Francis Chan to Speak at CHOG Convention 2015

1 November 2014CHOGnews

November 2014

In this issueFrancis Chan to Speak at CHOG Convention

2015, 1

A Wake-Up Call: CHOG Unites in Prayer for Persecuted Church, 2

Honoring Our Chaplains, All Veterans This November, 4

Suspect Child Trafficking? Ten Warning Signs, 5

Church and Minister Registration 2015: Patience and Grace Requested, 5

Move Aside, Hollywood! CHOG Takes Action on Trafficking, 6

CHOG TraffickLight: Young Woman’s Life Changed, 7

Marysville, WA, Congregation Responds Swiftly to School Shooting, 8

Donna Thomas: On Faith Stewart, Facing Fears, and Sharing Faith, 9

CHOG Brings Addiction Recovery Ministry to Reservation, 10

Maximum Impact: Virginia and Maryland Congregations Unite, 11

Hattie Downer: 100th Birthday Highlights Ministry Impact, 12

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Francis Chan to Speak at CHOG Convention 2015By Carl Stagner

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Best known for his bestselling books Crazy Love and Forgotten God, Fran-cis Chan is a proven leader in the

church today, evidenced both in his abil-ity to communicate truth to the current generation, and by his life of courage and integrity. As the founding pastor of Cor-nerstone Church in Simi Valley, California, he has gone on to author several books, produce a variety of teaching videos and resources, start a Bible college, and sup-port missions efforts at home and abroad. Well-known in the Church of God, Chan will be one of several featured speakers at Church of God Convention 2015, June 22–25, at Crossings Community Church in Oklahoma City.

Francis Chan is the first of the speakers to be named for CHOG Convention 2015. Steve Rennick, senior pastor of the Church at the Crossing (Indianapolis), has also been added to the list of convention speakers. More names will be released in the coming weeks, and registration will soon be avail-able. Until then, however, Church of God ministers and laypeople are urged to plan now to be there.

Those who assembled in the auditorium at Crossings Community Church this past June know just how incredibly the Holy Spirit moved at CHOG Convention 2014. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, as convention-goers affirmed the format, venue, energetic worship, relevant teach-ing, and clear focus. From the scheduling change to better accommodate the needs

of pastors (Monday through Thursday), to the abbreviated, yet intentional General Assembly meeting, it was clear that a new day had begun in the Church of God.

This new day has only begun to unfold. Churches that have not been involved in the collective work of the movement have coalesced around the new direction and emphasis on changing the world. Pastors from across the country have been re-energized and re-inspired to carry out the tangible work of the gospel in their own congregations and communities. Your voice, your God-given talent, and your church are a vital part of this new direction. That’s why ministers and laypeople from Washington state to Florida are depending on you to make CHOG Convention 2015 a priority. You’ll discover what thousands of Church of God people already know first-hand: while many things have changed, the love of God that has always manifested itself through his people is overf lowing into an ocean of cultural transformation.

Will you be a part of it? Check www.chognews.org and www.chogconvention.org for the latest updates on Church of God Convention 2015.


A Wake-Up Call: CHOG Unites in Prayer for Persecuted Church By Carl Stagner

Twenty-five months. That’s how long Saeed Abedini has been behind bars in Iran for his faith

in Jesus Christ. Torture, unspeakable living conditions, and an inhumane lack of medical treatment have marked the drawn-out experience of the thirty-four-year-old pastor, who, as of late, has exemplified the horror of modern Chris-tian persecution. On Sunday, November 9, Church of God congregations around the world will unite with other believers to pray for the global persecuted church. In advance of this vital initiative, Church of God missionaries have weighed in on the extent and gravity of persecution in the world today.

One Church of God missionary in a tumultuous part of the world recalls the many times she has witnessed, or experienced f irsthand, persecution. Ruth Lyons remembers one story of a man whose son was held at gunpoint until he would deny Christ. Though he was not killed, he was banished from his family. Not long after this traumatic event, his wife divorced him and kicked the son out of the home, saying, “Take this idiot. He is no good to anyone now.” This same son, dismissed as worthless, serves as a worship leader today.

While serving Christ in ex-Soviet Central Asia, Ruth herself was captured by intelligence officials who warned her, “We have ways of making you talk.” Though under arrest, she remained faithful to the Lord and drew strength from the words of Matthew 10:19–20, “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit…” (niv). Thank God for her con-tinued protection, which she never takes for granted.

