SEEING THE KING OF KINGS
What Isaiah’s encounter teaches us about timing, shame, love, and service pg. 8
GOD’S KINGDOM ADVANCING
Alliance international workers celebrate stories of God’s faithfulness pg. 14
THE MOST GODLESS PLACE ON EARTH
Alliance workers’ commitment to seeing God move in eastern Germany
pg. 24
While I was growing up in The Alliance, the most famous people I ever met were Alliance missionaries. I was captivated by the stories they brought to our local church of what God was doing in faraway places. The Alliance’s passion for sending people like these missionaries to new places to share the love of Christ isn’t just something we do—it’s who we are. This sending spirit is part of our DNA, both in our country and throughout the world.
When A. B. Simpson started his ministry in New York City in the 1880s, he had this building and sending focus in mind at all times. As he inspired people to join his ministry, some churches, or “Gospel Tabernacles,” emerged, but largely it was meetings all over the country that developed into Branches. These Branches were worship and mission outposts that gathered together like-minded folks from different groups who were passionate about all peoples being transformed by Christ. Simpson was never interested in building an organization as much as he was in a movement of Spirit-filled gospel carriers who would look around their towns to see people as Jesus did and then be willing to pool together resources, prayer support, and leaders to be sent to places like China, India, the Congo, and beyond. The Alliance has grown and changed a lot in over 140 years. We have certainly organized ourselves— which is good! We went from launching evangelistic centers to planting churches. Wonderful. And, instead of settling into mission activity that felt less complicated or would generate a quicker return on investment, we continue to send folks to pioneer and partner with others in the leastreached areas of the world.
All of this requires a maverick spirit. One thing I love about The Alliance is that instead of looking around and finding reasons for why things won’t work, there is an undercurrent of faith that asks, Why not? Why not these people, this place, this time? Yes, the funds will need to be raised. Yes, there is global conflict. Yes, there is a tide of opinion that may cause us to worry about America just as much or more than other places. But, in the face of all of it, this maverick spirit of faith says: “God’s not done; we’re not either—let’s go!” And, friends, I believe if we lose our edge, our maverick nature, we cease to be the group that God has called us to be.
So, as we focus on another Great Commission Day in which we launch the next wave of laborers into the harvest, may we all respond with feisty faith, surrender, and excitement about what God will do with our finances, our prayers, and our friends. For His sake. For His Kingdom.
Tim Meier Vice President for Development
ditors
e ditorial a ssistant Lauren Toney
c irculation Ful Fill M ent
Julie Connon
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DEPENDENCE ON THE SPIRIT
Our 12th president reflects on the past 12 years | by Hannah Packard | pg. 4
SEEING THE KING OF KINGS
What Isaiah’s encounter teaches us about timing, shame, love, and service by Paul Crosby | pg. 8
FREE VERSE
Quotes from the Kingdom | pg. 11
TOZER ANTHOLOGY
Compiled by Harry Verploegh | pg. 11
14 Acts 1:8
GOD’S KINGDOM ADVANCING
Alliance international workers celebrate stories of God’s faithfulness by Julie Daubé | pg. 14
YOUR GENEROSITY IN ACTION
The Good Shepherd Comes for His Sheep by Jake, an Alliance worker serving in West Africa | pg. 20
THE MOST GODLESS PLACE ON EARTH
Alliance workers’ commitment to seeing God move in eastern Germany by Hannah Packard | pg. 24
WE THANK GOD
Reflecting on two years of dreaming and working for the Kingdom by Emily Smith | pg. 30
BOARD SUMMARY LETTER by Thomas George | pg. 34
PRAYER IS PRIMARY
Requests from Alliance workers | pg. 35
ALLIANCE FAMILY NEWS
Personnel changes, obituaries, and classified ads | pg. 36
GENERAL BYLAW CHANGES | pg. 44
FOUNDATIONS
I Will Go With the Help of Jesus Adapted by Alliance Life staff | pg. 46
by Hannah Packard
AAs I make my way to the meeting room for this interview, I pass by John’s cubicle and his assistant Dianne’s L office. John smiles and gathers his things while Dianne asks if we have everything we need.
No leader is perfect, but I have always perceived John as someone seeking to be Spirit-led. His decision to work at a cubicle while Dianne has an office for her time here five days a week has been one small reflection to me of those priorities of Spirit-led, servant leadership.
John and I chat briefly before we open in prayer, and I start the audio recording. As he answers my first question, I notice him keeping his eyes closed as he speaks—something he does through much of the interview. Here and there, I join him by closing my eyes to listen to his answers. It makes the rest of our time feel like a continuation of that earlier moment of prayer.
So, I’d like to start with—what has God taught you personally during your time as denominational president?
Being placed into this role made it very obvious that my leadership will be no better than my day-to-day listening to and obedience to the Holy Spirit.
At the time when I was first elected in 2013, I was barely physically strong enough to consider the role, having just had that health crisis and the healing that took place. God had miraculously touched my body, but it wasn’t like suddenly I was running ultra-marathons again. There was a lot of recovery still needed.
On the day of the election at Council 2013, I joined a time of prayer and fasting. I got alone by myself over in a corner and, with my face on the carpet, prayed, Lord, if you are calling me to this role, wouldn’t you give me one more healing to give me the strength that I need to do this? And what I sensed in my spirit was His response, No, I’m not going to give you another touch of healing. Instead, I’m going to give you everything you need for every day.
A thousand times since then, I’ve laid my head on the pillow at night after not knowing how I was going to handle some things throughout the day, and said, Well, Lord, You did it again. You gave me everything that I needed today.
What is something that you know about God now—or a new facet of His character—that you didn’t know 12 years ago?
Well, I think my view of God has been enlarged because of so much interaction with other cultures and Christian communities within the Alliance family in the United States and across the globe. The Alliance is a fascinating multinational, multicultural family. How others express worship, prayer, and faith relationships has amplified my understanding of God from my previously fairly narrow cultural background. Before the throne in heaven, we will get to celebrate with every tribe, tongue, nation, and people. Every culture brings its own expression and reflection of who God is. I’ve been enriched by these experiences and relationships.
How has your understanding of leadership and service been expanded?
The essential nature of working through teams has been a joyful part of this journey. God’s given us such a dedicated leadership team that it’s brought great joy to work with them, and God has accomplished so much more through them than had I just been flying solo.
The second thing would be, as a change agent kind of leader, I continue to be stretched in my understanding of how change impacts people and the significance of monitoring the pace of change. Some Alliance readers might laugh right now because they may feel like, “Wow, Stumbo did way too much in too short of time.” And my only appeal to that is I didn’t see a global pandemic coming, and that complicated the timeline of so many things.
A lot of people don’t love change, but unless we’re calling people to change (taking people somewhere they may not get on their own), we’re not truly leading. The trick, the skill, the task of leadership is helping people you love do what they hate. I obviously would’ve done some things differently, as any of us would who look back on our ministries, but I’ve grown in my understanding of organizational change and the leadership required to bring it about.
You’ve talked before about your dual role of CEO and pastor as president of our denomination. It seems like that makes the change even more complicated, because you’re not only doing organizational leadership and change management, but also pastoral work.
