows and helping her father on their small property by forking the hay on the hay cart in summer. She was the eldest of five, with four younger brothers. That meant helping her mother look after them – and as a result the brothers nicknamed her “management.”

Her parents, Fred and Ruby, were foundation members of the Minneapolis congregation of our fellowship and ultimately were ordained deacon and deaconess. In those days, regardless of how arduous the travel was, and how short the funds were, the annual festival was not to be missed, and in the early years, their nearest site was in Big Sandy, Texas, nearly 1000 miles away.

Ruth also attended the very first year of the Summer Educational Program (SEP) of the church in Orr, northern Minnesota – a pioneering experience to test your mettle. In 1969, she was accepted to Ambassador College in Pasadena, CA, and at the age of 18 saw the sea for the first time.

In the summer of 1972, she was accepted to the team of Ambassador students sent from Pasadena to work on an archeological excavation in Jerusalem at the temple mount site, in conjunction with student groups from the Texas and UK campuses of the college. This is where she met her future husband, Rod Matthews, from Australia, who was part of the contingent from the Bricket Wood campus in the UK.

Last month, in Manila, the Asia Community of Practice (CoP) was privileged to meet with President Greg, Susan, and Heber Ticas, Superintendent of Latin America. Presentations and discussions centred around our participation in Christ’s ministry, leadership development, and healthy church.

Greg reminded us that the harmonious flow of the triune God in the ministry of the church continually compels us to combine “great commandment living with the great commission.” Our being and doing must always go together; they complement each other, enabling the church to bring hope to the world. As always, our participation in Jesus’ ministry is never done alone. Christ has assured us, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Heber reiterated that our goal as Healthy Church is to multiply congregations and develop healthy leaders. We are a “sent” people, as Jesus proclaimed to his disciples, “…as the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” He recommended a three-pronged approach to experience renewal as local congregations, then to be relaunched in the community, to eventually become ‘’mothering” churches, nurturing daughter churches. A healthy church thus becomes a missional church.

Helpful discussions followed while answering a list of questions that were specific to the region. The icing on the cake was the bonding activity to bake cakes in teams! The cakes were relished by the participants and shared with the Philippine National Office. The meeting concluded with sharing in the Lord’s table, which renewed our quest to inspire our congregations to be the best expression of the church of Jesus Christ in our region.

By Dan Zachariah, Superintendent of Asia

Please join us in praying for Ruth and Bob Miller’s adult son Brian. Bob is a retired pastor in Alabama. Brian has a severe lung infection. He is hospitalized in the intensive care unit, and his condition is critical.

On January 13, about 100 enthusiastic people gathered at GC Surrey, British Columbia for a very special and joyous service. Job Alimasi Ayuba was ordained to the position of elder and commissioned as associate pastor of our congregation. The ceremony was performed by National Director Bill Hall.

Job’s long-time mentor from Malawi, Pastor Silvester Nkosi, testified of Job’s long-term commitment to Jesus Christ and service in ministry, including leading children’s groups and youth camps in Malawi. He also served as deacon of the congregation in the Dzaleka Refugee camp, where he lived with his wife, Imani, and their children. Job performed pastoral duties in the Dzaleka congregation on behalf of Pastor Nkosi. In July 2019, GC Surrey sponsored Job and Imani and their family to immigrate to Canada, where Job and Imani have continued to serve in the church and in the community.

We were delighted that six of Job’s coworkers attended the service as well as friends from near and far. Guests from Quebec City, Ottawa, Edmonton, Texas, and Michigan joined our special celebration. Our Swahili members spent many hours preparing a great feast for after the service that was greatly enjoyed by all.

Congratulations to Job and Imani! We pray that God will bless them richly as they continue in loving service to all.

Debbie Minke, Elder, and Craig Minke, Pastor
Surrey, B.C., Canada

Join us in celebrating Bermie Dizon’s retirement. He served as a GCI pastor for 40 years in the Philippines and in the U.S.

Congratulations, Bermie and Carmelita! We are very grateful to both of you for your many years of faithful service.

We wanted you to hear from Bermie in his own words.

After finishing high school in 1974, I moved from a rural area to Manila to take up my university degree. Because my older siblings were members, I started going to WCG services. In 1978, the regional director sent me to Ambassador College in Pasadena to represent the Philippines at the International Youth Leadership conference. There, I met Carmelita (wife to be), the other Filipino youth representative. In that conference, we were encouraged to attend Ambassador College.