“On April 18, 2007,” she explains,

continued on page 3

“three Christian men who worked for a Christian publisher and Bible distribu-tion company were attacked, tortured, and brutally stabbed to death by five young local male Muslim assailants. Within a few days, the terrorist police visited me and informed me that the name of our ministry was on the hit list

found on computers they had confis-cated in those assailants’ homes.”

Far from the media spotlight on ISIS crises and Islamic extremism, pockets of terrible persecution also persist. David and Barbara Miller, regional directors for Church of God Missions in Latin

David Miller prays with Los Pinos exiles.


America, have prayed with many locals who have faced serious persecution. One hotbed for Christian persecution is Chiapas, Mexico. There, fifty thousand Christians have been forced from their homes and into a life of grave poverty by village chieftans called caciques. “If these Christians renounce Jesus, as the caciques demand, they can avoid such a fate,” David explains. “I have not heard of anyone ever doing that.

Instead, they ask believers to pray that they would remain faithful to the Lord through the persecution. Angel and Jeanet Pinto are two examples. They simply will not let persecution keep their ministry down. The Pintos, who have pastored Pledge to Love Church of God for twenty-seven years, have suffered in the crosshairs of violence spawned by trafficking and guerilla warfare. Sep-tember saw the latest killing, which took the life of a four-year-old member of the church’s children’s ministry.

“The motive for that senseless killing remains unclear,” David Miller reports. “But when Uwaldo Narvaez was assas-sinated, everyone knew who killed him and why.”

“The Pintos introduced Uwaldo to Christ about fifteen years ago,” David continues. “As a result, he decided to stop farming coca leaf, the raw material used to make cocaine. He switched to alternative crops and began convincing some of his neighbors to do the same. His courageous stance infuriated guer-rilla groups, who depend on cocaine trafficking to finance their war against the government. One evening heavily armed men assassinated Uwaldo on an isolated jungle path. They threatened his family with more killings should they report the homicide to authorities. Mrs. Teresa Narvaez was forced to abandon the farm and go into hiding with her seven young children.”

Though initially consumed with rage to avenge his father’s death, young

Gabriel Narvaez ultimately gave his heart to Christ. Similar to many stories of those who have endured persecution for their faith in Christ, Narvaez’s story doesn’t end at conversion. “Today he is and active evangelist and church plant-er,” David says.

Ruth Lyons reflects on the strength needed to face Christian persecution. “Many Christians in the West need to learn more about sharing their faith and being rejected and the endurance needed when it is tough,” she says. “Firm belief, that the divine will and counsel are right, calms the spirit. This promise gives me the strength I need.”

David Miller leaves us with a chal-lenge. “Will you pray for persecuted Christians this November? They tell us they see God work when his people pray. They, of all people, ought to know.”

The International Day of Prayer for the Perse-cuted Church is November 9, 2014. For more information, visit www.idop.org. For a related story released by Church of God missions, read this gripping account of Christian persecution in Pakistan: http://chognews.org/2014/10/24/when-your-children-are-threatened-persecution-in-pakistan/.

United in Prayercontinued from page 2

Angel Pinto (far left) baptizes new believers in the Putumayo River.


Honoring Our Chaplains, All Veterans This NovemberBy Carl Stagner

How much do you know about our Church of God chaplains to the military, hospitals, and

correctional facilities? David Erb knows a lot about them. He serves the Church of God as its chaplain endorser. As Vet-erans Day fast approaches, he urges the Church of God to remember not only our country’s men and women in uni-form but also those who minister to them in the role of chaplain.

The Church of God website, www.JesusIsTheSubject.org, states that our chaplains, who are ordained Church of God ministers, are “an extension of the church’s ministry to persons away from home wherever they may be, in the mili-tary, on a hospital bed, in a correctional facility, or laboring within their work environment. They are called by God and endorsed by Church of God Minis-tries to take his message and indwelling presence to people wherever they are.” Specif ically, our military chaplains represent Christ to our military. They exist to listen the needs of soldiers, to counsel, to provide spiritual support, to bring messages of hope, and just to be there for them. “There is a real minis-try of presence in the military,” David Erb explains. “Just by being there, you are a sign of hope, reminding people that there is more to life than just the moment in which they find themselves.”