Yes—the first line of the job description of the president of The Alliance is, “The president is the spiritual leader and chief executive officer of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.” I love that our forefathers put that order in place, and I’ve sought to live that out—spiritual leadership before executive leadership, caring about people for who they are before I try to adjust the organization for greater mission fulfillment. “Love before task” has been the desire. I haven’t done it perfectly, but that’s certainly been the desire.
So, what are some of the spiritual practices that you’ve found helpful and sustaining as you do such a weighty job?
I have a long-standing practice, most years, of reading the Bible through in a year, which I’ve found keeps my heart and mind engaged in the Scripture and reflecting on passages that, if I were just flipping the pages, I might not go to. My son Josiah also introduced me to a Bible memory app some years ago that relaunched my commitment to memorize the Word. It’s been my lifetime goal to memorize 10 percent of the Bible, with every book of the Bible and every chapter of the New Testament represented. I’m two-thirds of the way there now.
The rhythm of Sabbath has also been important. In a very weary time of life in my thirties, I had not ever practiced a weekly rhythm of hearing God’s permission to not accomplish anything one day in seven. I believe that’s the core of Sabbath—hearing God say, Stop, quit, cease, desist. I was sitting in meetings all day, sitting typing emails, sitting preparing sermons. So I thought, What if I cease one day a week and get out and do something active that revitalizes my soul?
So, Bible reading, memorization, and Sabbath. Prayer tends to flow out of each of those. To the surprise of some, I’m really not that verbal of a guy. I’m
helped by prompts. Those all become prompts that lead me to prayer.
Are there specific pieces of advice, whether practical or spiritual, you would give to anyone stepping into leadership today, regardless of their age?
One, I would encourage them not to place all of their call upon their first experience in ministry. When we begin, some of us don’t know enough about ourselves, our giftings, and how the Church or any ministry functions to know if the position is going to be a good fit. It’s fairly common that the first round is a little rough, and we certainly lose some leaders because they conclude, “I guess I’m not called to ministry.” I was there in my twenties, but in God’s kindness, He helped me realize that I really could thrive in ministry but it did require a different assignment.
I started ministry in the 1980s, and it’s always been complex. Carnality, sin, worldliness, and the devil have been around since the Fall. But the pace of ministry today has increased the complexity of the issues and conversations people expect you to be an authority on. The 12 words I wish I would’ve learned 20 years earlier than I did are, “I may not be the best person to help you with that.” I felt I should always know or help or do something. But actually, my job is to love—the love of Christ through me. And maybe the most loving thing in that moment is to say, “Let me help you find somebody who will be more suited for this.”
As you look at the Church, especially the church in the United States today, what is one thing you feel like God might be saying to her?
We have to be willing to reposition ourselves in a way that reengages the communities around us. The typical church is isolated from the world rather than engaged with it. That’s not as effective today as it once was when people were more willing to come to our buildings. It’s time to take the bushel off the candle so our light shines before men, so they may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven. Individuals do this in their dayto-day lives—but as an organized church, when does the public see that?
I might sound like a curmudgeon now, but I also feel like there’s less of a spirit of sacrifice in the church today. I’m not referring to a dour, we-never-enjoy-anything kind of lifestyle. But in Revelation 2, Jesus said it doesn’t matter how persevering and faithful you’ve been in some areas; if you’ve abandoned your first love, then I have an issue with you. I don’t view this as “first” relating to time, but first in priority, foremost. Make love your foremost, highest, utmost. Return to your priority love. And that’s where the sacrifice comes from. The love of Jesus compels me to it.
Zooming in a bit, what do you feel like God might be saying to The Alliance in this moment?
Well, one thing is, He’s got us. I’m so proud of The Christian and Missionary Alliance at this moment in time, as I often have been. Right now, we’re in a presidential search and nominating process, and every person involved has just been humbly trying to discern the will of God. No political jockeying, no trying to slam somebody else down to lift themselves up. Because of that, I have the highest level of confidence that we’re going to be in a good place come August 1 when the handoff transpires.
Speaking of August 1, what are your plans for this next chapter?
I’ve never taken a typical sabbatical. But starting August 1, I’m taking four months to let the silt in my soul settle and to separate my identity from any role. I’m hoping to stay home a lot; my backyard fire pit is inviting me. I would like to fish in Minnesota, spend a lot of time with my wife, kids, and grandkids, and have a family vacation to celebrate these past 12 years. But for the most part, I’ll be taking four months to be still—a season when I don’t have any assignment. I don’t know who John Stumbo is as an adult without a title. I was 20 when I was hired by my home church to be their youth and worship pastor. Joanna was 18 when I pulled her into that mix. We both need to just find out who we are in Christ regardless of position or title. I’ve set up an email address, drjohnstumbo@gmail.com, for anyone who has an inquiry they’d like to make or a vision they have for my life. But I won’t be opening it until the sabbatical is over.
At the same time, I also need some months to grieve. I will miss this very much.
John pauses for the tears that have welled up. “I knew you’d get a tear out of me,” he jokes. The interview continues as I ask him a few more questions, mostly things I knew wouldn’t be included here. We talk about being tired, and personality types, and the complexity of the beautiful tapestry that is the Body of Christ. Our conversation is over before the hour is, and we end with one more prayer.
He goes back to sit at his desk and says, “Thank you,” as I go back to mine. “Thank you, John,” I respond.
Hannah Packard is the managing editor of Alliance Life magazine. She earned her master of divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2021 and is pleased to serve the Lord, and The Alliance, through storytelling.
by Paul Crosby
One of the most captivating stories in Scripture is that of Isaiah’s commissioning (see Isa. 6). It is a story of curious timing, awestruck wonder, shame and acceptance, openhanded willingness, and an invitation to serve with God. It is a story of the deeper life and missions.
In this story, I am curious about God’s timing. I have often taken note of how timing can have incredible impact on the outcomes of circumstances. When we get the timing right on something, it makes all the difference. A well-timed joke lands with levity or a text from a dear friend comes right when needed most. However, when we get the timing wrong—watch out! Walking in on a conversation at the wrong moment, an untimely joke destroying the mood, or giving quick advice to your spouse when all they needed was a listening ear can all be disastrous.
Isaiah 6 starts with the short phrase, “In the year that King Uzziah died.” Isaiah was personally dealing with the loss of his cousin, Uzziah, one of the most prominent kings of Judah, not to mention the resulting political instability and a people who were resistant to the things of God. It was amid this chaos, complexity, grief, and uncertainty that Isaiah was led into this beautiful experience. In the year that King Uzziah dies, Isaiah sees the true King. If I were to pick a time for seeing the Lord in all His glory, I would want to be prepared and ready—to be prayed up, expectant, and experiencing the Lord’s favor. This desire to have it all together when the King of Kings arrives echoes in the hearts of so many of us.
Yet the pain and confusion I imagine Isaiah was holding did not prevent God from displaying His beauty; rather, it was a pathway to it. When Isaiah lost his earthly king, he was led to see the King of Kings. Isaiah was in a place of vulnerability, stripped of what he knew, what was stable, and what seemed sure. But the uncertainty and confusion did not preclude him from seeing God. Perhaps for us, too, it is at the precise time when we need Him most that God enters.
