BMH Editor's Blog

OSU/Bears Quarterback Speaks at Delaware Church

Posted by Terry White on October 20, 2006  |  1 Comment

Former Ohio State and Chicago Bears quarterback Craig Krenzel (left) shown here with Pastor Gary Underwood of the Delaware, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church, was the speaker last Saturday as the Delaware church hosted an evangelistic outreach for men and sports fans in its community.

Through a contact with Athletes in Action, lay leader Matt Kuchers and the men’s ministry team were able to welcome Krenzel as the featured speaker. Krenzel is well-known for leading Ohio State to the National Championship in 2002 and being the winning MVP of the Fiesta Bowl.

“Craig did an outstanding job of sharing naturally and clearly about his relationship with Jesus Christ,” said Delaware senior pastor Gary Underwood. “He was humble, easy to relate with, and very clear about the Gospel!”

More than 210 men from central Ohio came to hear Krenzel and connect with the church. Several other churches (including Powell and Sunbury GBCs) were involved and brought men to the event.

Underwood said, “Please pray for unsaved neighbors, friends, co-workers, and sons who came to this event and heard Craig’s testimony and relationship with Christ.

Pastor Brian Blackburn, also of Delaware GBC, noted, “It’s was wonderful to see our men take ownership of this crucial ministry and outreach – they’re doing a great job!”

9/11 Survivor to Speak at Uniontown Church

Posted by Terry White on October 20, 2006  |  No Comments

From today’s Connellsville (PA) Daily Courier:

By Mark Hofmann
DAILY COURIER

A local church group and a World Trade Center survivor will start a campaign to make honoring first responders a national holiday.

“We have Memorial Day and Veterans Day to honor those who have worn our country’s military uniforms, but we don’t have a day to remember these other brave men and women who protect our communities each and every day,” said the Rev. Travis Deans, associate executive director of Penn Highlands Teens For Christ.

The other brave men and women to which Deans referred are police, firefighters and emergency medical service personnel.

The campaign officially will be launched during a program at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown. Three local high school Bible clubs will distribute petitions to ask President Bush and Congress to make Sept. 11 a national holiday to honor such personnel.

“And what better day would there be to remember them than on the day when so many of them gave their lives during a national tragedy?” Deans said.

Program speaker will be Sujo John, who survived the collapse of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and then became a minister.

John was in one of the towers and thought his expectant wife was in the other tower. He thought she and their unborn child were killed, but his wife was late driving to work. She also thought he was dead when the attack started.

The experience caused John to start his ministry (www.sujojohn.com) where he goes around the world speaking of his experience. He will give a message at the State Theatre, addressing the heroism of public safety professionals.

John also will be speaking Sunday morning at Cherry Tree Alliance Church, and the night before, at Grace Brethren Church, all in Uniontown.

The Rev. Peter A. Malik, executive director of Penn Highlands Teens For Christ, said the public depends on first responders, who go unrecognized and unthanked, and must come up with money for their equipment as they risk their lives to protect people and property.

“There’s something very wrong with that picture,” Malik said. “On Oct. 29, we not only want to thank these folks and pray for them, we want to launch a campaign to get our entire nation to do so on an annual basis.”

Malik said the Fayette County Commissioners have proclaimed Oct. 29 Public Safety Professionals Day.

That day, at 5:30 p.m., the Penn Highlands Teens For Christ will dedicate the new Uniontown Firemen’s Memorial at Pittsburgh Street and North Mt. Vernon Avenue.

The 6-foot granite statue of a firefighter kneeling in prayer calls attention to two Uniontown firefighters who died in the line of duty — Fire Chief Lewis Williams on Oct. 9, 1901, and Voight LaClair on March 23, 1914.

“There are a lot of businesses, public officials and citizens coming together to work on this memorial,” said Myron Nypaver, Uniontown Fire Department chief. “The fire department is glad that these two men’s sacrifices will not be forgotten.”

Have a Camp Conquest Story to Share?

Posted by Terry White on October 20, 2006  |  No Comments

Michael Gehlert, executive director of Camp Conquest, which is affiliated with the Northern Atlantic Fellowship district of the FGBC, sends along the following invitation:

Happy 40th Anniversary Camp Conquest!

It all started with a dream to open a ranch for troubled boys. Now Camp Conquest serves over 3,000 people each year with a variety of programs and ministry opportunities.