In 1980, I started college at Ambassador. Adapting to a new culture was tough, but the prayer closets in the dorm and my new friends helped me through. My wife and I dated in our senior year and got married on campus two days after graduation in 1984.

After college, I was hired as a full-time ministerial trainee in the Philippines. I was assigned to pastor congregations in San Fernando, Pampanga, and Tarlac. I served in the area for seven years and planted churches in Cabanatuan City, Olongapo City, and Angeles City. In Pampanga, we had three children, Ben, Carmel, and Abel.

For twelve years, I served in different congregations. After Luzon Island, I was transferred to Mindanao Island. There I pastored in Davao City, Tagum, Kidapawan, and General Santos City, and planted a church in Digos City.

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Throughout these years, I also served as S.E.P. camp director and festival coordinator every year. During our last year in Davao, we had our fourth child, David. I mention our kids because they were a part of our ministry. They were involved in our worship team, S.E.P. camp, and missions in other countries. For many years, Carmelita was a part of the worship team as a guitarist, nurse at S.E.P., and children’s church teacher.

There were moments that will stay in my memory. In 1990, a powerful earthquake, on a Richter scale of 7.0, hit the island of Luzon. A year later, only a few miles away from where we lived, Mt. Pinatubo exploded. It was considered one the most powerful eruptions in history. In both calamities, many members lost their livelihood and were evacuated. These terrible events showed me the faithfulness and generosity of our members. Most donated food, money, and clothing. Some opened their homes so others can stay temporarily.

In 1996, I was transferred to the U.S. to work with Filipino members. I served with Pastor Curtis May for five years in the Ambassador Auditorium. I planted the Pasadena NewLife Fellowship congregation in 1997 and later served the Los Angeles congregation until 2019. I continued to serve NewLife Fellowship and the Beaumont congregation until these churches were merged into Glendora, now including the Monrovia congregation.

Those times we opened our church facilities for neighborhood events, interacting and building relationships, have been one of the joys I will remember. I will not forget how we cooked and served hot meals for people without shelter for five years.

I was privileged to finish my Master of Arts in Christian Education at Azusa Pacific University in 2007. Because a regional director saw potential in me that I didn’t see, he empowered and encouraged me. I came to see that my role as pastor is both equipping people for ministry and pastoring. I’ve sought new emerging leaders. Several have become elders and leaders. Eugene Guzon and Jillian Morrison are two examples who I’ve had the privilege of working with.

I retired from full-time pastoring on January 21, 2024, after 40 years of full-time ministry and 50 years as a GCI member. I like considering my life not as my own but a journey together with God and those whom he has chosen. Whatever success I may have experienced it is all because it is God in the first place who took the initiative and brought success. It is also a journey with fellow saints, each contributing, sharing, praying, and working in obedience to the lead of our Lord Jesus.

“I am always thrilled to witness the work of the Lord Jesus in our congregation. It’s refreshing and encouraging to see members of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities united in serving the community, expressing love for one another, and worshiping our great God.”

Check out this month’s GCI Profile. Get to know Bermie Dizon, a longtime pastor in Grace Communion Glendora, before his retirement this month. Click here or the image below to read his full profile—which just touches on his impact and legacy as an encouraging pastor and lifelong mentor.

In December, Grace Communion Indianapolis hosted a celebration in honor of Mr. Abner Washington’s 100th birthday.

Mr. Washington is a much beloved, longtime GCI employee and pastor. He is held in very high esteem by members around the world.

The following is an excerpt from a video greeting sent to Mr. Washington from Rick Shallenberger, U.S. Regional Director

Happy birthday! I want to not only congratulate you but thank you for your many years of service to our denomination and to those that you have been entrusted to care for and love. You have done an amazing job.

One of my best memories of you was the 40th celebration of the Ghana church in Africa. You and Sharon were there primarily because they considered you a kind of father of the church there.

It was so amazing to watch the members there give you such honor and respect and to see their love for you. You were such an integral part of the congregation and the establishment of the congregation.

Your faith is well known. Your love for the brethren is well known. Your support for the congregation and for the denomination is well known. You are a friend to so many people; it is an honor to know you.

I pray God’s many, many blessings upon you. Thank you again for all you are, and for the fact that you have lived into the identity that God gave to you. God bless you.

Pam and Mat Morgan are thrilled to announce the birth of their third grandchild – Rosemary Jo Zeng (Rosie for short). Rosie was born on November 17, weighing 7 pounds 4 ounces, and 20 inches in length. Mom, Dad, and big brother, Henry, are all well and excited about the newest addition to their family.