David Erb believes that chaplains are vital to our military. Without them, he explains, you simply don’t have the deep moral insight and bearing for major decisions that have to be made. “When you remove Christianity from the mili-tary, what are you left with?” he asks. “You want people to wrestle with that question, Is this the right thing to do or not? A military chaplain serves people of all ranks and positions, and one of the unique roles that you have is that we have the ear of those up on the chain of command.”

David recognizes that not all Chris-tians feel comfortable with military service. He also knows the history of the Church of God movement as it relates to conscientious objection and an emphasis on peace. “But the Church of God has always looked at military service based on individual conscience,” he explains.

When David was drafted during the Vietnam War, he knew he had a few options, including leaving the country to avoid a war he wasn’t particularly fond of. “But I said if I leave the coun-try, someone else will get drafted in my place. What gives me the right to say my life is more important than theirs? I’ve felt that as a United States citizen, if my country called me and needed me, I was willing to serve. At the same time, I was willing to serve Christ. If you look at Scripture closely, there’s never a place where Jesus told a military member to leave the military. In his dialogue with the centurion, Jesus didn’t say, ‘I’ll heal your daughter, but then you must leave the military.’ And when we render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, we’re compelled to be good citizens and recognize the authority that is over us. Also, when we recognize the reality of evil in this world, we understand that it can only

be held in check by appropriate force of resistance to that evil, so that others can live free.”

For those who do choose to serve, there are a variety of ways the Church of God can pray. David cites safety, strength, encouragement, as well as physical, spiritual, and mental health as universal needs, and especially for those who serve as chaplains. David knows firsthand how easy it is to fall prey to fatigue on the job. “They face all the same challenges that every service member faces,” he explains. “In reality, they are in the midst of the same hard-ships—family separation, working in the field, and being out in the heat, in the cold, in the dirt, in the misery. And they have to be available 24-7, ’round the clock.” Prayer, however, is not the only way of supporting these men and women.

Veterans Day is just around the corner, and David offers some ideas for Christians to celebrate the holiday appropriately and in a way that offers tangible support. “Remember our veterans, and give thanks,” he says. “Veterans Day is a time when we can thank them personally and realize that

continued on page 7


Suspect Child Trafficking? Ten Warning SignsPrepared by Randee Doe

1. Scripted answers and inconsisten-cies in story.

2. Unexplained tattoos; many pimps “brand” their girls.

3. Bruising and injuries that are unex-plained or recurring.

4. Multiple cellphones.5. Dressing differently and inap-

propriately; or sudden change in clothing, possessions, behavior. (Part of the pimp’s grooming pro-cess is to woo with expensive gifts.)

6. Sk ipping school, c lasses, or lunch; and numerous unexplained absences.

7. Much older and controlling boy-friend or friends.

8. Vocabulary radically changes,

using terms common to the com-mercial sex industry and not part of normal teenage language.

9. Chronic runaway or homeless youth. (One-third of runaways will meet a pimp within their first forty-eight hours on the street.)

10. Alcohol or drug abuse.

On its own, one of these signs might not indicate trafficking, but two or three

together are a good indication. If your gut is telling you something is not right, you may be right. By trusting your gut, you could save a child or teen’s life.

Randee Doe is a pastoral staff member at Community of Hope Church in Maricopa, Arizona, and a curriculum writer for human trafficking prevention efforts. She is also a member of the CHOG TraffickLight team.

At Church of God Ministries, we are mindful that there have been some frustrations with minister and church registrations this year. Perhaps the following words will give needed perspective:

In 1965 my parents took our family on a big adventure. We left War-ren, Ohio, in our new Ford station

wagon with a pop-up tent camper in tow. Our destination was California via Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone Park, and other sites of interest.

Throughout the vacation, three important guidebooks rested on the front bench seat between our parents: the AAA Triptik map, a directory of campgrounds, and the Yearbook of the Church of God. Each weekend our par-

ents charted our path to intersect with a Church of God congregation where we could attend Sunday worship.

For generations the Yearbook has been produced in the same manner with only slight variations. The procedures uti-lized in compiling the annual Yearbook are very labor-intensive—and, in many ways, out of step with the digital age.

Recently CHOG24/7 was developed to be a single point through which indi-viduals, churches, and agencies could access their contact information, annual registration, secure online giving, and charitable donation receipts, as well as subscriptions to CHOG publications. Through the Church of God Ministries website, www.JesusIsTheSubject.org, CHOG24/7 users are able to log in and

manage or review their account.Technology is an essential part of

everyday life for most people today. Computers, smartphones, and tablets all represent ways that we connect with news, information, people, and the world around us.