Isaiah’s response to seeing God in His glory was far from, “Wow! This is amazing!” Instead, he was filled with fear. I wonder if shame was right behind his response. He did not seem to see the beauty of God as it was, but only the terror. I imagine he felt caught on a bad day, exposed by the King of Kings. His response was simply, “Mourn for me, I am ruined.” What was probably a terrible year had just gotten much worse.
When faced with our own frailty and inadequacies, the compulsion to run, self-protect, hide, or pull away feels overwhelming. In a moment, we see all our inabilities, our insecurities, our fears, and our limits. How can we ever be qualified? What right do we have to stand in His presence? Unfortunately, too many of us stay in this hiding place, or worse, we pretend it doesn’t exist because of our fear of facing it. We believe the lie that there is nothing to be done. The game is over. We have been disqualified. We don’t have it all together. So, we leave. We give up hope. We run. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden, we are gripped with not only guilt, but also
shame, and so we hide. We seek to cover ourselves, lest we should be found. Shame pushes us away. It isolates us.
But God’s love does not condemn (see Rom. 8:1). God scorns the shame and draws us close. His love restores and makes all things new.
In an intriguing turn of events in Isaiah’s story, one of the seraphim reaches out with a coal in his grip and touches Isaiah, saying, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for” (Isa. 6:7). The guilt is gone. All that was wrong is made right. God simply acted—He did not merely tell Isaiah about His heart, love, and forgiveness. He showed him in a tangible way by removing not only the guilt but also the shame. God took away the excuse to hide, posture, or pretend. He showed His love by making things right. Later, the author of Romans writes, “God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).
I wonder how we may embody freely the offer of forgiveness and love in a world flooded with shame and guilt. To be free of shame, we need to experience the repair in human form. We need a relational experience to rewire our brains from the cycle of shame. Theological or mental assent simply doesn’t do. As a good friend and mentor of mine said, “We only fix disfunction when we see and experience a model of function.” We need someone to see us completely, know us fully, and love us anyway.
When we first hear God speaking in this story, Isaiah appears to be eavesdropping on a conversation. “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” (Isa. 6:8). While initially Isaiah just saw the train of God’s robe, now he is in the middle of a divine conversation among the Trinity. He was not just looking in as the Lord passed by, but was welcomed in. How many times do we settle with a glimpse of God—as amazing as that is—when He wants to be with us? He wants to know us, to love us, and to serve with us. He invites us into the conversation. We are no longer on the outside looking in; we have a seat at the table.
In response, Isaiah does not claim to have all the answers or even to be the answer. Nor does he ask for details, as if to negotiate the contract or to see if he is qualified. He does not create a pros and cons list. He does not even ask if God wants to send him. He simply says, “Here I am. Send me!” It’s almost as if Isaiah is saying, “Why not? I’ll do it!” He was not seeking fame or notoriety. He did not even seem to be trying to please God or perform for Him. He was already at the table. Instead, it was about connection and willingness. Isa-
iah’s transformation led to openhanded readiness and availability. Nothing else mattered.
So, God said (I imagine with eyes of delight), “Go.”
From the start, The Alliance has been a deeper life and missions movement. Like Isaiah experienced, as God’s transformative love deepens, His work spreads more broadly. Early Alliance people, deeply connected to Jesus and heartbroken for those overlooked and without gospel access, formed a diverse network of churches to send those called to go. All these men and women, openhanded, said, “Here I am, send me.” Some went to remote places and overlooked areas, while others stayed and gave generously, prayed fervently, and raised up the next generation of goers and senders. Generosity, boldness, radical transformation, repentance, and dependence accompanied this love-embodying sending and going.
So, what does this mean for us? I offer a few invitations and prayers.
First, times of uncertainty, grief, and being shaken to the core are in fact times well-suited for us to see God in His fullness. We don’t need to get everything in place or have it all together—God sees us and wants to make Himself known to us. So we pray, “Lord, grant us the grace to see your presence in our everyday lives. In the pains and joys, heartbreaks and celebrations, and in the long days of waiting, may You open our eyes to Your presence with us.”
Second, God is ready to wipe away our shame through deeper experiences of His love. Without hesitation, He not only deals with our guilt, but also embodies His love for us as we deal with our shame that so often causes us to run, hide, and self-protect. So we pray, “Lord, I want a deeper experience of Your love, personally and in a real, tangible way.”
Last, maybe what this world needs and is craving most are people who embody the love and forgiveness that God offers. Will we join in on the divine conversation with openhanded willingness? So we pray, “I want to join You in Your joy, embodying Your life, hope, and peace, because I am fully supplied in Jesus. I can go wherever You go, love whoever You love, serve whoever You serve. I want to love You as You love. May I begin to find I am truly free, that Jesus is my all in all.”1
So we say, “Here I am, send me!”
May it be so.
Paul Crosby is the assistant vice president for Development at the Alliance National Office. Having served as a church planter and international church pastor, Paul has a passion for seeing individuals and communities transformed. He holds degrees from Toccoa Falls College and Fuller Theological Seminary and was ordained by The Alliance in 2007. Paul and his wife, Sarah, are the proud parents of twin boys.
(2021).
“I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. . . . Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”
—ISAIAH 6:1 b , 8
“God wants us to have soft hearts and hard feet. The trouble with so many of us is that we have hard hearts and soft feet.”
—JACKIE PULLINGER
“It is a cheering thought that Christ can adapt Himself to any race or age or people. He will give life and light to any man or woman anywhere in the world regardless of doctrinal emphasis or prevailing religious customs, provided that man or woman takes Him as He is and trusts Him without reservation.”
Compiled by Harry
Verploegh
Adapted by Alliance Life staff
Love is absolutely indispensable to the Christian life. The gift of tongues without love is so much noise. The gift of prophecy without love is of no benefit. Without love, knowledge and faith are useless. And though a person might bestow all their goods to feed the poor and die at last a martyr’s death, if they do not have love, it profits them nothing.
The 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians may tell us what Christ is like, but let us not forget that it also tells us what we must be like.
Let us not turn our back on this critically important teaching. Without love, the whole Christian life is a barren fig tree. It is a neat trick to apply Paul’s words to Christ only; but it is not honest, and it is dangerous.
It is the Holy Spirit who sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts (Rom. 5:5), and love is declared to be a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). But if our daily lives reveal that the fruit is not there, we dare not assume that it is “because the Bible says so.” The absence of love as described in 1 Corinthians 13 is proof of the absence of the Spirit, or at least that He is inoperative within us. That is the only honest conclusion.
—from The Price of Neglect. Originally published in Alliance Life on May 12, 1993.
“Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.”
—Hosea 10:12
Alliance international workers celebrate stories of God’s faithfulness
by Julie Daubé
Roughly 175 Alliance Missions leaders gathered in Athens, Greece, for the Global Leadership Conference at the end of 2024 to celebrate what God has been doing in their midst. International workers (IWs) from The Alliance’s four specialized structures—aXcess, Envision, CAMA Services, and marketplace ministries—encouraged one another with testimonies of God’s faithfulness from their time serving Him in some of the world’s hardest places. Following are some highlights from this event.