The Lord has blessed the ministry of camp for 40 years and we are excited about the opportunities that He has laid out before us. Please join us as we seek to “Equip the saints for works of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:12

2006 marks the 40th Anniversary for this Grace Brethren ministry of Evangelism and Discipleship in the camp setting. The board and staff of the Grace Brethren Retreat Center in Lancaster County, PA, would like to hear from anyone in our Fellowship across the nation who has a Camp Conquest story.

Has your life been impacted by Christ while at camp? Has your child or grandchild been positively touch for Christ because of a camp experience? Please let us know how God has used Camp Conquest in your life or in your family.

To celebrate our 40th anniversary the camp has begun a building project that will add bathrooms and meeting rooms to our existing block cabins. To get more information on this project or to learn more about camp please visit our website at www.campconquest.org. If you would like to be added to our mailing list please contact Ken Keener at ken@campconquest.org or call at 717.336.2541. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Camp Conquest, 480 Forest Road, Denver, PA 17517

Michael R. Gehlert, Executive Director

Message from Moderator Regarding Equip07

Posted by Terry White on October 20, 2006  |  4 Comments

This message to FGBC pastors from the current FGBC moderator, Tim Boal (pictured), is being posted by request:

Over the course of the past several weeks grave concerns have been expressed regarding the FGBC and my own personal affiliation with emerging/emergent theology. Let me respond by saying the invitation and idea to invite Doug Pagitt to Equip 07 was my own.

I am not afraid to interact with theology that is different from my own, and in fact see this as a way for me to sharpen my own skills in interacting with trends and ideas that are new and in many cases troublesome. I should have clearly stated in the Equip 07 brochure that I and we(the FGBC leadership team) do not endorse all of the ideas espoused by the participants.

I want to remind us that being a good Berean should be part and parcel of what it means to be a Bible student. It was my opinion that providing you a personal opportunity to interact with Doug Pagitt would allow you to hear his perspectives and that of the Emergent group “straight from the horse’s mouth” instead of through second-hand sources such as blog sites. I also thought (perhaps naively) that we as a group of people committed to the Word of God as our only authority might be able to instruct Doug, as well.

Originally, it was my belief that Doug Pagitt was the “safest” of those involved with emergent theology. However, after reading some of his more recent writings I would agree with those voicing concerns regarding his positions and their orthodoxy. Doug seems to have moved far left in his recent writings.

Therefore, in an effort to demonstrate to you that have concerns that I am teachable and willing to heed counsel, I am uninviting Doug Pagitt from Equip 07 for the sake of safeguarding biblical truth. I believe this is the correct response for me to make to your concerns.

As a fellow shepherd I do take seriously guarding the truth, and the FGBC leadership team has no desire to place stumbling blocks in your path. May God know our hearts and affirm our motivations for His glory.

However, I would like to close by appealing to you about the methodology that has been used by some to sound the alarm. I believe a personal contact with me regarding your concerns in this matter would have been far more effective and productive for the FGBC than including me on e-mail lists etc. where you argue your theological and personal reservations.

Would it not be more productive for us all to personally interact on this issue directly than via email and blogs? Perhaps you don’t know me personally and therefore you were hesitant to make this the subject of our first acquaintance. Or perhaps you simply did not know I was responsible. I understand.

Please don’t hesitate to call me regarding concerns such as this. I would hope that in such interaction you would hear my heart and passion for Jesus, and in so doing, your concerns could be alleviated.

I wish you the best in your ministry and would seek your prayers for my term of leadership as Moderator in your midst. We will all be evaluated on that last day from the One whom we all serve and to whom we must all give account.

Sincerely in Jesus,

Tim Boal

FGBC Moderator 2006-2007

D.Min. Class Studies Ministerial Ethics

Posted by Terry White on October 20, 2006  |  No Comments

The Doctor of Ministry class “Ministerial Ethics” took place this past week at Grace Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana.

It was led by Dr. Ken Bickel of the Grace faculty, and of the 10 students involved there were four pastors from the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches: Steve Williams (Seal Beach, CA), Larry Edwards (Ashland-Southview, OH), Mark Saunders (Dayton 1st, OH), and Ted Adomanis (Canada).

The course focused on a comprehensive set of topics related to pastoral ethics within and among local churches. The post-course project asks that each student develop a Ministerial Code of Ethics, then seek to have it adopted by his local church and, if possible, by a ministerial group beyond the local church.

Special Offer For Missions Committees

Posted by Terry White on October 19, 2006  |  No Comments

Brethren Missionary Herald Company is making a special offer to church missions committees who choose to use Tom Julien’s new book, Antioch Revisited, as a study and resource guide for missions committees and mission strategy planners.