We believe that you will be pleased with new ways of connecting with Church of God Ministries and with the future developments in the Yearbook. The 2015 Yearbook will be different in scope, appearance, and in delivery dates due to the changes being implemented. Yes, in the future (as in the past) there will be both printed and digital versions available.

Meanwhile, thank you for your grace and patience!

Church and Minister Registration 2015: Patience and Grace RequestedBy Bob Moss


I’m tired of Hollywood celebrities being the spokespersons for these issues. Where are all the Christians?”

The words of Carla Sunberg, president of Nazarene Theological Seminary, echoed through the expanse of Church at the Crossing in Indianapolis. Min-isters of the Church of God in Indiana came together for their annual meeting as they do each year in early October. But this year’s meeting took on a mark-edly different tone. Instead of offering leadership training or the latest tools for ministry, Indiana Ministries devoted the entire day to the subject of sex traffick-ing and gender-based violence.

Referencing a sermon delivered by a prominent preacher in the fourth century, Sunberg reminded Indiana ministers that “talking about justice and mercy has always been at the forefront of Christianity.” She insisted that the message of holiness included social concern from its earliest days. John Wesley, pioneer of the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition in which the Church of God finds itself, proclaimed a message of holiness that implied walking alongside the poor and marginalized. Citing the longstanding Wesleyan-Holiness support of women in ministry, she said, “We are stewards of the best theology of women in the world. What are we doing with it?”

Sunberg’s experience as a mission-ary in Russia initially opened her eyes to the evils of the sex trade and what she calls “gender-based violence.” After witnessing a “human meat market”—girls standing out of place in public along the roadside, waiting for buses to haul them off—she knew something had to be done. The righteous anger welled up inside her when she learned that the police force on site was not there to

protect the girls, but to protect the lucrative industry. Like the prophet Jeremiah, who grieved in his heart for the grotesque fate of the young women in his city (Lam 3:51), Sunberg could hardly process the evil of what was taking place. Additional missions experi-ence in Africa ultimately positioned her to lead the effort in the Wesleyan-Holi-ness Consortium to begin an anti-gender based violence initiative—now called the Freedom Network.

The Indiana meeting continued with stories from the front lines with Kimber-ly Majeski, of Stripped Love, a ministry the reaches out to young women in strip clubs. Jim Lyon concluded the day by illustrating the inextricable connection between inward transformation and social holiness. Drawing from John 10, Lyon underscored the truth that, like Jesus, Christians must earn the right to speak by good works. When Jesus was asked who he really was, he pointed to the works he had done. In the Luke 7 account of the messengers of John the Baptist asking about his true identity, Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor” (Luke 7:22 niv). Addressing the ministers, Lyon said, “When we’re asked, ‘Who are you, Church of God?’, we should be able to respond, ‘We’ve already told you who we are—by the works that we do.’”

Move aside, Hollywood celebrities. The Church of God in Indiana and around the world is now taking action to fight human trafficking.

Move Aside, Hollywood! CHOG Takes Action on TraffickingBy Carl Stagner

Kimberly Majeski addresses Indiana ministers.

Find out how you can make a difference in the fight against sex trafficking. Visit www.CHOGTraffickLight.org to learn more.


CHOG TraffickLight: Young Woman’s Life ChangedBy Rhonda Philips

Most of the women who work on the street and become pregnant end their pregnan-

cies with abortions. Carla*, a young woman with whom we have been build-ing trust and a friendship, came into the café with very bad stomach pain. We were all shocked when she told us that she was pregnant. She had been hiding it all these months. We called an ambulance, and two of our volunteers went with her to the hospital and were by her side through labor and delivery. What a blessing for Carla to have two loving Christian women by her side as she delivered a beautiful, healthy boy!

Our volunteers were also with her as she said goodbye to her son. She knows she cannot provide a home for him now and made the choice to give him up for adoption.

I met with Carla and we had an amazing conversation today. She told me about the many times in her life when she had no hope and was in diffi-cult circumstances, but God carried her through. She wept today as she grieved for her son, as she confessed her sin, as she expressed her desire for a new life, and as she thanked God for the love and care she has received from him through us. What an honor it is for God to invite us into his mission to reconcile others with him!

