Pastor of the Week: Joel Gearhart

By: Dezaray Barr

Joel Gearhart

Joel Gearhart is the Congregational Care Pastor of Brookhaven Wesleyan Church in Marion, IN. He graduated from Marion College (now IWU) in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in Religion. “My college experience gave me an opportunity to develop spiritually and in the area of leadership,” Gearhart said.  “The opportunities for spiritual growth were endless. Through classes, chapel, Spiritual Emphasis Week, and life on and off campus, God was clearly at work in my life deepening our relationship and preparing me as a Christian to serve Him.”

Gearhart’s call to ministry has been confirmed many times over.  “While my path in ministry has lead in many directions and taken many forms, God’s guiding hand has been unmistakable. I have served as an admissions counselor at Marion College, a youth pastor, missionary pastor in Puerto Rico, a church planter in Chesterton, Indiana, an educator as Director of Church Relations at IWU, a hospice chaplain and now Pastor of Congregational Care at Brookhaven Wesleyan. My experiences at college and along the path of ministry have prepared me for what was to come,” Gearhart said.

“Brookhaven has been more than a place to serve,” Gearhart said, “it has been my church family. When I came to Marion, my wife was in the final months of a terminal brain tumor. The church was a support to me in those critical days as well as encouraging me as a single parent, and through other tough experiences God allowed in my life. It is gratifying to be able to encourage many in the church family who are going through difficult things now.  The body of Christ is an awesome thing. God is Good!”

Some fun facts about Gearhart include that he is a leap year baby, so he’s actually only 16.5 years old. He met Bill Graham when he was a kid and served as National Director for Wesleyan Bible Bowl.

 

 

Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a junior Strategic Communication, Journalism and Honors Humanities triple major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.

Pastor of the Week: Jim Sonnefield

By: Dezaray Barr

Jim Sonnefield

Jim Steven Sonnefield is the Assistant Pastor and oversees Adult Ministries at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion, Indiana. He graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with a masters degree in Christian Leadership in 2011, after previously receiving his undergraduate degrees in Education from Indiana State University and Ball State University.

When asked about his transition from education, where he spent 28 years teaching middle school and 7 teaching high school, into full time ministry, Sonnefield said, “After many years of teaching in Marion, I realized that there was more that I wanted to do with people than being in the classroom and coaching athletes. I wanted to spend more time getting to know people and to share in their spiritual journey.” This desire lead him to begin this new journey of earning his masters degree at age 53. Early on he recalls struggling with confidence, being that he was around 25 years older than the next oldest men in the program. But with each class, he grew in his assurance, as he begun feeling more in step with those who were already in full-time ministry.

His time at IWU was very special. Sonnefield greatly enjoyed getting to know and learn from Dr. Ken Schenck, Dr. Todd Guy, Dr. Eddie Shigley and Dr. Jim Vermilya. While he enjoyed everything he learned, he valued the communal aspect of IWU and definitely enjoyed his on-sight classes more that his online classes. He said that many of the peers he studied alongside during his courses are still his friends and colleagues today.

From his early teen years, Sonnefield was always involved somehow in ministry. He has always felt it was a calling on his life, but it became especially evident in the last ten years of his time working in public school education. This transition, then, was a natural step forward in faith, one that he always felt the call towards, that he accepted at the right time.

There have been challenges though, in taking on a life of pastor-ship and full-time ministry. As someone who values connection, Sonnefield has found the time constraints that come with helping shepherd a church body to be taxing. He has to very intentional to find time to connect with other congregants and accept that he cannot possibly know everyone as well as he would like to. He said cultivating relationships takes time and is all about building trust and becoming involved in their spiritual lives.

Sonnefield has found a lot of freedom in knowing that things take time and that while he cannot intimately know everyone, he can give them opportunities to get involved and he can continue to share with them as a Body. Over the last five years, he’s found finding a balance between ministry and family life to be challenging as well, especially early on when he was still coaching and teaching full-time as well. When his wife, Sue, retired from her teaching position, she became an integral part of managing his pastoral duties. He said, “She is a tremendous help in what I do each week.”