In Latin America, residents of Colombia who were affected by a lack of essential basic services now have access to drinking water. CAMA helped by providing funds to build a water treatment plant. And in Cuba, funds provided by CAMA helped purchase relief supplies that were distributed by Alliance churches to those affected by recent natural disasters.
In Asia/Pacific, Cyclone Yagi caused flooding and mudslides across Myanmar—leaving an area already ravaged by war in chaos. Thanks to support from our Alliance family, a local church was able to provide food, clothing, and shelter to those left in need by the cyclone, making it possible for Christ followers to demonstrate His compassion in the places most in need of His love. Within a span of 10 days, the Philippines were hit by six typhoons, affecting over 1.1 million people and resulting in over 160 deaths. Through their global
partners, CAMA is providing much-needed funds to ease the suffering of those affected. And in Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia, our workers are helping persecuted refugees hear that even though they feel the world is against them, there is a God who loves them.
In Africa, through the work of CAMA’s agricultural experts, hundreds of pastors and farmers have received training in Farming God’s Way—a solution to the food security and poverty crisis facing agricultural communities. In Europe, hundreds of people in Ukraine have said yes to Jesus, and thousands have received help by over one million dollars in relief efforts given through CAMA. In Kosovo, young people coming to the Bridge outreach are hearing about Jesus and starting to respond to Him. In the Middle East, CAMA has provided aid to multiple countries in need.
This photo: Through the work of CAMA’s agricultural experts, hundreds of pastors and farmers have received training in Farming
Envision’s 22 sites around the world are committed to identifying and developing missional leaders through short-term missions opportunities and innovative ministry strategies. Envision workers have successfully hosted their first teams and interns in the Holy Land and Japan and have launched new locations in Manchester, England; Senegal, West Africa; and with Inca Link in Latin America. Furthermore, Envision is identifying and developing leaders from local communities in Taipei, El Salvador, Cleveland, New York City, Chicago, Bangkok, Atlanta, and with Inca Link. Recently, Envision received or is preparing to receive new workers in Miami, Berlin, France, Japan, Senegal, the Dominican Republic, the Twin Cities, and Cleveland.
Envision has also welcomed refugees and people seeking asylum due to war, evacuation, and other crises at their sites in Berlin, Atlanta, Cleveland, New York City, and Chicago. In other locations, Envision has been involved in innovative ministry strategies and people development, including Deaf ministries, coffee shops and coffee roasting, and more.
The reason we do what we do is because of the Great Commission—go, make disciples, baptize, and teach. This is what marketplace workers are doing all over the world. They are fulfilling the commands of Jesus through their careers, impacting the communities around them, and meeting the spiritual and practical needs of people.
In North and West Africa and Southeast Asia, one marketplace couple teaches at a school, runs a marketing company, and has started a theological school to train local pastors. Another couple runs a consulting and coaching business, training local business leaders, sharing the gospel with them, praying with them, and discipling them. One group runs a K−12 school as well as a training center, where they share the gospel with every person who comes through their building. One marketplace IW carried the Olympic torch in a communist country and also carried the torch of the gospel throughout Southeast Asia, which included starting an international church.
(MCA): A team located in a highly sensitive area of Asia is proclaiming the gospel to three unreached people groups. Some 60 prayer warriors prayed to open the gates of heaven, and now the harvest has begun with 13 members of one of these unreached people groups accepting Christ.
In two Middle Eastern locations, teams of Alliance workers use community centers to bless and engage hundreds of people. For years, these teams have been praying for those of the region’s dominant religion to respond to Christ and for those new believers to be filled with His fullness, learn to make Him King, and form churches that multiply. After churches would form and then lose strength, this past year, a group in each location has formed that has remained and gained momentum.
The latest round of violent conflict in the Middle East began in earnest on October 7, 2024. Though there are obvious challenges, including the ethnic and religious divide, our faithful workers in the region have stuck together in long-standing partnership.
In Mongolia, our Darkhan team is transforming lives, raising up leaders, and coming alongside the Mongolian Alliance church network to extend gospel access to new places and to plant new churches.
In another area, the team is strategically preparing to enter a new country by first serving local refugees from that nation and then planning to launch there. And in central Asia, where Alliance workers were once expelled, two families have successfully relaunched gospel presence through a business, proving that closed doors can reopen in unexpected ways.
aXcess—Europe: One of the most exciting ministries The Alliance has in Europe is among the diaspora. Despite conflict in this region, we celebrate the movement of people around the world and the gospel opportunities this is creating in Europe. God, in His sovereignty, has allowed this movement of people from unreached, unengaged people groups to Europe, and for the first time, their paths are crossing with Jesus followers in Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and France.
As the conflict in Ukraine has dragged on, Alliance Missions has been part of a church movement there. The Alliance-affiliated Light of the Gospel network dropped from 13 churches before this crisis
started to 8 churches as the war began but has quickly grown to 27 congregations inside Ukraine and 5 mission churches outside Ukraine, with as many as 50 preaching points inside the country. Late last year, that network submitted their paperwork to join the Alliance World Fellowship (AWF).
An IW couple who decided to continue ministering in Ukraine throughout the conflict has been able to provide real-time physical and spiritual support to a movement distributing hundreds of thousands of dollars from our Alliance family toward aid and ministry support and to this church network. In turn, the network has mobilized humanitarian aid and gospel witness to the front lines of the conflict.
aXcess—Africa: At Bongolo Hospital in Gabon, our IWs train Christian health-care professionals, some of whom stay in Gabon while others proclaim God’s name and provide excellent care in places The Alliance can’t easily reach. Since the late 1970s, workers had been seeking accreditation for the hospital’s training programs—just recently, there was a breakthrough. In only a few months, the nursing, midwifery, and nurse anesthetist programs were all accredited. The ophthalmology residency program was also accredited through the military hospital program, and now medical students are sent to Bongolo directly from the medical school in the capital.
In West Africa, young men and women continue to answer the call to ministry despite political uncertainty, insecurity, and terrorism. As of December 2024, 147 students were enrolled in pastoral training schools. That same year, the first Deaf church started services. God also brought 40 members of the majority religion to an English center where they engaged in Scripture reading with a team of Alliance workers. One of them, Noah, was reading with a team member about the healing at the pool of Bethesda and the authority Jesus claimed based on His relationship with the Father. Instead of denying that Jesus is God—as expected—Noah responded, “We need to tell people more about Jesus!” Several weeks later, Noah asked a worker to pray for him to have a clearer view of who Jesus really is.
aXcess—Asia/Pacific: In Japan, there is a rapidly growing ministry to Vietnamese people, both among
the diaspora and among overlooked and marginalized migrant workers from Vietnam. Alliance workers are joining with our AWF partners to train not only their workers but also Japanese nationals to minister in Japan. In Indonesia, our IWs have been working with the national church and with the Bible colleges, helping them to instill a missional heart in their students. IWs are also working among the diaspora leaving the unrest in Hong Kong and fleeing to Taiwan, as well as partnering with the Indonesian church working with the Indonesian diaspora. The many Bible college graduates in this region are now entering some places where Alliance workers cannot go. Cambodia also has a powerful ministry through an impactful medical project that is partnering with the government. Stories of first believers and baptisms are emerging from among the previously unreached people groups served by this outreach.
aXcess—Latin America: Since first arriving in countries such as Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador in 1897, our IWs have persevered in gospel ministry—so much so that this year at Council 2025 in Columbus, we are celebrating the retirement of 10 workers, each with an average of 35 years of gospel proclamation. That is over 350 years of cumulative service. We also welcome 12 new IWs to the region, more than half of them multicultural.
In Mexico, we celebrate a catalytic church-planting project with the goal of having five churches in Guadalajara and in the five surrounding states by 2025. This is a spiritually dark area with 26 million people, of which
Opposite: At an English center in West Africa, members of the majority religion have engaged in Scripture reading with Alliance workers.
less than 1 percent are evangelical, and is referred to as the Circle of Silence due to the lack of gospel witness. Four of those five churches in Guadalajara have been planted, and we pray for two other churches that are in the developing phase.
We also celebrate one of the oldest evangelical seminaries in Latin America, established in 1928 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Just over 25 years ago, Alliance workers launched a regional master’s level seminary, FATELA (Facultad Teológica Latinoamericana), and have over 350 graduates who serve as pastors, leaders, and missionaries. In Uruguay, SETAU (Seminario de Estudios Teológicos Aliancista del Uruguay) has seen more than 40 students studying for gospel ministry since our IWs have returned to the school. In Paraguay, IMAP (Instituto Ministerial Aliancista Paraguayo)—started in 2018—celebrates its 27 graduates from the threeyear program. Finally, in Panama we celebrate the nine Chinese-speaking graduates of the institute (seven licensed for ministry) and the partnership with NYC Chinese Alliance Church who are now expanding to Lima, Peru, where seven are signed up to study.
God’s Kingdom is advancing throughout the world because of the work of Alliance Missions. And in each country and among each people group they serve, Alliance workers remain steadfast in sharing the love of Christ with those in need.
Julie Daubé is a writer/editor for the Alliance National Office. She has a master’s degree in English and lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Alex.
What’s up? My name is Lukas.* I grew up in the neighborhood of the Berlin Hauptbahnhof, which is the city’s central train station. I had a lot of family difficulty—an abusive father and divorced parents—and after I finished school, I had a hard time keeping a job.
Because of my trouble finding work, and some issues with my ability to read, I’ve been staying at a group home run by the government. I’m 30 years old now and have been at this home the longest of all my roommates. They all have troubles of some kind, and it’s hard to make friends.
Recently, I met a new neighbor and his family. They have a dog—I love to play with dogs. Whenever I get the chance, I hang out with these Alliance workers and their family. I joined them several times when they had church gatherings at the park. Now I meet with them on Fridays for church. We eat, sing, and talk about the Bible. They encourage me to move closer to Jesus, and I have started praying and connecting with worship music!
*Name changed
by Jake, an Alliance worker serving in West Africa
We sat on thin mats rolled out under a canopy of stars. A crescent moon and the nearby cooking fire provided just enough light for us to make out the crowd sitting with us. My friend Jerry, a veterinarian, was sharing his reflections on the Good Shepherd. That night, the image of Jesus as a caring Shepherd captivated me more than ever before.
Part of that undoubtedly came from Jerry’s experiences growing up on a farmstead, spending his whole career working with animals, and visiting West Africa for the past 15 years to treat livestock. But sitting among 40 Fulani men listening to Jerry’s every word was a holy moment for me.
Our evening devotional times were intended for our small work team that had come with Jerry to treat animals against parasites in several rural villages. In a village without electricity or cellphone service, however, our small group was the best show in town. Our host, Babacar,* had invited all his neighbors and friends. I met him two years ago while treating his son, Amadou.* I’ve been visiting their remote village once a month for the past year as part of our medical clinic’s community outreach.
On a recent visit to Babacar’s home, a colleague remarked that Jesus was moving in a powerful way in the village. To my shame, I was dismissive of her discernment. That night, though, gathered with those
Fulani men to listen to Jerry’s description of Jesus, there was no mistaking it: the Good Shepherd was coming for His sheep.
The Fulani are the largest nomadic people group in the world, spreading across Africa from Senegal in the west to Chad and Sudan in the east. Many Fulani families have permanently settled in villages and towns, but most still make a living by raising animals. They carry on the proud heritage of shepherding, passed down through countless generations.
These shepherds are also very proud of their adherence to the region’s majority religion. They are fiercely resistant to the gospel. Thanks to your generosity and prayers, The Alliance has been working among the Fulani for the past 100 years. Our work in Senegal is, however, more recent.
In the early 2000s, a Fulani doctor, who came to know Jesus through the ministry of some Alliance World Fellowship (AWF) partners in North Africa, returned to Senegal to bring the gospel to his own people. To do this, he started a clinic in a small town in the central part of the country, where a huge weekly cattle market draws herders from countless nearby villages and towns, as well as from surrounding countries.
His instincts were correct, as his testimony and witness are widespread throughout our area. Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly in 2019. Canadian and Dutch Alliance workers based in the capital immediately stepped in to keep the clinic going.
But supporting such a work from afar was taxing, so they began to pray the Lord would send workers willing to live in this small, dusty desert town.
The Lord responded, and there are now two young families and two other Alliance workers living near the clinic. While we are a young team and still learning language and culture, we’ve started to reach out to surrounding villages and towns. We are working with a small group of local believers committed to giving gospel access to their own people.
Our goal is to care for whole families and communities while pointing to Jesus as the source of our love and as the One who can meet our deepest needs. The clinic provides one practical way to engage our Fulani neighbors, especially those with disabilities or chronic illnesses.
One day, shortly after moving here, I met a young man in the market with severe physical disabilities. My teammates and I soon developed strong ties with this young man, Amadou, and his family. This led to my visits to their village.
Most households in this region of Senegal depend on their livestock for income, so keeping animals alive and healthy is crucial to survival. Through this project, local believers will be trained as vet techs to establish a meaningful, impactful presence within their community. To build avenues for evangelism and discipleship among unreached peoples, visit cmalliance.org/ gift-catalog-alliance-strategic-projects/ fula-vet-ministries-senegal/. Learn more about Alliance strategic projects throughout the world in need of your prayers and financial support by accessing the 2024–2025 Strategic Giving Opportunities Gift Catalog at cmalliance.org/gift-catalog or by calling toll-free (866) 443-8262.
As I began to regularly interact with these rural shepherds, I wondered how to communicate the gospel to them effectively. It soon became apparent that to care for these men in ways that would speak to their hearts meant caring for their animals. Healthy animals would mean thriving families and communities, and this would create receptivity to hearing about the Good Shepherd who sent us.
Bringing teams like Jerry’s out has allowed us to build deep relationships in several rural villages. Because of your generosity, we’ve treated close to 20,000 animals for parasites, encouraged herdsmen to adopt better practices, and begun exploring ways national believers can be trained to provide veterinary care in remote villages.
Our strategy for creating gospel access is proving effective. As I type these words, I have just hung up the phone with a young man who wants to talk more about Jesus after meeting us during our last trip to his town.
We can’t do this work without the Alliance family. Your financial support makes it possible to provide veterinary
care in these communities, and your prayers make our gospel presentations effective. Please consider adding the Fulani people to your regular prayer list.
The morning after Jerry described Jesus as the Good Shepherd, we worked alongside the herders to treat 2,000 animals against parasites. As we prepared to leave that afternoon, a couple of us pulled Babacar aside to thank him for his hospitality. Knowing some of the recent challenges his family has faced, I encouraged him to look to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to be his source of peace. He responded with words that surprised me.
“If you ask me today who I follow, I would tell you that I am Jesus’ disciple because all my thoughts are in His direction.”
I should not have been surprised, though. Jesus speaks to the hearts of all His sheep. And when they hear His voice, they will follow Him.
*Name changed
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commitment to seeing God move in eastern Germany
by Hannah Packard Alliance workers’
In a 2008 study done by the International Social Survey Programme on religion, researchers found that over half of the population of eastern Germany, 52 percent, identified as atheist. By contrast, western Germany was just over 10 percent. Of the 30 countries and regions surveyed, eastern Germany was by far the most irreligious, leading to it being called “the most godless place on Earth.”
This is the environment that Alliance workers Ben and Sarah Carey arrived in when they moved to Berlin, Germany, in 2007. The longterm vision of the team already there was to send workers further into northeastern Germany because of the lack of gospel access there. It might seem strange to talk about Germany—the birthplace of
the Protestant Reformation—as a place that lacks gospel access. But even once-fertile fields can become fallow over time. “There might be these beautiful historical church buildings, but there’s no pastor in that pulpit,” Sarah says. “You’re lucky in some of the surrounding villages if a pastor comes through once every three to four weeks. When we meet a 35-year-old woman who says, ‘I have never had a Bible in my hand before,’ that is a reminder to us—there is no access.”
The history of eastern Germany has had a significant role to play in this cultural reality. For 40 years, from 1949 until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Germany was split into East and West. The German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, was controlled by a
Below: The cultural effects of eastern Germany’s history are still part of this region’s reality. Opposite: Ben and Sarah Carey praying over their town of Waren.
Soviet government, and while their constitution technically allowed for religious freedom, the government held to state-sponsored atheism. Over the decades, the church there was in a number of different positions—sometimes harassed and a haven for revolutionaries, sometimes compliant and collaborative with the government’s secret police. The result? A suppressed church and a region’s slowly suffocated spirituality. “There was such a negative view of the church through the decades,” Ben says. “The church is weak, the church is cold, the church is pointless. The church doesn’t do anything in our society, and the church supports a God who doesn’t even exist. And so why do Germans want to be a part of that?”
In 2012 after their first home assignment, the Careys did move further into northeast Germany to the town of Waren. But in places like that, results don’t come overnight. “Germans desire relationship, but you have to be in their circle, or in their life, before they will allow you to talk to them about spiritual matters because spiritual matters are very
personal,” Sarah says. In combination with the overall apathy and irreligious culture, this meant that the Careys had a lot of work to do. They began with prayer walking and working in what they call “bridge-building ministry,” which was teaching English at their local community center.
Years later, these bridges have been built, as the Waren team now does English classes for adults and children, English camps, Awana, youth group, men’s and women’s Bible studies, and leads a thriving church plant.
“From the time we arrived in Germany to the moment where we were standing in a church service, in our own meeting space, was around 13 years,” Ben says. While the road to that moment was long—including the beginnings of the church plant in 2019, served with brunch in the Careys’ home, which was then soon disrupted by COVID in 2020—Ben is clear that God was faithful to bring growth, to work underground in unseen ways, the entire time. “We’ve seen fruit from the beginning as we’ve been going along. We just maybe didn’t realize it was fruit, or budding fruit, at that time.”
One of the ways that God has brought fruit to Alliance ministry in Germany is by bringing more workers to the field, like Karissa, who first went to Germany on a short-term trip and then did an apprenticeship, which she served partly with the Careys in Waren. This is where she met Kenny Young, who came to Waren on a shortterm trip to support a prayer retreat. Now, Kenny and Karissa are married and joined the Waren team as Alliance international workers in January 2019.
Another is Salome, who Ben and Sarah met as an attendee at an English camp when she was 13. Already a believer, she asked the Careys if they would start a youth group that she could attend. When she was in high school, Sarah was able to pour into her life through discipleship, and after she left school and met her now-husband, Tommy, Salome even did a short internship with the Careys. Two years ago, while Tommy and Salome helped at an English camp, the Youngs and Sean and Suzy McLain, also part of the Waren team, asked them—would they ever consider full-time ministry and being a part of what God was doing in Waren?
Opposite: Kenny and Karissa Young, with two of their three children, walking through a Rostock neighborhood.
English camps in Waren. “He has a church background and isn’t a part of a church right now, so he is interested in joining us,” Karissa says. “We’re just taking those, what seem like really small, steps, and praying and committing them to the Lord to see how He grows relationships.”
The Youngs’ dream for Rostock is that God would help them plant an established church, and that they could also eventually work themselves out of a job there. “The vision is that there will be local German leadership of the church plant so it’s not just us leading things, but someone who knows the heartbeat of the people here,” Kenny says. “Leading something that hopefully produces other churches, other communities of faith beyond just Rostock.” And, yes, Kenny and Karissa are also praying for more Alliance workers to join them in the city. “We know that God can do amazing things, but He wants to use more than just us to see a church established here. So that’s one of our hopes—that there are more workers sent,” Kenny shares.
Those 13 years that the Careys spent in Germany tilling the soil and planting seeds are on the minds of the Youngs as they begin ministry in Rostock, and on the Careys’ as they have sent them out and continue to pray for them. “A statistic you hear is that eight years is how long it takes for someone to come to faith in Jesus,” Karissa says. “And if it takes eight years, then praise God—we’ll be ready for it when that day comes. But also it could happen in eight minutes. The Holy Spirit can transform a life in a matter of seconds, minutes. Maybe it’s going to take eight years or ten years, but it could also happen right now.” Because of their belief in the power of the Holy Spirit to
change hearts, Kenny and Karissa are committed to praying that way, boldly inviting that way, and believing that God will bless their obedience as they sow and wait.
While the spiritual atmosphere in the former East Germany is difficult, it is apparent that God is at work. Alliance workers are seeing that even for those who have not committed to belief in Jesus, church is still drawing them in. “A good percentage of the people who come to our church aren’t believers,” Sean McLain, an international worker on the Waren team, says. “They will often say they don’t know why they are drawn to coming to church—but it’s the presence of God, and His people.”
Kenny and Karissa are hopeful that God will continue to bring about fruit in this region. “We truly believe that northeast Germany, although it has a really long, difficult history of God being removed from culture, that we’re seeing a change. We’re seeing what used to be a dry desert turning into that harvest field,” Karissa says. “And we know that in order for that fruit to be harvested, we need more workers. We believe that there
are people here who are ready to say yes to Jesus—who for generations have not had the opportunity to hear about Him, but as they hear are going to say yes.”
In reflecting on the long work of building trust and relationships with German people, Sarah says, “I’ll never forget when a German said to me in Berlin, ‘Don’t ask me “How are you?” like Americans ask, because you ask but don’t really want to know the whole answer.’ If you’re going to ask that, stay for the answer.” And this is what the Careys, and now the Youngs, are committed to on a broad scale among the people in northeastern Germany—staying for the answer. Staying until God answers and this fallow field, the most godless place on Earth, bears a new harvest of belief.
Hannah Packard is the managing editor of Alliance Life magazine. She earned her master of divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2021 and is pleased to serve the Lord, and The Alliance, through storytelling.
Reflecting on two years of dreaming and working for the Kingdom
by Emily Smith
All of Jesus for All the World—this is the core vision, primary motivation, and passionate beating heart behind The Alliance. We honor a big God, and two years ago, to mark the beginning of our now. movement, our Alliance family set out to dream new dreams—five of them, particularly, over the course of the following two years. Instead of choosing to be discouraged by the course of the broken world around us, we boldly persevere, praying and working to keep bringing the hope of Christ to hopeless hearts all across the world. At Council 2023, The Alliance put pen to paper, outlining these five specific dreams for Kingdom impact
over the next two years. And now, approaching Council 2025 and nearing the other side of this two-year effort, we celebrate what God has done with our big dreams for the gospel to spread all over the world. With these two years of now. coming to an end this June, we are proud to present the Alliance family with another update on our five now. goals.
As listed in our last report, at the end of the first year of our now. advance, we appointed 54 new workers. As of the C&MA Board of Directors meeting at the end of February
2025, 28 new international workers have been appointed in the second year. In total, this brings The Alliance to 82 new international workers sent and sustained by Alliance churches and donors—praise God!
As we survey these new workers, God has been faithful in bringing The Alliance people to be sent through each of our ministry structures—aXcess, CAMA, Envision, and marketplace ministries. Additionally, God has allowed these new workers to land in various regions of the world, continuing and deepening The Alliance’s impact across the entire globe. Join us in prayer, asking that God will keep raising up workers before June 30 as we continue dreaming for substantial Kingdom impact.
God has provided abundant open doors for Alliance Missions over the past two years. As listed in last year’s now. update, The Alliance was given two new opportunities for advancement—one site in Indonesia and one in Manchester, England. The Alliance has workers on the ground for this new opportunity in Indonesia, working to grow a team and serve their city through navigating rapid change. In Manchester, the population is freshly reported as being less than half Christian—a statistic that immediately motivated Alliance international workers to go and pursue the people of Manchester with the gospel.
Looking at our second year of the now. initiative, The Alliance has two additional open doors. One opportunity is in Ukraine, bringing care and provision to a hurting and discouraged people. Another opportunity lies in a humble and little-known portion of East Africa—as The Alliance prepares our first international workers to be sent to this area, we cherish your prayers for God’s provision.
Over the course of 21 months of the now. effort, The Alliance has seen 79 new church expressions (NCEs) established. Additionally, 108 new church-planting projects have been started, bringing the total number of plant projects in the pipeline to 142. Within the 79 NCEs, there are 51 new developing churches, 18 multisite churches, and 10 new affiliated churches.
Also within these 79 NCEs is a total of 33 non-majority culture churches, and of the 108 new plant projects, 47 are of non-majority cultures. These NCEs and new plant projects are raising up churches for Hispanic, African, Korean, Chinese, and Hmong communities. As we round the corner on the last three months of the now. initiative, we anticipate approximately 12 NCEs to be added, resulting in over 90 new church expressions over the total course of now.
God has gone before us and connected dots like only He can.
Last year, we shared an update regarding a redesign process for One Alliance Place in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, landing on a new design that is expected to break ground in 2025, with an 18-month completion timeline. In the interim, The Alliance has renovated a building space in the strip mall across the parking lot from the current National Office site to expand office space and bless the Reynoldsburg community. This space, called the Alliance Ministry Center, opened this April.
In addition to providing necessary space for our National Office staff, God has gone before us and connected dots like only He can. Not only will the Alliance Ministry Center be utilized by the National Office, but it will also provide a meeting space for our local French-speaking African church, which is rapidly outgrowing the house they currently use for church gatherings. “This place for us is a miracle,” says the church’s Pastor Roger, “because we know many people will come [who] are looking for a place they can go and meet Jesus. We believe and we hope that the place you’re going to open for us will be an open door for many people to come to Christ.”
As we reach the end of the now. movement, The Alliance is grateful for God’s provision as we expect to finish the current fiscal year in the black. The Alliance’s funding has kept pace with expenses, and expense compression has played a large role in driving toward the achievement of our now. goals. The Great Commission Fund continues to grow, and we rejoice to report that Project ReImagine is over 80 percent funded. Please join us in praying for God’s continued provision and abundance for the future through the Spirit-led generosity of our Alliance family.
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
—Galatians 6:9
February 2024
Dear family,
The Board of Directors of the C&MA met in Lexington, Kentucky, at First Alliance Church February 26 and 27. This meeting was preceded by a tour and dinner at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. The administration of the seminary expressed their strong desire to continue working toward a partnership with The Alliance in New York City. We are currently waiting for New York State approval to map out further steps.
Our meeting commenced each day with scriptural exhortations, led first by Jonathan Schaeffer and the next day by Krisy Maxey. Jonathan encouraged us to pay attention to the spiritual battles that we face. Krisy led us through Ezekiel 37:1–13, reminding us that the Lord has sent us as the ones who carry the breath of God to the “piles of dead bones” that surround us. We spent time in prayer each day focused on the theme set by our speakers.
With this meeting being the last regular gathering of the Board before a new president is elected, each area of Alliance ministry was instructed by President Stumbo to include in their reports a section on 12-year milestones, opportunities, and possible threats. There was much to celebrate and praise God for. The Board spent some time discussing and summarizing their reports. On Wednesday evening, the Board also spent time at dinner celebrating the Lord in gratitude for John and Joanna Stumbo and their leadership of the Alliance family.
The report of the committee on Alliance Missions (AM) contained details on seven new international worker units who were approved by the Board and two additional
marketplace ministries candidates. They were prayed for individually by the Board. We celebrated that every meeting of the Board for the past 12 years has included the prayerful sending of new AM workers.
We spent time in prayer for the work of the General Council Nominations Committee and prayed over the committee chairperson. Our president encouraged the Board to lead the way in prayer for the decisions and work of General Council. The Board will take time to pray together each Thursday until General Council convenes. We also had a significant time of prayer for the healing of a variety of concerns being faced by Board members and their families. It was a rich and meaningful time to participate in the promised work of Christ. The Board was grateful for God’s presence and power.
As we closed, John Stumbo reminded us that although complexity, trials, and storms continue and the gospel is not thwarted: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9). The meeting ended in expectant prayer for the future of our movement.
The Board values the privilege of serving the Alliance family, and we remain fully committed to following Christ. In all things, we want to be fully His.
In Christ’s love,
Thomas George Corporate Secretary
The sun never sets on the Alliance family, spread out across the globe. Wherever we find ourselves, we can be certain that we are each sent. Just as the Father sent Jesus to proclaim the upside-down Kingdom of love, so He’s sending us.
tch John tell a story, share a devotional, issue a challenge, or cast C&MA vision. Released on the 12th of each month.
Recent Releases:
Brian Scott and his wife, Susan, live in Nicholasville, Kentucky. He currently serves in the office of the Ohio Valley District.
Blog 139: Strong Finishes: Part Two
Blog 140: The Story God Is Writing
cmalliance.org/stumbo-video
Alliance ESL equips local U.S. churches to launch academically sound, evangelistically focused, cost-effective, and self-sustaining English as a second language ministries to reach the nations in the United States. In February, a team of four representing Alliance ESL traveled to Japan to present three ESL training workshops. They were open not only to Alliance international workers but also to those in other organizations. Over 60 workers from 20 different organizations participated, some coming several hours by bullet train. A total of 32 churches were represented. When registration opened, inquiries were coming from the northernmost island of Japan to the southernmost major island. A large Filipino Alliance group of pastors and church leaders attended—most teach English in the Japanese public schools. Several want to start ESL ministries in their churches to reach the Japanese in their communities.
All four Envision workers in Sendai attended the workshop. Envision site leaders, Brad and Julie Nelson, are already using English at a university and with a Baptist church. The Envision team hopes to use the ESL training in their local setting in the future. The Japan Alliance mission’s newest church plant, Fujimi Christ Church in the Tokyo area, is planning to begin an ESL ministry within the first month of opening. Pray that God will expand the gospel here through ESL.
—Hazel Schaeffer, serving with aXcess
As we near the end of our home assignment and anticipate retirement, we marvel at what God has done in our absence through our national colleagues. The Paredes Alliance Church is thriving and growing in ministries that we never thought possible. They have started an adult Sunday school, a prayer meeting before the church service (one time they had 18 people in attendance), a greatly needed youth group, and a monthly women’s encounter in addition to their weekly prayer meeting. And many more ministries we’ve dreamed about have launched without our presence! Continue to pray for pastors of all nationalities in Portugal, as it’s a hard place to minister, and for the planting of new churches there.
—Mike and Ruth Davis, serving with aXcess
“I couldn’t find a mosquito net anywhere. Where did you find them?” the village chief asked as we prepared for a Caleb’s Nets distribution, an outreach founded by our son when he was just a young boy. We recently partnered with CAMA Services and BeerSheba, a Christian agroecological center, to use Caleb’s Nets as a practical means to gain access to a nearby village. The clinic staff at BeerSheba have been trying to get out into the community in various ways to open doors and establish good relationships. We were able to hand out 150 nets so each village family could receive a new mosquito net to protect them from malaria. As you can imagine, this met a huge, tangible need in that community. Pray that this small gesture will go far in meeting the needs and that it will indeed open doors to sharing the truth. The pastor at BeerSheba was quick to let us know that there are two other villages nearby that they are also hoping to reach. We look forward to partnering further with them in the future.
—Stan and Jayne Walker, serving with aXcess
From around the block to the ends of the earth
ASIA/PACIFIC REGIONAL OFFICE
Andrew S. and Lora J. Brake, in January. The Brakes serve with aXcess and are the regional leadership couple for Asia/Pacific.
BALKANS
Mathias A. Maurin, in January. Mathias serves with CAMA and is involved in language study. He will eventually be serving at a community center.
Julian and Ashli R. White, in December. The Whites are involved in language study.
CAMBODIA
Jason H. and Ruth Lee, in January. The Lees serve with CAMA and are involved in business and education.
GABON
Eric B. and Gwen M. Hofman and family, in December. The Hofmans serve with aXcess and are involved in administration, field bookkeeping, and medical/health ministries at Bongolo Hospital.
GUINEA
Joanna K. Gregg, in January. Joanna serves on the Envision Guinea Conakry Team as a site associate.
INDONESIA
Cassandra L. House, in January. Cassandra serves with Envision as a site associate.
Karmen L. McKelvey, in January. Karmen is a new international worker and serves with aXcess. She is in language study and will
eventually be serving as a camp program director.
Zeke and Cassidy Marquez, in January. The Marquezes serve with CAMA and are involved in language study.
David A. and Bethany J. Thomas, in December. The Thomases serve with Envision as site associates.
Amy F. Davis Abdallah, Metropolitan District
Kevin L. Alcosiba, associate pastor, Redemption Point Alliance Church, McKinney, Tex.
Brandon A. Banks, lead pastor, Bethany Alliance Church, Charles City, Iowa
David K. Bennett, chaplain, The Alliance Southeast
Susan E. Bouterse, executive pastor, Anchor Church, Tacoma, Wash.
Matthew H. Broweleit, special assignment, North Seattle (Wash.) Church
Terry W. Brown, pastor, Clearfield (Pa.) Alliance Church
Charles Chapman, AM candidate development specialist, Ohio Valley District
Nathan D. Conklin, executive pastor of operations, York (Pa.) Alliance Church
Christian P. Destremps, lead pastor, Canaan Community Church, Coatesville, Ind.
Douglas L. Dill, assistant pastor,
Canal Fulton (Ohio) Christian Fellowship
Peter N. Doan, district personnel, Vietnamese District
Randall S. Friberg, pastor, Parkview Alliance Church, Van Buren, Ark.
Susan B. Garlinger, pastor for disability community, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church
Thomas George, corporate secretary, C&MA National Office
Michael Gilmore, communications and next gen director, South Pacific Alliance
Kong Meng Hang, lead pastor, Rock and Refuge Church, St. Paul, Minn.
Paphoua X. Hang, discipleship pastor, Rock and Refuge Church, St. Paul, Minn.
Wilbert S. Henderson, multiplication director, Great Lakes District
Samuel M. Her, senior pastor, First Hmong Alliance Church, Hickory, N.C.
Chengguang Jin, assistant pastor, Redemption Point Alliance Church, McKinney, Tex.
Jeff Jones, special assignment, Hollis Community Church, Craig, Alaska
Zachary B. Jones, lead pastor, CrossBridge Alliance Church, Cheyenne, Wyo.
John S. Jordan, director for leadership development, Western PA District
Paul A. Kham, pastor of Cambodian congregation, Celebration Church, Santa Ana, Calif.
Ntxoov By Khang, senior pastor, True Life Church, Hickory, N.C.
Joseph C. Lazurek III, special assignment/transitional pastor, Eastern PA District
Joshua K. Le, pastor, Vietnamese Alliance Church, Midway City, Calif.
Khoa N. Le, associate pastor, Vietnamese Alliance Church, Enola, Pa.
Linh D. Le, pastor, Vietnamese Evangelical Church, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Darren L. Lim, other ministry, Alliance South Central
Sang T. