BOREHAMWOOD, England—Juanito "Nitz" Malaga was ordained an elder by David Silcox at a May 25 service in Dubai.

Nitz and his wife, Joy, are from the Philippines, but have worked in Dubai since 1982. They have four children.

Mr. Silcox, who supervises the congregations in the region from the European Office, visited Dubai with his wife, Nancy.

"God has worked through Nitz and Joy to raise up a small congregation of the Worldwide Church of God in this Muslim country," Mr. Silcox said. "The group consists mainly of ex-patriates from the Philippines and India, but because of the nature of work contracts and visas, people tend to come and go, so British, American and South African nationals have attended at various times.

Nitz was officially appointed congregational leader in April 2000, and as well as preparing Bible studies and providing transportation for the members, he also plays the guitar and has written numerous hymns for the group, including songs for special occasions, particularly baptisms.

The group meets on Wednesdays for praise and worship, and on Fridays for a meal followed by Bible study and fellowship, sometimes at the Malagas’ home and sometimes at the home of other members. They also frequently join with the United Christian Church of Dubai for interdenominational services, Bible studies and youth activities.

BURLEIGH HEADS, Australia—"Our regional outreach magazine Living Today will be discontinued after the July-August issue," said Aub Warren, managing editor. "This decision was taken reluctantly by our national management team in a budget context, and was subsequently endorsed—again reluctantly—by our new national board on May 5.

"Simply put, we don’t have the money to continue publication," Mr. Warren continued. "As a result, the July-August issue will be our last."

This decision sees several people leaving the employ of the Australian Office or having hours cut back significantly.

"We will miss them personally, in addition to missing their talents and service," Mr. Warren said. "We will always be thankful for what they contributed to this exciting and worthwhile initiative."

The affected employees are Roger Griffiths, Sheryl Bellamy, Simone Worthing and Val Leech. Roger and Simone will leave the employ of the office. Sheryl and Val will have their hours cut back.

Living Today

VISALIA, California—The Visalia church celebrated its 25th anniversary March 31. In attendance were members, former members and friends.

The service included comments by visiting former pastors Les McColm and Carlton Smith and letters from several others. Plaques were presented to 12 families who attended the first service April 3, 1976.

After the service, a dinner, slide presentation and dance took place. Linda Byars.

25TH ANNIVERSARY CAKE—From left:
Tom Byars, elder; Joe McNair, pastor; and
Les McColm and Carlton Smith, former pastors.

BEAUMONT, Texas—One hundred ten current and former Beaumont members and friends celebrated the congregation’s 25th anniversary Feb. 3.

The service began with a call to worship by the Sacred Heart Choir of Port Arthur, Texas.

Co-pastor James Scales recited an oral history of the Beaumont church. In 1976 the WCG formed the Beaumont congregation out of the parent church in Lake Charles, Louisiana. That created a circuit that lasted for many years. Al Mischnick was the pastor at that time. He was followed by Dennis Doucet, Ed Mauzey, Don Engle, Lynn Hebert and the current co-pastors, Mr. Scales and Eugene Koch.

Mr. Koch introduced Dean Blackwell, who gave the sermon. Souvenir packets were available, which included the congregational hymns for the service and a commemorative bookmark. A catered meal was served after the service. Charles Hyatt.

DOUALA, Cameroon—Martin Matip, who handles church accounts in Cameroon, was shot in the leg April 8 by robbers who followed him and his wife, Anne, home after a leadership meeting

(In early June, Jean Mvondo, an elder from Yaounde, Cameroon, reported that Mr. Matip is doing much better, no longer needs crutches and has gone back to work.)

James Henderson, African regional director, who conducted the meeting, said that Martin was not carrying much money and in desperation the robbers shot him in the right thigh.

"The guns many thieves use in Douala are locally made, and do not have much force," Mr. Henderson said. "However, the badly made bullets often break upon impact and cause shrapnel-like wounds. This is what happened here—bullet fragments went into Martin’s left thigh and also a bullet or fragment lodged in his right kneecap."

When they visited him in a hospital the next day, Martin was optimistic of a full recovery, and was grateful to God that his life had been spared and that his wife had not been hurt or violated, which is often the story in that part of the world. Mrs. Matip is a youth ministry leader in the Douala congregation.

Mr. Henderson also noted that Jean-Jacques Ndoudoumou, president of the WCG in Cameroon, is doing an excellent job in mentoring the local leadership. Mr. Ndoudoumou works for the prime minister and has been appointed by him to be coordinator of the National Program of Governance. The church there has various outreach initiatives, and some church plants have been established in the Limbe area by one of our youth leaders.

JANAUBA, Brazil—The church board in Brazil has approved finances to complete a school building in Janauba.

Dona Maria Macedo, a member in Janauba, started a school for children in Janauba in the mid-1990s. Children of unchurched urban poor are drawn by word of mouth from other children to her school.

Mrs. Macedo started the school because she realized the urgent need to remove children from the streets. These children have not learned about God in their lives, but they are familiar with all kinds of evil such as alcoholism, adultery, prostitution and drugs. What started as a group of 20 children ranging in age from 6 to 12 has grown to 150 children who receive spiritual sustenance and also a small lunch every Sunday. Francisco Veloso and Josiney Macedo.

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—The following were baptized during SEP in Baguio City: Mark Jurgen Rollan of Santiago, David Monteagudo and Christopher Aycardo of Olongapo City, Dickson Rosario of Luzviminda, Kate Faminialagao and Jerick Tibule of Baguio City, Diana Estay, Bennie Amaya and Peter Castro of the Crossway church, Janelle Ruth Dizon and Jonathan Daniel Ting of San Pablo City, Ara Amores of Atimonan, Wong Xiao Qing of Malaysia, Bernard Bata of Antipolo, Joseph Tandingan of Dagupan City, and Nestor Rimando Jr. of La Union. Ester Tagarino.

NEWTON, Iowa—Carol Gillaspie, 69, of the Chariton, Iowa, congregation, is one of about 100 volunteers who visit the Newton Correctional Facility once or twice a week to lead Bible and workbook study sessions and counsel 192 prisoners who participate in the InnerChange Freedom Initiative.

According to the April 1 Des Moines Register, some of the inmates call her Grandma. The volunteers lead community Bible studies and evening classes that address knowing God better, handling marriage and family, avoiding substance abuse, getting to the heart of a problem, becoming aware of how crime affects victims and preparing for re-entry into society.

BURLEIGH HEADS, Australia—Regional director Rod Matthews traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia, with Malaysian ministers Yong Chin Gee, Wong Mein Kong and Low Mong Chai May 14 to 17 to meet with leaders of several scattered and unaligned groups who have expressed interest in becoming part of our fellowship.

Our Malaysian pastors had previously met with Wilm Anthony Sehatapy, the primary initiator (April WN). In a three-hour meeting in Jakarta, May 14, they met with Sehatapy and five others and started a process of gaining a better understanding of their specific needs and desires.

Mr. Matthews and the Malaysian pastors then traveled to Yogyakarta to meet May 15 with a pastor of a congregation of about 50 who has expressed his desire to strengthen this relationship with the WCG. For some hours, they chatted with Sehatapy and Pastor Jerry Pattisina about their desire to see the WCG provide an infrastructure in Indonesia by which they could more easily work together to spread the gospel in this Muslim country, and to share WCG resources in the way of education, teaching, literature and administration.

"We agreed to continue developing our relationship and working toward applying for formal recognition of the church in Indonesia," Mr. Matthews said. "For this we need to have 300 members, and we need recommendations from three other denominations that we will work in harmony for the furtherance of the kingdom of God."

Jerry Pattisina and Wilm Anthony Sehatapy are to talk with the various groups they pastor and ensure in a more formal way that they are comfortable with becoming affiliated with the WCG.

During their time in Yogyakarta, Jerry Pattisina’s congregation was having a mid-week service in a member’s home May 16 to celebrate and conduct the baptism of five men and women.

Mr. Matthews gave a sermon (which was translated into Indonesian) and afterward they all took a bus to a clear pool outside the city where Mr. Matthews was asked to conduct the baptism ceremony and the laying on of hands.

While in Jakarta, Mr. Matthews and the Malaysian pastors went to a hospital to visit Lim Toan Lok, the longest Indonesian member (baptized 1975), who had just had a heart bypass operation. She was recovering well and hoped to be released a day or so later.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa—E-mail contact has been established with most WCG leaders in Africa except for Uganda, Angola and Kinshasa in the Congo, according to James Henderson, regional director.

Mr. Henderson asked for prayers that communication channels, especially e-mail facilities, would become available in these areas to enable more contact with the churches and leaders.

LUSAKA, Zambia—With the assistance of Eric Bonnell from Australia, Kalengule Kaoma, area pastor for Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, completed a visiting tour of members in Zimbabwe and Malawi, May 10.

During the visit, Mr. Kaoma and Mr. Bonnell visited the small church in Salima, Malawi.

"This church is yet another example of what a small group church plant can do," said James Henderson, regional director.

About a year-and-a-half ago, Doria Mchenga, a widow, and her family (five in total) began a group meeting in Salima, and gradually others from the community began to attend, and now 15 meet there on a regular basis.

When Mr. Kaoma visited, others were invited to hear the guest speaker, and attendance rose to 45, and included for the first time the chief of the area and the headmaster of the school where services were conducted.

Another new church plant is in Mwangwei, Kenya. A hall has been rented until the end of the year, and members have donated benches in anticipation of local interest. A small group there has a zeal for evangelism, and so far four people have been baptized within three months. They are seeking ways to obtain English-Swahili Bibles to help them in their mission. They are pastored by Kenga Ndiso, our resident lay pastor on the Kenyan coast.

MALINDI, Kenya—Seventeen WCG youths took part in a three-day camp organized by the Kijiwetanga Baptist Church in Malindi April 26 to 28.

A total of 76 boys and girls attended Bible studies targeting real youths’ spiritual problems considering the community in which they live. Topics were Youths and Evangelism, The Christian and African Traditions and True Love Is Patient.

Evenings were reserved for praise and worship. Music, scripture readings and drama took center stage.

The three-day camp demonstrated a great moment of sharing experiences of broad issues and challenges facing the youths and how they could effectively fulfill the great commission of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Kenga Ndiso, WCG lay pastor on the Kenyan coast, answered questions about the WCG and how we relate with Christians from other denominations. A similar camp has been planned for August by Christ the King Baptist mission in Malindi Town and an invitation has been extended to the WCG.

Mr. Ndiso received a letter from the chairman of the youth ministry of the Baptist church in Kijiwetanga, praising the WCG youths in the way they conducted themselves.

MILTON, Florida—More than 30 WCG members participated in the American Cancer Society’s signature fund-raiser in Florida, the Relay for Life, May 4 and 5, which included an 18-hour relay.

During the relay the WCG team walked or ran 856 laps or 214 miles. Through this fund-raiser, the Milton congregation presented $1,277.63 to the American Cancer Society.

The relay began with a survivors victory lap. Fred King, a member and cancer survivor, was among those beginning the relay. Because this is an overnight event, campsite decorating is part of the relay.

Members Lonnie Morgan and Von Kimmons designed and built a 20 foot tall working lighthouse surrounded by a keeper’s cottage set among boulders. A collage created by Teresa Daniel described cancer survivors’ and family members’ experiences with cancer.

At dark, a luminaria ceremony with prayer was conducted to remember or honor those who have faced cancer.

Pastor John Young said: "There is hardly a member or family that has not been touched by cancer in some way, and we saw the Relay for Life as a perfect opportunity for us to become involved in this important work and at the same time to let our light shine in our community. Several people came to our booth and said they had heard of the Milton Worship Center (the Milton WCG congregation) and knew where we were located, and one person even said that she planned to visit us. Liz Henderson.

DALLAS, Texas—The Dallas Central church conducted a Mother’s Day service May 13.

Bruce Hard asked members to lay their hands on the mothers in the congregation, then he asked God to bless and guide them.

Chrissy Gordon, children’s church director, brought the children onstage and asked them what special things they had done for their mothers. Debbie Hard directed a group of children who sang three songs. Also, teens Emily Newkirk, Hannah Orsburn and Alexa Wilson sang a song in honor of mothers.

Pastor Lynn Hebert called on members to lift up their birth mothers and spiritual mothers. A number of people gave testimonials about their mothers.

Caroline Holsenbeck talked about her mother, who was visiting from the Philippines. She described how her mother’s hard work and faith helped her husband and 14 children through some difficult times. "She did not waiver in her faith," Mrs. Holsenbeck recalled. "And we saw miracles. God provided for us."

Nancy Newkirk explained how we are all blessed even if our mothers are not alive or living nearby. She quoted Mark 3:31-35 in which Jesus explained that Christians are our mothers, brothers and sisters.

Jesse Hebert described his mother, Sherry, as "the mother of us all. She loves the whole church."

Mr. Hebert closed the service by asking God to bless the physical and spiritual mothers, as well as praying for women who desire to become mothers but are unable to do so. Frank Lewandowski.

VICTORIA, Texas—Madeline Migl, a deaconess, handed out specially wrapped goodies for the mothers in the congregation on Mother’s Day, May 13. Madeline also has responsibilities in two nursing homes. Synde Templeman.

Alan Redmond

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Canada—Alan Redmond, pastor of the Winnipeg, Manitoba; Thunder Bay, Ontario; and Warroad, Minnesota; churches was elected May 15 as a member of the board of the Evangelical Fellowship of Manitoba.

This organization represents about 100 churches and parachurch ministries in Manitoba. "Our focus is to be servant leaders who develop city-reaching strategies for Winnipeg and build bridges with other like-minded groups within the city, province and nation," Mr. Redmond said.

MONTREAL, Quebec, Canada—Pastor General Joseph Tkach visited the Montreal congregations May 26.

Three hundred thirty-five French and English members and families from the area, with guests from Trois-Rivieres and Rock Forest, Quebec; and Ottawa and Cornwall, Ontario; joined for worship led by Claude Rochon and the Montreal-Centre’s worship team and band.

Children from the English and French congregations sang three selections. Mr. Tkach brought an encouraging message focusing on the fact that evangelism and church growth are rooted in building friendships with those around us. Translation from English to French was provided by Roger Labelle, pastor of the Montreal-Centre and Rive-Nord congregations.

"It was beautiful to hear hymns being sung simultaneously in both languages," Mr. Tkach said. "It appeared to me that that the members have a renewed sense of purpose, and I returned home greatly encouraged."

After the worship service and a period of fellowship, Mr. Tkach led a question and answer period. A spaghetti dinner was served by the French congregation, with proceeds going to support our church in Haiti in their kindergarten project.

On Sunday morning, members of the congregations’ pastoral teams, including elders, deacons, deaconesses, spouses and a few others, joined Mr. Tkach for brunch. Dennis Lawrence.

PASADENA—Church Administration announced the following ministerial ordinations:

William Anthony Giordano, Chicago, Illinois, North

Juanito Malaga, Dubai

Justin Leon Murray, Salem, Oregon

Dennis Gerald Thibault, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

CHEWSVILLE, Maryland—Peter Whitting, pastor of the Frederick-Chewsville and Baltimore, Maryland, congregations, was among 300 people nominated for Crossings Christian Book Club pastor of the year.

Jean Miller submitted the nomination. She noted that Mr. Whitting and his wife, Charlotte, are loved and respected in the churches they pastor.

During the April 1 worship service, Mrs. Miller read her letter of nomination as well as presenting him with the framed award and a leather bound edition of Nelson’s Study Bible.

Mrs. Miller wrote that "Peter and Charlotte mentored me and have helped me gain a faith and belief that I never thought I would have.... He has shepherded our small flock ... into the Promised Land of God’s grace. He brought us slowly and lovingly to the cross of Jesus."

PASTOR OF YEAR—
Peter Whitting was nominated
as pastor of the year by Jean Miller (right).
[Photo by Charlotte Whitting]

ENDLESS MOUNTAINS, Pennsylvania—Endless Mountains Fellowship will conduct a festival Sept. 13 to 17.

This annual retreat is known for spiritual restoration, renewing family bonds and intimate fellowship with other believers. It will take place at Mt. Zion Retreat Center in Roaring Branch, Pennsylvania, on Route 14 between Elmira, New York, and Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Lodging consists of a main lodge housing up to 100 occupants. Each room consists of two single beds (some rooms have bunk beds, some have three beds). Bath and shower facilities include a men’s room and women’s room on each floor.

The cost including lodging and meals for five days and four nights are $135 per adult (age 16 and over), $75 per child (ages 4 to 15) and children younger than 4 are free.

The cost for lodging and meals from Friday night to Sunday afternoon are $75 per adult (age 16 and over), $50 per child (ages 4 to 15) and children younger than 4 are free.

Please make checks payable to Endless Mountain Church—LCAF and mail to Martha Cole, 312 York Ave., Towanda, Pennsylvania, 18848. Registration deadline is Aug. 18. For more information call Pastor Lou Tsiknas at 1-570-265-8640.

PASADENA—The conference in Greece has been canceled because of a lack of sufficient interest.

Flowering of the cross

BELLEVILLE, Illinois—"Jesus transformed an emblem of shame into a badge of glory," commented Pastor Jim Stokes as the congregation put fresh-cut flowers onto a six-foot wooden cross.

In what has now become an annual tradition on Easter Sunday celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, Belleville members and guests picked up flowers prepared by Larrie and Kimi Wiggand and then filed up to the cross to make their individual addition to the beauty of the cross.

After an uplifting praise and worship service and a sermon by the pastor, fellowship continued with a catered dinner. The Holy Spirit was certainly evident in the joy and love in our celebration of the greatest miracle of all time—the risen Christ. Jim Stokes.

FLOWERING OF THE CROSS
[Photo by Mary Anne Burns]

Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2001