Rhonda Philips serves as Church of God mis-sionary to Germany and is a member of the CHOG TraffickLight team. She has helped start Pink Door Berlin in order to provide transitional housing for women rescued from sex-trafficking. Learn more about the Church of God fight against sex trafficking at www.CHOGTraffickLight.org.

many of them have seen the hellish-ness of war and combat, which never will leave their consciousness. Veterans Day is an opportunity for Christians to reach out to a veteran. Since Veterans Day is always observed on November 11, I would encourage churches to not just say thanks to their veterans during the worship service but also to plan a breakfast near the holiday to honor vet-erans in the church and community. If businesses are doing it, and veterans are pouring in through their doors, imagine the blessing if the church were to do it? It also can be a healing process when we show them love of Christ, that church

can be a healing environment and that they are welcome. Even if you’re against war, you can show them the love of Christ. Bring them in and love them. Heal them.”

David Erb served the United States Navy for more than twenty-seven years in active duty, in addition to five years in the reserves. Since 2000, he has offered his chaplaincy experience to the Church of God through both volunteer and part-time support. Learn more about Church of God chaplain ministries at www.jesusisthesubject.org/chaplain-ministries.

Honoring Chaplains and Veteranscontinued from page 4


Marysville, WA, Congregation Responds Swiftly to School Shooting By Carl Stagner

CHOG Convention 2015 is June

22–25 in Oklahoma

City. Mark your calendars today!

CHOG Fast Fact

Exactly two weeks after our grand opening, I was at work at the golf course when I received a

text from my daughter Jordan, who is a sophomore at Marysville Pilchuck High School. The text said, ‘HELP!’” The urgent message sent to Mike Reynolds, pastor of Hillside Church in Marysville, Washington, was certainly not the kind that any parent hopes to receive. The October 24 school shooting hit too close to home for the Reynolds family, who had just celebrated the opening of a coffee shop ministry adjacent to the worship center. While Jordan’s life was spared, the trauma and grief left in the wake of the shooting has led the four-

year-old Church of God congregation to offer their coffee house as a place of comfort and healing.

Like other bivocational pastors in the Church of God, Mike Reynolds pulls out all the stops to provide for his family, keep the ministry functioning, and care for his own health. But this week, he and his family have put the needs of the community far ahead of their own. “Our community is heartbroken,” he explains. “MPHS has cancelled classes for at least

the next week or two, and at least half of the kids in the district did not show up at school on Monday. Still today, everywhere you go, you will still see people huddled together, hugging and crying, trying to deal with the loss and the fear.” The Hillside congregation sees the timely opening of the coffee shop as wholly providential.

“We had dreamed that this place would be used to introduce people to the gospel through the way that we serve and love them,” Mike ref lects. “We had no idea how quickly that would start happening.” The church posted on social media that the coffee shop would open up each day as needed from 8:00

in the morning until 9:00 at night as a place where the community could gather to grieve togeth-er and heal together. Within minutes of the post, the news had been shared widely on Face-book and Twitter.

“By Sunday morn-ing, we had people and businesses coming by to tell us what they could donate,” Mike recounts, “and we had most of the churches in the city

telling us that they would provide volun-teers and counselors to be here in shifts. We have sports teams from the schools who are meeting here and comforting each other. High schoolers and their families are a constant presence, as they retell their stories, and search for mean-ing and comfort during this time. Police officers, media members, city govern-ment officials, teachers, and school staff are all here gathered together, not want-ing to leave each other’s side.”

Though the Reynolds family is grounded in the peace and strength of the Lord, they are shaken up too. The chaotic scene still replays in Jordan’s mind, who, breaking her routine on that day, chose not to sit at the lunch table targeted by the shooter.

Please pray for all who were affected by this unspeakable tragedy, the Hillside Church, and nearby Tulalip Church of God.

For more information about Hillside’s response to the Marysville shooting, watch the local news report at www.komonews.com /news/local/Churches-businesses-extend-hours-to-help-Marysville-students-heal- 280594702.html.

Kim and Mike Reynolds

The spacious Living Room Coffee House, used recently as a place of healing and hope to a grieving community.


Donna Thomas: On Faith Stewart, Facing Fears, and Sharing FaithBy Carl Stagner

Can you imagine taking Bibles into mainland China? Or nego-tiating the planting of Christian

churches there? Can you imagine being met with fixed bayonets and machine guns upon arrival in Guatemala? Can you picture speaking to the inmates at a Latvian penitentiary? Or the prime minister of Guyana asking for your help? Donna Thomas can answer each with a yes, having stepped foot in eighty countries. She has led a fascinat-ing life, marked by both challenges and triumphs. It all began when she fol-lowed the Lord’s call to missions after a hearing a sermon delivered by E. Faith Stewart. Since then, Donna Thomas has followed the Lord wherever and when-ever he has said, “Go.”