The book, which presents the fictional but true-to-life story of “John,” a missionary who comes to a ministry-changing conclusion, is written in two parts. The first fictional section lays out a number of truths in an easy-to-read fashion.

The second part is a manual which committees and missions personnel can work through to discuss, explore, and implement the truths laid out in the first part.

Dave Guiles, executive director of Grace Brethren International Missions (GBIM), says, “Tom Julien has mentored a generation of pastors and missionaries in the critical importance of reuniting the church with her mission . . . his insights will impact many.”

GBIM’s Jay Bell, in urging churches to adopt and use the material, says, “Antioch Revisited is going to help churches think through their identity and their approach to the Great Commission, both locally and globally. The book flows well and puts its ideas across with a soft touch. But the truth is hard-hitting! One of the strengths of the book is that it can be read in short order. That is a huge plus in our culture of over-extension.”

The book normally retails for $9.99 per copy, but the special church price until December 31 is $5 each (plus shipping and handling) in quantities of five or more.

The book’s ISBN number is 088469-306-6. To order, log onto www.bmhbooks.com or call (toll-free) 1-800-348-2756. Offer expires December 31, 2006.

East Side to Present Apologetics Seminar

Posted by Terry White on October 19, 2006  |  No Comments

The East Side Grace Brethren church in Blacklick, Ohio, on the east side of Columbus (Chip Heim, pastor) will sponsor a “Weekend Intensive on Apologetics and Contemporary Culture” on Friday and Saturday, November 10 and 11.

Open to all for a registration fee of $25, the weekend will feature Dr. William Edgar (pictured), department chair of apologetics at Westminster Seminary in Pennsylvania. Dr. Edgar’s topic for the seminar will be “Apologetics for the Church: How to Present Christ to a Culture that Thinks the Church is Part of the Problem.”

A member of the Westminster faculty since 1989, Dr. Edgar has a Harvard undergraduate degree, holds the M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary, has done graduate studies at Columbia University, and holds the Doctor of Theology degree from the Universite de Geneve. He is an author, a popular conference speaker, and has served as a home missionary of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

For more information, contact East Side at esgbc@aol.com or 614-861-5810. The East Side website is www.esgbc.org.

John Ward Does Columbus Marathon

Posted by Terry White on October 19, 2006  |  No Comments

John Ward, worship leader for thequest in Columbus (OH) and chair of the upcoming DRIVEN07 conference for Twenty-somethings, ran in the Columbus Marathon last week.

John finished 30th for the men with a time of 2 hours and 48 minutes. Congratulations John!

Wanita Ogden Obituary

Posted by Terry White on October 18, 2006  |  2 Comments

Wanita Faith Ogden, 79, of Winona Lake, Indiana, died at 2:20 a.m. October 18, 2006, in Kosciusko Community Hospital, Warsaw, Indiana.

She was born March 31, 1927, in Ithaca, Michigan, to L.G. and Inez Belle Probst Reeves. On August 22, 1948, she married Donald E. Ogden, who survives.

Living in Winona Lake since 1950, she was a bookkeeper/accountant and teller at Grace Brethren Investment Foundation, Winona Lake, for 36 years. She was a member of Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church.

She graduated from Culter Academy, Los Angeles, and was a student at Bob Jones University, South Carolina, and Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake. All of her children attended Warsaw (IN) Community High School and Grace College.

Also surviving are a son, Ronald (and wife, Rebecca Bryant) Ogden, Warsaw; two daughters, Mrs. James “Jim” (Kathleen) Jenkins, Jacksonville, Fla., and Diane Bollman, Indianapolis.

Also surviving are seven grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and five sisters: Isabelle Sinko and Judith Brown, both of Ithaca; Janice Tracy, Traverse City, Mich.; Phyllis Henney, Saginaw, Mich.; and Colene Moore, Clare, Mich. There are more than 100 in the Ogden family and 25 in the Reeves family. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, and a grandchild.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church with the Revs. Bruce Barlow and Russell Ogden officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw, IN.

Calling is from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Titus Funeral Home, Warsaw, and one hour prior to the service Friday at the church.

Memorials to Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, 1200 Kings Highway, Winona Lake, IN 46590.

Patio/Plaza Installation Underway

Posted by Terry White on October 18, 2006  |  No Comments

Landscapers were hard at work in nearly 70-degree temperatures today, installing an extended patio/plaza that will give access to the new Tree of Life Christian bookstore in the Brethren Missionary Herald Building in Winona Lake, Indiana.

