Category: Prayer & Updates

We were saddened to learn of the recent death of Ron Haines, father of Beth (Haines) Holm, wife of retired GCI pastor Rand Holm. Following is information provided by his family.

Ronald (“Ron”) Haines was born in 1931 and lived most of his life in Sumner County, Kansas. A wheat farmer, he loved the land, his family, and his God.

Ron passed away at home on his farm after a hard fought battle with cancer. He is survived by Doris, his wife of 63 years; by his children, Beth, Steven, Mark and Barbie; by seven grandchildren, three great grandchildren and three siblings.

Ron always loved music. He sang the Messiah at Bethany College while a student. He enjoyed singing at family reunions and various community functions, he led song services at church, performed special music and led the youth choir.

Ron was a seeker—always looking for what he felt God wanted him to do with his life and resources. He was a father to the fatherless and always willing to lend a hand to those in need, to share food with those less fortunate, and to be a comfort to the sick or elderly. He was a good neighbor. He worked and played hard. He loved flying, hunting, fishing, and backpacking in the mountains of Wyoming.

In the late 60s and into the 70s Ron took several years off of farming to get more Bible education at Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, and to serve in pastoral ministry in Texas, Tennessee and Mississippi. When his dad, Eugene, wanted to retire from farming, he chose to move back to Kansas to take over running the family farm. He served as a volunteer co-pastor in the Wichita, Kansas, congregation for several years in the middle and late 90s.

Cards may be sent to:

Beth and Rand Holm
60 Windmill Drive
Sedona, AZ 86336

We were saddened to learn of the recent death of Ed Graham, former WCG/GCI employee and husband of Sheila Graham, also a former WCG/GCI employee. Here are excerpts from notes we’ve received.

Ed died peacefully at his home in Lake Kiowa, Texas, on December 28, 2015. Though his body was weakened from cancer, he stayed positive and hopeful to the end.

Ed was born in Arkansas in 1929, the oldest of 12 children. Along with his family, Ed worked long and hard on the family farm to survive the Great Depression. After graduating from high school he attended Arkansas State Teacher’s College (now University of Central Arkansas) on a basketball scholarship. In 1948 he left college to join the Air Force, ending his military career as a Tech. Sgt. serving as a cryptographic specialist with a high security clearance. In 1950 Eddie married Marion Suits. After her death, he married Lillian Brock. In 1977 he married Sheila (Van Orsdol) Dennis in Pasadena, California, where they lived for many years.

After his military service, Ed began a career in electronics. He was employed by WCG/GCI in media both part-time and full-time from 1967-1995. He also worked as the supervisor of broadcast engineers at Los Angeles City College. After retirement he learned to be a locksmith and worked part time for the Lake Kiowa Security Department.

Eddie loved sports and played slow-pitch softball well into his 70s. He was known for his high, arching, but accurate, moon ball that few batters could hit. He played on the WCG Editorial Department softball team for several years (he is pictured at right). He said that with him pitching and Joseph Tkach catching, they made a pretty good team!

Ed was a man of faith. Baptized at age 17, he devotedly attended church throughout his life. At his death he was a member of GCI’s Hope Community Fellowship Church in The Colony, Texas (Dallas area). In his 70s he made trips with groups from his church to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. At age 85 he joined other church members on a mission trip to Mexico to distribute gifts to disadvantaged children. He was a Meals on Wheels and Home Hospice volunteer and a member of the Gainesville Optimist Club. He was also a ham operator and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteer.

Ed is survived by his wife Sheila, several children, many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Both parents and three brothers preceded him in death. Five brothers and four sisters survive him.

A memorial service and celebration of Ed’s life is scheduled for January 9 at his home church.

Cards may be sent to:

Sheila Graham
111 Pueblo Drive
Gainesville, TX 76240-9473

Jacki Affeldt, wife of George Affeldt (pastor of GCI’s congregation in Sioux Falls, South Dakota) was hospitalized recently, suffering with severe pancreatitis and gall stones. Jacki underwent surgery, which was successful, though followed by heart palpitations.

Thankfully, Jacki is now stable and the heart doctor feels she can be released within a couple days. Once she has healed from the pancreatitis, they will deal with her gall stones.

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Update (1/7): We’ve learned that Jacki is now back home from the hospital. Although it will take a bit of time to get her strength back, she is doing well. Thanks for the prayers!

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Cards may be sent to:

Jacki and George Affeldt
508 N Marquette Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57110-5736

 

Retired pastor Roger Abels recently fell down his basement stairs in the middle of the night. He was tired and thought he was walking into his bedroom. The fall was rather severe, but a blessing in disguise.

During the examination, doctors discovered that Roger has spinal stenosis. They were able to remove the stenosis by removing three of his vertebrae and replacing them with “cages.”

Doctors are working to get him fully stable so he can proceed to rehabilitation. He has movement in his legs and arms, but no feeling yet in his fingers and just recently had a major setback. Not being able to breathe on his own, he has been sent back to the hospital. Prayer is very much needed.

Cards may be sent to:

Roger and Donna Abels
1827 Ransom Dr.
Ft Wayne, IN 46845

In a previous issue we asked for prayer for our school in Haiti. Here is an update from Joseph Franklin, leader of the school and GCI pastor.

Madam Micheline Darius, our school’s principal, was fighting Typhoid-Malaria. Thankfully, she now is back at work! Many of the children battling the disease also are back to school. Madam Marie Gerale Vainqueur, who teaches the sixth grade, is recovering nicely from her surgery to remove a non-cancerous lump in one of her ovaries. She is expected to return to work in January. We thank you for your prayers!

In the November 25 issue, we requested prayer for Christians in Bangladesh including those associated with GCI. Here is additional information from John Biswas, GCI’s national ministry leader for Bangladesh.

Pastor Barnabas Hemorn of Bangladesh recently received a threatening letter that included this message: “You, the Christian leaders, will have to bid goodbye to this world very soon…. We are going to finish off all, one by one, who are spreading Christianity in Bangladesh.” Over 20 church leaders and Christian workers in Bangladesh have received death threats like this one in the past two months.

Understandably, the people who received this letter are afraid for their safety. One commented: “I am not going out of the church campus at all… I spoke to others who like me were targeted in that letter. They are all frightened.” Police have been posted at his church.

Rev. Martin Adhikari, principal of the College of Christian Theology in Dhaka, received a text message telling him to “Eat your most favorite foods now. Only five days of your life are left. Not more than that.” Another text sent to him the next day read, “One day has gone by. Let us know if we have to arrange your burial as well. Or…will your family take care of your body?” Those sending these threats claim to be part of Islamist groups Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Islamic State. Their agenda is clear, as stated in the letter sent to Pastor Hemorn: “This country will be ruled only by the (Islamic) Sharia law.”

Although Bangladesh is a secular country and its legal system makes it one of the most tolerant Muslim-majority countries in the world, there are Islamist groups lobbying for the Islamization of the country. The situation has become increasingly volatile in recent months, and Bangladeshi Christians, who make up just 1% of a population that is 90% Muslim, are vulnerable targets.

On November 28 a Christian worker managed to escape unharmed after six masked men stormed a church in Manikganj district. Ten days earlier, an Italian Christian worker was shot in the town of Dinajpur, in northern Bangladesh. In the north-western Pabna district another Christian worker survived a knife attack in his home when three men pretending they wanted to learn about Christianity attempted to slit his throat.

Please pray for the safety of Bangladeshi Christians.

We were saddened to learn of the death of Earl Coleman, father of Trish Campbell, wife of Brad Campbell who pastors GCI’s congregation in the Decatur, Alabama area. Mr. Coleman is survived by his wife of 50 years, Minnie (Stines) Coleman, a son, three daughters (including Trish), and several grandchildren and great grandchildren. Your prayers for their comfort are much appreciated.

Cards may be sent to:

Brad and Trish Campbell
3715 Aycock Cemetery Rd
Leighton, AL 35646

We were saddened to learn of the recent death of Jim West, a long-time WCG/GCI employee and elder.

Jim died of heart failure on December 1, just short of his 76th birthday. His wife Madeline wrote, “He apparently knew his time was over in the earthly realm because he blessed each family member on Thanksgiving. It was as if he was saying goodbye.”

Jim majored in engineering at Portland State College and served for six years in the Oregon National Guard as a squad leader. In the mid-1960s he began working in the printing industry in Portland. He was hired at the Ambassador College Press in Pasadena in 1969 and moved his family to California where he began employment as a pressman and later advanced through various supervisory roles until reaching Print Buying Manager in WCG’s Publishing Administration. After Plain Truth Ministries separated from WCG, Jim worked as a circulation analyst for PTM until his retirement in 1997, having worked for our church and affiliates for 28 years.

Jim and his wife Madeline and daughters Rhonda and Michelle (pictured above) made their home in San Dimas, California for many years, and became pillars in GCI’s Glendora congregation. Jim was ordained an elder in 1995. The family was active in Spokesman and Graduate Club, Women’s Ministry, YOU and just about every other activity the church offered. The family moved to Kentucky in 2004.

Cards may be sent to:

Madeline West
11298 Franklin Road
Franklin, KY 42134

Leon Cooper, pastor of GCI’s congregation in Cottonwood, Arizona, was hospitalized recently due to congestive heart failure. He may need surgery to install a pacemaker. Please pray for Leon and for his wife Mary Lou.

Cards may be sent to:

Leon Cooper
194 E Rancho Vista Way
Cottonwood, AZ 86326-6213

We’ve been advised by John Biswas, GCI’s National Ministry Leader for Bangladesh, that ISIS has become very active in Bangladesh. As a result, Christians there are in physical danger. John reports that leaders of Christian churches in Bangladesh have been receiving threatening letters and phone calls, and two pastors were brutally attacked. One is a Roman Catholic priest. The other, Pastor Luke Sircar, has expressed interest in working with us and has now taken refuge in our Mission Center. Please pray for protection for these leaders and others in harms way.