“Why not?” She replies. “Why not try it?” Donna Thomas loves to respond to opportunities with this bold question. She can’t imagine the consequences of choosing not to walk through the open doors—or busting through the closed ones—as the Lord directs. The first door she encountered was at a Church of God in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at age thirteen. E. Faith Stewart, responsible for founding The Shelter in Cuttack, India, spoke, and the Holy Spirit tugged at Donna’s heart. “I knew my calling was for over-seas missions, but I didn’t have a clue as to where,” she recounts. “I just knew I needed to be doing the kind of things Faith Stewart was doing.”

After completing ten years of local church ministry, Donna and her late husband Chuck were challenged to visit Mexico with ministry in mind. “In 1963,” she explains, “people just didn’t get up and go outside the United States. You didn’t just take a trip to Mexico, to Asia, to Europe.” But right after Christ-mas that year, the family traveled to Mexico, and discovered that the Lord

was indeed also on the other side of the Rio Grande!

“After that, we started taking people. We tried to get people interested. We bought a bus. Eventually we bought a plane.” Eventually, Donna and Chuck even used a forty-seven-foot yacht for short-term mission trips. The short-term mission trip—a revolutionary idea at the time—defined the organization they founded, Project Partner. Though the ministry evolved over time to fit the needs of a changing world, Donna and Chuck continually emphasized the support of indigenous nationals already doing the work of the Lord.

A lifetime in missions has made a significant impact on Donna and her global perspective. “I learned to see people through the eyes of Christ,” she explains. “That is essential. You’ve got to see people—not just walk on by. Think of it this way. If Jesus were in Walmart with you, would he be looking at the stuff he could buy? No. He’d see all the people. So I think about who they are, where they may have come from, and how much they may or may not know about Jesus.”

Over the years, Donna Thomas has

taken many pastors overseas with her, including Jim Lyon. Her travels have yielded in the construction of churches in restricted areas like mainland China, brought medical supplies to needy peo-ple in developing countries, and changed countless lives. Many of these incredible stories are documented in books she has written, including Climb Another Moun-tain and The “Why Not” Factor. One such story has been told again and again: When preaching the gospel through a translator in Peru on one occasion, the translator told Donna at about the half-way point that she no longer needed a translator. The people were understand-ing everything that was being said. “And they did understand,” Donna reflects. “It never happened before, and it never hap-pened again.”

When asked what advice she would give to believers who want to do better at sharing their faith, she replies, “Look at what Jesus did. How many people did he talk to that turned their backs and walked away? He tells us to plant the seeds. Start with friendship. Have some coffee with them. Talk about family. Then tell them about what the Lord has done for you. Then they will start asking questions.”

For the aspiring missionary, Donna’s words come from more than half a century of experience. “The first thing is not to pack your bag and go. Train yourself. Be a foreign missionary and sleep in your own bed. Do it right here. Would you like to minister to Afghans? They’re right here. Iranians? They’re here. Burmese? They’re here. Start here. Then learn the language (they can help you learn the language!) and the culture, and get your heart in the right place for wherever the Lord is preparing to send you. If the Lord gives you something to do, try it. Why not?”

Donna Thomas


ATTENTIO

N PA

STORS!

Please forward this e-new

sletter as an encouragement to your church.

CHOG Brings Addiction Recovery Ministry to ReservationBy Handel Smith and Ryan Chapman

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As we drove through the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation com-munity of Wounded Knee,

South Dakota, the unimaginable real-ity of a community plagued by alcoholism, domestic abuse, and unemployment was alarming and dif f i-cult to process. In the midst of chaos, sad-ness, and confusion, we reached out to Christ. New hope and encouragement are being restored, due in part to a partnership formed by Church of God Ministries (CGM) with those serving our Native American brothers and sisters.

From September 30 to October 3, 2014, three leaders f rom Wounded Knee and Allen, South Dakota, as well as Scottsbluff and All iance, Nebraska, met for initial train-ing in the Celebrate Recovery program, led by Handel Smith, chief domestic minis-tries officer at CGM. Celebrate Recovery is an addiction recovery program based on the Beatitudes. In addition to the training, there were individual meet-ings with leaders from each of the ministry sites discussing ways

to advance the kingdom ministry in their spheres of influence. Everyone was

challenged to embrace this great oppor-tunity to serve.