Lakeview Wesleyan Church has around 600 congregants, 400 of them being full members. Uniquely, the church has a counseling center comprised of nine licensed counselors. They also have a large children’s program, K-12 school and preschool within the church, and almost 75 employees on the church staff overall. They have also sent out several missionaries who serve around the globe.

Sonnefield said that his two favorite verses are Proverbs 27:17, which reads “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another,” and Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all time, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” He loves the communal emphasis both verses bring to the forefront of the readers mind.

His wisdom to current IWU students is, “Step out, take some risks, push yourself to do things you never thought you could ever do. You are on a wonderful journey, a process that will transform you, and God has given you everything you need to serve Him and others.”

 

 

Written by Kendra Housel, writer for the Alumni Center. Kendra is a sophomore Education and Honors Humanities double major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. She is also a member of the University Chorale. She is passionate about serving Christ through writing, singing and caring for others.

Pastor of the Week: Matt Aukerman

By: Dezaray Barr

Matt Aukerman and his family

Rev. Matthew Aukerman and his family serve with Global Partners on missions team in Durrës, Albania in a church called Kisha e Shpreses (The Church of Hope). He graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington in 1989 with a B.S. in secondary education. “Before beginning service with Global Partners, I taught seventh-grade math for 16 years,” Aukerman said. “Since beginning to serve with Global Partners in 2006, I have been ordained, having completed my coursework through the Wesleyan FLAME program.”

Although Aukerman nor his wife, Caryl, attended Indiana Wesleyan University, their son, Noah, is a freshman at IWU. “Though I did not attend a Christian university, my time at Indiana University (IU) played a vital role in moving me forward in my walk with Christ and preparing me for ministry,” Aukerman said. “It was a time in my life when my faith faced challenges that it had not directly encountered as I grew up in a Christian family that was in church every time the doors open. At IU, my faith truly had to become my own as I sorted through the challenges that popped up in the forms of Darwinism and humanism in my freshman honors seminar and through interactions I had every day with people whose perspectives on life and faith were far different from mine.”

Kisha e Shpreses

Kisha e Shpreses is structured differently than the model most North Americans are used to. “Our structure is small-group focused, with a monthly celebration service at which about 30-40 Albanians worship and discuss the Bible. That particular service is Albanian-led, and the discussion at the weekly home fellowship we facilitate is also usually led by one of two Albanian men in the group. Up until about 20 months ago, everything was directed by missionaries, so it has been exciting to watch Albanians take on more of the leadership role as the missions staff catalyzes and encourages them in ministry. Especially to our home fellowship, I function in some ways as a pastor-shepherd, and particularly to the men, with whom I also try to spend time individually each week over coffee. In the months ahead, we hope to see this group divide, move out of our home into Albanian homes and reproduce as Albanians apply the disciple-making movement principles that we are emphasizing on our field,” Aukerman explained.

In addition to overseeing this home fellowship, Aukerman’s family hosts two weekly kids clubs in Aukerman’s home (in partnership with Child Evangelism Fellowship) and currently has a weekly Bible study in another home. “I am our missions team leader, facilitating our weekly team meeting and monitoring the work, relational and spiritual life of the missionaries on our team. We also continue to spend significant time building relationships in our neighborhood for the purpose of finding others who are interested in reading God’s Word with us and/or with whom we can share the gospel. For me, this means spending quite a bit of time in the local coffee houses where men congregate and drink their morning or evening espresso. I really don’t like coffee, but I care about Albanian men, so most days will find me visiting a couple of coffee shops, steeling my taste buds to suck down a cup of espresso, and diving into conversation with the local men before tackling the rest of my day,” he said.

As missionaries, the biggest sacrifice for Aukerman and his family have been leaving their family, church family and close friends. It’s also been hard for them to accumulate to a new culture and speak a language that was not their own. “God has blessed us with great friends here, and we have done well with the language, but we still miss the facility of communicating in English, our way of life in America and regularly seeing those that are dear to us in America,” Aukerman said. “One great difficulty we find in ministry in Albania is the pervasive universal-ism that we encounter. From 1967-1991, all religious practice was outlawed in Albania, which declared itself the world’s first officially atheist nation. For all of the government’s efforts, they never succeeded in convincing people that there is no God, but Albanians came out of communism very confused spiritually and, in this land where most call themselves Muslim, about 20% claim to be Orthodox Christians and about 10% Catholic, most believe that all roads lead to God and that it doesn’t much matter in what you put your faith. There is little urgency or concern on the part of most Albanians to seek out, determine and follow the Truth. That makes it difficult to challenge Albanians to a real faith commitment.”