Because of limited parking on Kings Highway, many patrons of the store will need to park in the rear and use the plaza to access the front entrance of the store. The plaza is being installed between the BMH building and the Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church next door, and costs are being shared between BMH, TOL, and WLGBC.

The patio will include about 15 tables for cafe seating, a stage and performance area, plantings, bubble fountains, and indirect lighting for nighttime access.

The grand opening and ribbon-cutting for the store, which will also be the new Grace College bookstore, will be on Friday, November 3 at 10 a.m. All are invited.

Odgen Funeral Friday at 1

Posted by Terry White on October 18, 2006  |  No Comments

A memorial service for Wanita Ogden has been set for 1 p.m. Friday, October 20, at the Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, 1200 Kings Highway, Winona Lake, Indiana. Guests and friends may call from noon to 1 p.m. preceding the service.

Calling hours at the Titus Funeral Home in Warsaw, Indiana, will be from 3-8 p.m. Thursday, October 19, according to the WLGBC office.

Are You Getting All the News?

Posted by Terry White on October 18, 2006  |  No Comments

Some may not yet be aware of a second blog, under the sponsorship of the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers (AGBM) which carries news, updates, and information of interest to pastors and church leaders.

Simply look to the left of this blog and click on “Grace Brethren Ministers’ Blog.” Click on “back” to return.

While this blog carries news of general interest to the churches and people of the FGBC, the AGBM blog is more oriented to pastors, pastors’ families, and information that may be helpful or of interest to those who lead churches.

Visit them both, and visit them often!

Wanita Ogden Home With the Lord

Posted by Terry White on October 18, 2006  |  No Comments

Wanita Ogden, shown here with her husband, Don, former Grace College Music Chair, went to be with the Lord this morning around 2:20. Wanita suffered a massive brain hemorrhage on Tuesday evening and was taken to KCH, where she died during the night. This photo was taken September 20, 2006, at an Open House honoring Don on his 80th birthday.

Please pray for Don and the children, Kathie, Ron, and Diane, and Wanita’s many family members and friends during this time of loss. Funeral arrangements are not set at this point, but we will pass that information along as soon as possible.

Wanita worked for 36 years at the Grace Brethren Investment Foundation, retiring in August of 1999. She had been in ill health since experiencing a stroke in 2003, but was able to accompany Don to many places and enjoyed the company of friends and family in her home. Don served at Grace from 1954-1993.

Upon her retirement from Grace Brethren Investment Foundation, Missions Today of August 1999 carried this article:

Almost anyone who has come to the offices of the Grace Brethren Investment Foundation has experienced the warm smile and friendly assistance of Wanita Ogden. Wanita has been part of the North American Missions family, as the bookkeeper for GBIF, since 1963! (We think she must have started working here when she was 10.) If you look up the definition of “sweet and gentle spirit’, you’ll see Wanita’s picture there.

After 36 years of faithful service with GBIF, Wanita retires this month. She will be greatly missed, but we share her joy as she is able to spend more time with family now. She is married to Don Ogden, and they have three adult children (Kathy, Ron and Diane) and seven grandchildren.

God bless you in your retirement, Wanita. We know your love for the Lord will continue to touch each life you come in contact with.

Prayer Requested for Don and Wanita Ogden

Posted by Terry White on October 17, 2006  |  No Comments

Please pray for Wanita and Don Ogden of Winona Lake, Indiana, and their family.

Earlier this evening, Wanita suffered a massive brain hemorrhage and was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital in Warsaw, Indiana. Don and other family members and friends have been with her this evening, and within the past hour Wanita was moved from the emergency room to a room on the fourth floor.

Please pray also for their children, Kathie, Ron, and Diane, as they are on their way to be with Don. Ron was on a business trip in Michigan, Diane lives in Indianapolis, and Kathie will be coming from Jacksonville, Florida.

Don Ogden is former professor of music and the retired longtime chair of the music department at Grace College. Wanita is a former employee of the Brethren Investment Foundation. She has been in ill health since experiencing a stroke in the spring of 2003.

Brethren Encyclopedia Board Meets

Posted by Terry White on October 16, 2006  |  1 Comment

Members of the board of directors and associates of the Brethren Encyclopedia, Inc. met today at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio.

Participants included (front row, from left) Michael Miller (Old German Baptist Brethren); William Eberly (Editor, Monograph Series); Kenneth Kreider (chair, department of history, emeritus, Elizabethtown College); Robert Lehigh (Dunkard Brethren, and president of the board); and Dale Stoffer (The Brethren Church and Ashland Theological Seminary).

Back row, from left, included Terry White (Brethren Missionary Herald Co., Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches); Dale Ulrich (Bridgewater College and co-editor of volume 4); John Bryant (Conservative Grace Brethren Churches International); Ron Lutz (Assistant Treasurer); and Jeffrey Bach (assoc. prof. of church history, Bethany Theological Seminary and chair, 300th anniversary committee, Church of the Brethren).

For more information, or to obtain Brethren Encyclopedia Board products, log onto www.brethrenencyclopedia.org.

300th Anniversary Tours to Germany Planned

Posted by Terry White on October 16, 2006  |  No Comments

The Brethren Encyclopedia Board met today in the archaeology room of Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio. One of the major agenda items was the planning by the various Brethren groups to participate in 300th anniversary celebrations at Schwarzenau, Germany, the weekend of August 2 and 3, 2008.

Representatives of six Brethren groups comprise the Brethren Encyclopedia Board. From the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, board member Terry White and guest Ted Rondeau of Grace Brethren International Missions participated today. Rondeau is handling the logistics and planning of the Grace Brethren historical tour to Schwarzenau following the Celebrate08 national conference.

Alexander Mack began what is now the Brethren movement by baptizing eight believers in the Eder River at Schwarzenau, Germany, in 1708. In commemoration of that anniversary, about a dozen tours are being planned by the various Brethren groups.

Representatives from all groups will participate, along with the McPherson College Choir from Kansas, and a special German guest speaker. More information about the tour will be forthcoming on this blog and through GBIM.

Meanwhile, another “Grace Brethren Heritage Tour” in northern Indiana is being planned for the Equip07 conference in Winona Lake. As happened two years ago, Dr. David Plaster will be the host lecturer for a bus tour that will include the Arnold’s Grove historical site near Milford, Indiana; the murals and statues at Camp Alexander Mack; an evening meal together; and a visit to the MennoHof Anabaptist Interpretive Center in Shipshewana, Indiana. Information will be included with conference registration materials.

Angie Garber Services Set

Posted by Terry White on October 16, 2006  |  1 Comment

The funeral service for Angie Garber will be held at the Leon, Iowa, Brethren Church, 604 North Main Street, Leon, Iowa, on Friday, October, 20, 2006 at 1:00 p.m.

Vistation hours will be from 10:00 to noon at the church. Rev. John Trujillo and Rev. Tully Butler will be in charge of the service at the church and at the grave side.

An additional memorial service will be held at the Lakeland Grace Brethren Church where Angie attended during the years she spent at Grace Village. The address is 2538 South County Farm Road, Warsaw, Indiana, on Sunday October 22, 2006 at 3:00 p.m.

Hawaii Church Shaken, But Unhurt

Posted by Terry White on October 16, 2006  |  No Comments

When news of the Hawaii earthquake reached us, we contacted Pastor David Mitchell of the Waipio church in Mililani to see whether they had experienced any damage. He sent back this report–including the fact that more than 50 people turned out for the “lights-out” service.

Thanks for the concern but we are fine. The power was out over the entire chain of islands. I will admit it was a jolt to feel the house move and shake like it was going to fall around us. We live in five-bedroom log home and it proved to be strong but it did make quite a noise.

It really is such a joy to belong to the Lord because even in a moment of fear or concern, you feel immediately His presence so you can go about doing whatever possible to save yourself or others.

Most churches dismissed today but we had a service for those who could come and tonight we have oil lamps and we are going to have an evening service with whoever shows up. Wish You could be here, it will be special.

You might say a prayer for us as we are supposed to leave for Indiana tomorrow but right now the airport in Honolulu is in chaos.

BMH Books and John Davis Announce Distribution and Publishing Agreement

Posted by Terry White on October 15, 2006  |  No Comments

BMH Books of Winona Lake, Indiana, has announced the signing of an exclusive distribution agreement with one of BMH’s premier authors, Dr. John J. Davis (pictured).

Davis is a widely-known author, lecturer, scholar, and former president of Grace College and Seminary, Winona Lake, Indiana. A number of his works are already among BMH’s best-selling products, including Moses and Gods of Egypt, Birth of a Kingdom, and Israel: From Conquest to Exile, which is co-authored with Dr. John C. Whitcomb.

With the signing of this agreement BMH is now the sole distributor of all Davis works, including the acquisition of eight titles previously self-published by Davis. These include several humor and outdoors books which Davis features in his sideline ministry of speaking at wild game dinners and conducting fishing clinics.

Dr. Davis has frequently participated in the archaeological expeditions to the Holy Land. He joined the faculty of Grace Theological Seminary in 1965 and served in the Department of Hebrew and Old Testament and served as president of the school for seven years prior to his retirement in 2004.

He currently has 18 books in print and has a wide variety of interests, including being a sports play-by-play announcer, recording CDs of his singing and guitar playing, publishing a regular newspaper column, and winning contests for his humor writing. He has also pastored churches in Florida and Indiana and is demand as a speaker and lecturer. His books are widely adopted as texts for Bible colleges, seminaries, and other educational institutions.

Terry White, publisher of BMH Books, in announcing the agreement, said, “We are so delighted to expand both our line of Davis products and our service to those who follow his writing and scholarship. We are grateful for the confidence placed in us by Dr. Davis, and look forward to issuing both updates of his current books and several new projects on which he is working.”

Dr. Davis said, “I am delighted to have this new and expanded relationship with BMH Books. This publishing company has proven itself to be one of quality and theological integrity. My works will now be in the hands of competent professionals and will enjoy wider exposure.”

Dr. Davis’ books and all BMH products are available online at www.bmhbooks.com as well as from bookseller sites such as CBD.com and Amazon.com. Books may also be ordered or a catalog obtained by calling (toll-free) 1-800-348-2756.

Angie Garber, 94, With the Lord

Posted by Terry White on October 15, 2006  |  4 Comments

Angie Garber, a legendary figure in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches for her 47 years of service at the Navajo Mission in New Mexico, went to be with the Lord Saturday, October 14. Angie and her twin sister, Alice Peer, were featured on this blog in August of 2005 after being honored as the oldest twins present (93 years of age) at a major twins gathering in Twinsburg, Ohio.

Her nephew, Peter Peer, sent the following information, along with this photo of Angie, taken in March of 2006.

My Aunt Angie Garber just went to be with the Lord. Funeral services will be at her home church in Leon, Iowa. Details are not yet available.

Angie May Garber, born May 2, 1912, was the last of nine children born to Frank and Emma Garber of Leon, Iowa. She survived only with difficulty the first several months of life because of a deformity and complications from the multiple birth with her twin sister, Alice Peer. At the time of their birth, the doctor who delivered them declared, “That one won’t live.”

At the age of 19, one year after graduation from high school, she contracted polio while visiting her sister, Grace Cone, in Lanark, Illinois. She fought back from it well, suffering only the permanent crippling of her left hand.

Then for ten years Angie cared for her invalid mother until her death in November of 1942. In the fall of 1943, Angie left her home to attend Bryan College. After purchasing her bus ticket she had only $23 to her name.

She worked her way through college, and with the help of a $25 graduation gift from her brother, she graduated four years later debt-free. After another year at Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL, she entered Grace Theological Seminary and graduated with a Masters in Religious Education in 1951.

Grace Brethren Home Missions approached her and asked if she would be willing to be the first teacher at the Brethren Navajo Boarding School in Counselor, New Mexico.

In the Summer of 1951, at 39 years of age, Angie Garber began a missionary career that was to last for 47 years. During those early years she served as teacher, dorm supervisor, and cook.

She also served in a number of other capacities, summer camp ministries, etc. She was instrumental in beginning the radio ministry that continues to this day. She is perhaps best-known for her ministry of visitation in the homes of the Navajo people.

Angie passed quietly from this life into the presence of her Lord at 8:40 p.m. at her home in Westerville, Ohi, on Saturday, October 14, 2006.

A memorial fund has been established to honor the life and ministry of Angie Garber. This fund will benefit the ongoing ministry of the Navajo Church at Cedar Hill. This church grew out of the mission work at Counselor, New Mexico, and ministers to the people to whom Angie gave her life in service.

The Angie Garber Memorial Fund will be administered by the Grace Brethren Church of Mount Vernon, Ohio, 12426 Old Mansfield Road, Mount Vernon, OH 43050.

All donations are tax-deductible and receipts will be issued to all who contribute. Checks may be made out simply to Grace Brethren Church with “Angie Garber Memorial Fund” written in the memo field.

The family of Angie Garber encourages a gift to the memorial fund in lieu of flowers as a means of extending even further Angie’s ministry to the people whom she so loved.