Led by Stanley and Sylvia Hol-low Horn, Church of God Ministries and Place of Promise—a community outreach program led by Emily Clark—held meetings to explore the unfolding opportunities at Wounded Knee. An advisory board is being formed and will soon meet in Rapid City, South Dako-ta, to address the following: a unified ministry strategy for Wounded Knee Church of God and Place of Promise, infrastructure development, account-

ability, adequate staffing needs, and financial needs.

The challenges are enormous, but we see great opportunity for making an impact that brings hope by focus-ing Jesus as the subject. As the journey continues at Wounded Knee, we pray that the impact be felt and spread to our other Native American Ministries sites and beyond.

November is Native American Heritage Month. Learn more at www.nativeameri-canheritagemonth.gov.

Church of God Ministries leaders join Native American Ministries leaders to launch a Celebrate Recovery ministry.


Maximum Impact: Virginia and Maryland Congregations UniteBy Carl Stagner

Harvey Edge was a young evangelist in the Church of God who once spoke at a

series of revivals in northern Virginia. Out of his work, the Fairfax church was born. It was his preaching at another revival in Maryland that led to the birth of the Church of God congregation in Rockville, Maryland. That Rockville congregation ultimately became Lake-wood Church of God in Clarksburg, Maryland. Now, eighty-five years later, Fairfax and Clarksburg join a common heritage with a common ministry.

The Maryland congregation had dwindled to about seventy believers. After consultation with Healthy Grow-ing Churches, it became apparent that the church’s trajectory could only last five more years at best. David Bull-ock, now campus pastor of Clarksburg Church, recounts the available options available to the flock that was left with-out a pastor. “We could continue on our own,” he says, “or we could hire another pastor, but seek a mentoring relationship with Fairfax. But the third option was to become a campus of theirs—kind of like a merger.” After much prayer, visits to Fairfax church, discussion, and wise counsel, the church voted to join Fairfax as one of its campuses.

“I have a passion for underutilized kingdom capital,” explains Rod Staf-ford, lead pastor of Fairfax Community Church. “Many of our churches are on the back side of their life cycle. At the same time, you have new pastors who have so much momentum, but are starved for capital. Clarksburg came to us and asked if we would consider them as a part of Fairfax. It was truly a unique kingdom moment.”

On September 28, Clarksburg Church launched its first service after a summer season of intentional prayer and waiting. The day was marked by fresh excite-ment, anticipation, and enthusiasm for what God had begun. More than two hundred people showed up to worship that day, capping months of logistics and preparation.

“Not to say that there weren’t some bumps,” David ref lects. “But I know Rod would also testify that this was the smoothest church transition either of us had ever seen or could have anticipated. I’ve been in ministry for fifteen years. It seems that with any major decisions, there were lot of hurdles and a lot of questions. But God’s hand was on this and it was amazing how smooth it was.”

As a campus of Fairfax, the ministry at Clarksburg looks quite familiar, but

on a smaller scale. Leaders from the main campus have generously offered their time, gifts, and energy to support the new work. “Basically as a campus, their DNA is complete through and through in the campus,” David explains. “Our services our nearly identical. With the launch we have a lot of lay leaders that have come from Fairfax to help train and work with us. I formerly was the worship pastor, but now I’m serv-ing as the campus pastor. I oversee the weekend and the day-to-day congre-gational care needs.” Preaching and worship leading take place on a rotat-ing basis with a team of communicators and worship leaders who come to the Clarksburg Campus to provide on-site ministry.

“Our goal isn’t to grow a church,” Rod insists. “We want to bless a city. So we will learn the needs of the city—which will be different than those of Fairfax—and then respond to those needs.”

“Being a part of something big is exciting,” David concludes. “And being a part of a healthy team is exciting. We’re ready to make great impact for the king-dom in this community.”

Kyle Cooper, who preached at the launch, takes a selfie with the congre-gation. Photo by Steve Beltz.

People mingle on the launch day of the new Clarksburg church. Photo

by Steve Beltz.


She was the first African American woman to serve the Church of God as a home missionary. She

traveled up and down the East Coast, starting Sunday schools and other children’s programs for churches. Ulti-mately, she made her base of ministry operations on the crime-stricken, drug-infested streets of Brooklyn, New York. There she preached the gospel to local characters with nicknames like “Kill-er” and “Capone.” She even extended grace multiple times to delinquents who would break in and steal from the church she led. This pillar of faith, rock of endurance, and epitome of compas-sion has a name: Hattie Downer. She celebrated her one hundredth birthday in September, and many who have been touched by her ministry came to honor her and share stories of personal impact.

One person dramatically touched by Sister Hattie’s compassion for the people of Brooklyn was Benny Santiago. Benny, who currently serves as a chaplain for the Madison County Sheriff’s Depart-ment in Indiana, used to spend his time

on less noble pur-suits. Addicted to a variety of drugs dur-ing his growing up years, Benny’s life was anything but smooth. Lured by gangs and trapped by alcohol, he began to recognize that his life was going nowhere fast. Hat-tie Downer would often stop by the store where Benny worked as a butcher, and each time, she invited him to church. On Good Friday in 1979, Benny was driving by the church he knew Hattie pastored when God spoke to him. The church doors opened, as if to welcome him in. He pulled to

the side of the road and stared in awe at those doors, which were glass. There was no one on the inside or the outside. Benny gazed up at the trees. There was no wind blowing. Then the doors started flop-ping open and shut.

“I said that must be God telling me, ‘Hurry up, I’m tired of holding the door open for you!’” Benny got out of the car, and there was Hattie Downer. “She said, ‘So you’re looking for Jesus. You’ve come to the right place.’ I protested, ‘Well, I’m not ready yet.’ She said, ‘Jesus loves you.’ I said, ‘But I’m

shacking up.’ She said, ‘Jesus loves you.’ I said, I’ve got cigarettes, I’m involved with gangs, and you don’t know my background.’ She just kept saying, ‘Jesus loves you.’” Soon after, Benny went on to tell everyone he could about the

change Jesus had made in his life, and he has never been the same.

Benny explains that Hattie Downer was one of the first African Americans in Brooklyn to minister to Hispanics. The neighborhood of Williamsburg Church of God, which ultimately became Cathedral of Joy, was in a constant state of change over the decades that passed while Hattie served there. Though it might have been easier to abandon that community and minister elsewhere, she remained. “If God didn’t say move, I didn’t move,” she explains. “I just had to ignore the winds of change and change only when he would tell me to change. I was placed there by God, not people.”

As a home missionary for the Church of God, she was noted for feeding break-fast to schoolchildren, helping parents with housework, and starting a pro-fessional-quality library in her church office for the community to enjoy. “She worked tirelessly to make sure all chil-dren would know about Jesus,” Norma Canty, current pastor of Cathedral of Joy Church of God, explains. “She said she never married because she never really wanted to have children but to be a mother to all these other children.”

Hattie Downer: 100th Birthday Highlights Ministry ImpactBy Carl Stagner

continued on page 13

Hattie Downer with Norma Canty, the current pastor of Cathedral of Joy.

Benny Santiago embraces Hattie Downer at her 100th birthday celebration.


“Tsk! A t-shirt and a diaper! You call that, ‘Dressing

for church?’”©2014 Kevin Spear www.kevinspear.com

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Ministry Impactcontinued from page 12

Even when a young man named Henry Lopez, caught up in a variety of illegal activities, needed a ride to Sun-day school, Hattie gave him a lift. In fact, her love for children led her to pick up any and all children that wanted to attend. Henry, who would one day stab and wound the feared neighborhood “Killer,” and also nearly bleed to death from shots fired in retaliation, would one day also bear the fruit of the seeds Sister Hattie constantly sowed in his life. Today, Henry Lopez also serves in ministry, and he and Benny Santiago are good friends.

When asked what wisdom she would offer to young ministers in the Church of God today, Hattie says, “Be careful in

your life and ministry. Don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t be evil-minded. Especially young men—be careful around young women. Be sure you know what you’re doing by the Spirit of God, not just because you have an ambition. And always be ready for criticism from peo-ple, from friends, and even from family.”

Charles Naylor’s “On to the Goal” has served as the theme song for Hat-tie’s entire ministry. When she was treated unfairly and when the storms of life threatened to derail her from God’s track for her life, she kept pressing toward that goal. “Never mind what the others do,” she chants. “On to the goal keep pressing; they cannot run the race for you, on to the goal keep pressing!”

Jim Lyon offers Hattie Downer a happy birthday greeting.

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Francis Chan to Speak at CHOG Convention 2015