A fun fact about himself is that Aukerman has been on TV three times, “—for a grand total of 2 seconds!  In Albania, I was filmed once as part of a crowd at a city council meeting and another time giving blood at the hospital after a disaster. As a teacher in the US, I won (or maybe lost!) a contest in a Riley Children’s Hospital fundraiser, in which students voted with their pocket change for which teacher they would most like to see kiss a pig, which got me on the local news.”

In addition to their service in Albania, Caryl and Matt (before children) also served a year as volunteer missionaries with GP in Ryazan, Russia.

 

 

Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a junior Strategic Communication, Journalism and Honors Humanities triple major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.

Pastor of the Week: Braden & Jenn Petersen

By: Noelle Beans

Braden and Jenn Petersen, lead pastors of Resurrection Life NYC, are both currently pursuing master’s degrees at Wesley Seminary here at Indiana Wesleyan. Braden is pursuing his Master of Practical Theology, and Jenn is pursuing her Master of Divinity. They express that Wesley Seminary has been great for both their personal growth and the ministry in which they find themselves in now. The Petersens feel that the professors have taken a personal interest in them as pastors and as people and have been willing to invest themselves into their students. They have also met fellow seminarians who have become life-long friends.

Before Wesley Seminary, the Petersens’ ministry journey began in worship ministry in Dallas, TX with Braden having a bachelor’s degree of Music in Jazz Studies and Jenn, a bachelor’s degree of Music in Voice, both from the University of Northern Iowa. But while on vacation in New York City in the summer of 2014, shortly after Braden’s completion of his master’s degree of Business Administration from Oklahoma Wesleyan University, they felt called to pastoral ministry.

Three years ago, after 17 years of ministry in the Dallas, TX, area, the Petersens sensed God calling them into this completely new chapter in their lives. The Petersens call it “a series of providential events” that led them to plant a church in NYC which began with an innocent question, “Why are there no Wesleyan churches in Manhattan?” This question blossomed into a passion and emerging vision to plant churches that plant churches in the most influential and one of the most secular cities in the United States. In August 2015 Braden, Jenn and their children, Aidan (15) and Emma (13) moved to NYC to begin the process of planting Resurrection Life NYC in center-city Manhattan.

After nearly two years of living in the city and building their launch team, the Petersens launched Resurrection Life NYC on the Upper East Side of Manhattan on April 9, 2017. ResLifeNYC transformed into a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic congregation with 14 countries represented in the congregation. The Petersens say, “There is a groundswell of church planting happening in the city right now, and Resurrection Life NYC is participating in a move of the Holy Spirit to see churches planting in all five boroughs of the city, which we believe will influence a multiplication movement across the country and around the world.” They also state that living in the city is difficult and uncomfortable. They brought Resurrection Life NYC into existence to connect city dwellers with the resurrection power of Jesus to transform lives, families, neighborhoods, and cities amidst the busyness of the city.

The Petersens both shared a quote and a verse that shed light on their experience and mission. In his essay, Here is New York, E.B. White says, “By comparison with other less hectic days, the city is uncomfortable and inconvenient; but New Yorkers temperamentally do not crave comfort and convenience—if they did they would live elsewhere.” The Petersens wholeheartedly agree with this. Their biggest obstacle to living in NYC has been raising funds to do ministry because the growth is slow. Like White expresses, New Yorkers do not choose to live in NYC because they crave comfort and convenience, but they chose the chaotic life for other reasons, just as the Petersens have chosen NYC as their mission field regardless of the constant pressures on their ministry and family because they trust in God’s faithfulness.

Secondly, their verse for living in New York City comes from Jeremiah 29:7, written for God’s people who find themselves in exile. It reads, “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” They hold fast to this verse because they truly believe that they are called to bring hope and peace into NYC. The Petersens said, “…as God blesses a movement of church planting in the city–that as NYC prospers–so will the Church in our country and around the world.”

The Petersens would like to share with current IWU students five things. 1) Consider helping a church plant wherever you end up living after graduation “If that happens to be New York City, please look us up!” they added! 2) Give yourself grace because it truly takes time to discover God’s personal vision for your life. 3) Live a life of surrender, generosity and mission. 4) Get out of debt quickly and 5) Learn to ask good questions. Be a life-long student wherever you go!

To connect with the Petersens please visit reslifenyc.com.

 

 

Written by Noelle Beans, a writer for the Alumni Center. Noelle is a freshman Nursing and Honors Humanities double major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College.

Pastor of the Week: Todd Whittum

By: Dezaray Barr

Todd Whittum and his wife

Todd Whittum is the Assistant Pastor at Whiteford Wesleyan Church in Ottawa Lake, Michigan. He graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) in January of 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education. After graduating, he completed his Wesleyan course of study program for Pre-Ordination in October 2000. He was ordained in July 2001 in the North Michigan District of the Wesleyan Church.

“As a senior in high school, I applied to a few colleges besides IWU,” Whittum said. “I was very into playing music, especially jazz. I really thought hard about going to a college that specialized in music. The more I prayed about it; however, I sensed that God wanted me to go to the college my parents both graduated from…Marion College (now IWU). Looking back at this decision, I believe that it was the right decision to make.”

After graduating from IWU, Whittum struggled to know what direction God was leading him in. He applied to many school districts, thinking he was going to teach music in a school setting. “However, after several interviews, nothing opened up in that direction,” he explained. “Then, in the fall of 1994, I landed my first music teaching job. My wife and I and our two boys packed up and moved to Michigan, where I started teaching in the Detroit area.”

Shortly after moving, Whittum and his wife visited a church (Dryden Wesleyan Church) she had grown up in. After talking to the senior pastor, they found out that the church was looking for a staff member to lead the youth and music ministries. “A couple weeks later, we were hired!” Whittum explained. “We stayed at Dryden for two years, but during that time, I really struggled with knowing God’s plan for our future. In the spring of 1996, my wife, Terry, and I had the privilege of attending John Maxell’s ‘Church Grow’ conference in Toledo, OH.  While we were there, God spoke to us and confirmed to us that He truly did call us into full-time ministry. After that conference, I started taking classes towards being ordained in The Wesleyan Church, and we have been in full time ministry ever since.”

In 2007, Whittum and his family moved to Whiteford. Whiteford Wesleyan Church is located in southeast Michigan. “Our church is in a rural community. We’re a congregation of around 150 people that is committed to making more and better disciples. We do this through loving, growing and serving. One of the greatest ways that we try to serve our community is through partnering with our local school district. We have over 50 teachers or staff members that are being prayed for by families in our church. Our church also provides an after school program for Whiteford students who need a place to wait for their parents to get out of work. We have also recently partnered with other area churches to help feed Whiteford students that are considered homeless. Backpacks are put together each week to be sent home every Friday with these students to provide them with food for the weekend,” Whittum said.

It took Whittum five and a half years to graduate from college, but, he said, “all the effort, and hard work was worth it. Don’t give up, even when it gets tough. Look to God for your help!”

Whittum said that one of his greatest joys in ministry is being able to work with his wife and children. “My wife and I have served together in many ministry areas over the years, including music, youth and children’s ministries. It has been a joy to see all of our children involved in different ministries as well.  Three out of our four children are married and live close by us. Our youngest is a college student in Nashville, TN. We also have two grandchildren that we have so much fun being with (and one that will be born very soon!).  We are so blessed to have such a great family.”

 

 

Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a junior Strategic Communication, Journalism and Honors Humanities triple major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.

Pastor of the Week: David Steinke

By: Dezaray Barr

Dave Steinke

Dave Steinke is currently serving as the Supply Pastor for Converse United Methodist Church and Sweetser United Methodist Church. “That’s right,” he said, “I travel from one church to the other every Sunday morning.” Although Steinke did attend Indiana Wesleyan University as a student, he has taught in the Adult and Professional Studies Division and the College of Arts and Sciences as adjunct faculty.

Steinke graduated from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois in 1990. He earned a Master of Arts in Religion with an emphasis on evangelism and discipleship. “When I enrolled in seminary, I wanted to study psychology and theology; however, I was required to take an Introduction to Evangelism class. I was required to interview ten people, present the gospel and write a reflection paper after presentation. Two out of the ten people accepted Christ. I always point back to that class as changing the whole trajectory of my vision for ministry,” Steinke shared.

Steinke went to seminary to prepare to teach and serve overseas. “I did not consider a pastorate in North America,” he said. “One of the guys I went to seminary with planted a church in the southern suburbs of Milwaukee. As I tried to raise funds for my support, we kept crossing paths. I struggled to raise the needed funds, and with our second baby on the way, he called me and invited me to join the staff and help with the church plant… I remind every congregation that I have served that their local church is God’s Plan A for their community. There is no Plan B.”

David, his wife, Jill, who is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at IWU, and their two daughters, Ellen and Elizabeth, who graduated from IWU in 2015.

Essentially, Steinke has been serving as an Interim Pastor since 2015. Interim Pastors go into churches that are experiencing transition, assess the current situation and begin to address the difficulties that the congregation is experiencing. The intention is to establish a platform for revitalization and renewal. An Interim Pastor could work with a congregation for just six months or for as long as two years.  “To use a gardening analogy,” Steinke said, “the Interim Pastor is intentionally preparing the soil for optimal conditions for spiritual and numerical growth to occur for the next pastor. As the congregation gets greater clarity about its own unique identity and what it has to offer the community, the role and gifting required for the next pastor become apparent. It is a valuable gift for the new incoming pastor to have the groundwork prepared. Once the groundwork has been laid and the best candidate is selected, the Interim Pastor moves onto the next church and begins the process all over again.”

“I find the role of the Interim Pastor both challenging and rewarding,” Steinke shared. “It enables me be to be both genuine and authentic. I can ‘speak the truth in love’ without worrying about the potential of losing my job. The nature of the position is to facilitate transition, not to put down roots.”

 

 

Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a junior Strategic Communication, Journalism and Honors Humanities triple major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.

Pastor of the Week: Matt Stewart

By: Dezaray Barr

Matt Stewart

Rev. Matthew C. Stewart is the Senior Pastor of Sweetser Wesleyan Church in Sweetser, Indiana. He graduated from Houghton College in 1992 with a major in Psychology, a concentration in history and a minor in Old Testament.  In the spring of 2018, Steward will be graduating from Wesley Seminary with a Master’s of Divinity and certification in Church Revitalization.

“Since my college experiences were nearly three decades apart at two different institutions, the influences were very unique,” Stewart shared. “At Houghton, I was made aware of God’s mission field in a broader sense than my rural New York upbringing provided. The one unique venue that taught me a great deal was Sunday school with Dr. Bud Bence in the Houghton dining room. The class was engaging and challenged me to think of the world in different ways than I had before. Two other people that influenced me during the Houghton days also have connections at IWU. I spent a great deal of time learning about grace and truth by watching Coach Steve Brooks when I was part of the men’s basketball team at Houghton. Coach Brooks was great one-on-one with all his players and possessed an encouraging spirit. Finally, I was also impacted by Drs. Charles and Darlene Bressler when I spent my senior year living in their basement off-campus. They offered wisdom and humor on days they were needed.”

Stewart said that his experiences at Wesley Seminary have been fantastic. “I learned from professor and fellow students alike on a regular basis. ‘The Doctors’ as I would fondly call them—Lenny Luchetti, Bob Whitesel, Brannon Hancock, Ken Schenck, Kwasi Kena, Sofiya Fosua, and Colleen Derr—helped to increase my ministry capacity greatly in their classrooms over the past 4 years,” he said.

At just eight years old, Stewart received his call to ministry at a meeting in his home church. That day, he preached his first sermon on the way home in the car to his younger siblings, one of whom shares that moment as her day of salvation. “However, I ran from my call, like Jonah, for many years because I was painfully shy, hated weddings and funerals, and I wanted to have friends,” Stewart admitted. “I finally responded to the call after working a couple of years with an inner city youth group in Springfield, Massachusetts while witnessing the impact that a couple could have on the lives of many street kids. God providentially opened the door for our first church placement in Henrietta, NY. The way in which He did so assured me that ministry was where we belonged.”

Rev. Matt Stewart and his family

Every church is unique in its congregation. In terms of ministry, Sweetser Wesleyan is unique in possessing one of the most highly reputable preschool programs in the area. “The church continually receives rave reviews from teachers at Oak Hill that our students are the most prepared as they enter kindergarten,” Rev. Stewart said. “The word has spread among parents as the enrollment continues to grow to the point where a waiting list may become a reality.”

Sweetser Wesleyan also hosts a unique Bible quizzing ministry for teenagers. Bible quizzing enables teenagers to memorize God’s word, hiding it in their hearts and learning the truths of Scripture to the best of their abilities. Sweetser Wesleyan currently has three teams of Bible quizzers that compete and travel around the country.

Stewart calls his wife, Jennifer, the gatherer. “She has the God-given gift of having many people who are searching for a relationship with Jesus Christ dropped in her lap,” Stewart shared of his wife. “Without her as part of the team a major element of our work would be missing.” In his spare time, he goes by Pastor Mike and works with jersey dairy cows, selling milk, butter and ice cream.

 

 

Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a junior Strategic Communication, Journalism and Honors Humanities triple major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.

Pastor of the Week: Jim Kane

By: Dezaray Barr

Jim Kane

Rev. James (Jim) Kane is the Senior Pastor of the First Church of God in Kendallville, Indiana. Kane graduated from Greenville University in Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in English. He graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary with a Master of Arts in Religion in Christian Education and from Western Michigan University with a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership. “I have benefited from wonderful professors at all three schools,” Kane shared. “They challenged me academically and, in some cases, spiritually as well.”

Kane’s journey to ministry is unlike most, and he did not receive his call until he was in his thirties. “My call to be a pastor has been a journey that has unfolded over the years,” Kane said. “It wasn’t until I was in my thirties that I said to my wife, Susan, one day, ‘I think that the Lord wants me in ministry!’ I had looked at my time in ministry as preparation for something else, but that has not happened.”

When Kane arrived at the First Church of God in Kendallville, it was nearly closed, but they chose to work with Kane and the Lord to move forward with the church. “We have had a significant ministry, especially a drama ministry, that became noted by the community, even today,” Kane said. The local community theater will stage Sleep Beauty for the kids’ theater program later this spring at the church.

From the church, there have been Lilly Scholars and other academic leaders and student leaders, such as National Honor Society Presidents and Vice-Presidents, School Newspaper writers and editors, class officers, academic athletic awards and other successful individuals.

Jim Kane, his wife Susan, and their two sons

Kane and his wife, Susan, have struggled with infertility throughout their marriage. “I had infertility surgery 11 years into our marriage,” Kane explained. “Praise the Lord it worked…twice! I remember announcing to the congregation I was serving then that if I did not have this surgery I might never become a father. You could have heard a pin dropped at that moment.” Now, Kane has two sons, Jonathon and Daniel. Daniel is a sophomore at IWU.

First Church of God is a congregation of hard-working individuals who works many hours throughout the week. “Most of our ministry takes place on the weekend, including our monthly Ministry Council meeting. That was something I had to get used to, because church meetings were normally on a weeknights. Weeknights are at a premium here,” Kane said.

Kane’s life verse is Jeremiah 29:11, and the verse has spoken to him during critical times in his life and ministry. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

If Kane could encourage IWU students to do one thing, he would encourage them to study abroad. “If you have a chance to study/travel internationally, take it!” he said. “It is one of the regrets that I did not do some international study.”

At the beginning of February, IWU’s Master’s Praise, including Kane’s son, Daniel, performed at the First Church of God in Kendallville. Check out the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYIZamzES54.

 

 

Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a junior Strategic Communication, Journalism and Honors Humanities triple major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.

Pastor of the Week: Todd Render

By: Dezaray Barr

Todd Render and his wife

Rev. Todd Render is the pastor of the Alliance Church. He graduated from the University of Rochester with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He also graduated from Purdue University with a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and from Grace Theological Seminary with a M.A. in Ministry.

“In engineering school, I was both awed and humbled by the great minds and the affability of some of the professors. And by some of the other students for that matter,” Render said.

Render became a Christ-follower when he was 39 years old, and he didn’t start seminary until after he was 40. “I was taking night classes while I was working for an orthopedic company in Warsaw, Indiana. That whole idea of allowing yourself to be transformed, of stepping courageously into something new, but something vital and important – well that’s the whole message of being a follower of Christ, and being transformed into His likeness, isn’t it?” Render said.

Render’s time as a pastor has been out-of-the-ordinary. “I’m still doing the bi-vocational thing, working full time in research and development and as part-time senior pastor (which is an oxymoron),” Render shared. “There are so many times when I am affirmed and encouraged and just uplifted by being a pastor. Last year, I performed two marriages, three funerals, and just yesterday, got to do two baptisms, my all-time favorite part! Yet each one is incredibly significant in the lives of people, to share in and bring out the magnitude of those events, to enter into the most significant moments of a person’s life, to point them to Jesus and affirm what God has done – and wants still to do in their lives. One of the hardest challenges is trying to lead the turn-around of a shrinking organization. This is true whether it’s for a department, a company or a church. To take the time to build relationships, to work together to see that vision of what God wants for the community, to love everyone and see them with the eyes of Jesus… I tell you what, some people are easier to love than others! But the Lord reminds me where I am on that spectrum, so I am often reminded of His mercy and grace.”

Alliance Church was born out of a prayer meeting in which three couples gathered 60 years ago in a family’s home. The first building was just a small sanctuary. Although the building has expanded a few times, the original sanctuary has been dubbed Tozer Hall, because AW Tozer preached there, as well as Ravi Zacharias. “I’ve been here only a year and a half now,” Render explained. “We have several congregants in their nineties, but at the same time a thriving children’s program on Wednesday nights with many kids from the community who don’t currently attend our church. After changes in leadership, the people who were left are devoted and love to serve, and eager to see God bring new believers. I will work and worship with a community like that any day.”

Render’s advice to students is simply stated. “Pray that God lead you to that place and to those people, and pray God give you such a love for them. That makes all the pain, and the struggles and the celebrations worth every moment,” he said.

 

 

Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a junior Strategic Communication, Journalism and Honors Humanities triple major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.

Pastor of the Week: Zackry Langford

By: Dezaray Barr

Zackry Langford and his family

Zackry Langford is the Pastor of Surrendered Life Church in Marshall, Michigan. He graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) with a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies in 2010 and from Wesley Seminary with an M. Div. in 2017. “Being a student at IWU solidified my call into the ministry and helped establish a foundation that I have been able to build on ever since. I transferred to IWU in 2007 after attending two other colleges from ‘03-’06, and IWU helped me to grow in my faith as well as help me to discern my next steps into ministry,” Langford said.

As a Pastor, there are moments when Langford feels a peace that surpasses understanding about his call to ministry. “There have been many moments in which I feel like I am on the right path,” Langford said. “To be frank, though, there are many moments in which I wonder if I am on the right track… The big moments are when I get to baptize someone or when I get to be a part of helping someone profess a belief in Jesus for the first time. Those are the moments where I know that I get to be a part of something incredible and that brings meaning to my choice to follow God into this vocation.”

Langford has been challenged, as he completed Seminary and Ordination while working in ministry and raising a young family. “I finally completed both Seminary and became an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church this past summer, which has been a decade long journey. During that time, I got married (in 2007), had three kids and moved a few times. We still battle with the demands of ministry, raising a family and with a wife who runs a successful business.”

Surrendered Life Church

Surrendered Life Church is an incredibly faithful and loving congregation. “What has been both an excitement and a surprise is how willing they have been in taking risks to become the congregation that God wants us to be,” Langford explained about his congregation. “In the three and a half years since we have taken over the congregation, we have had two major fundraising campaigns, changed the name from Marshall Wesleyan Church to Surrendered Life Church and have seen new believers profess a belief in Christ and become baptized.”

If Langford could encourage IWU students, he’d remind them to “Learn how to have a ‘holy discontent’ about the world. I am not sure who coined the term ‘holy discontent,’ but I think it is probably the best way I can describe what it means to have peace and purpose in this life. You have to learn how to be content with whatever your situation is, but also have to have the ability to see what can or needs to be different.”

 

 

Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a junior Strategic Communication, Journalism and Honors Humanities triple major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.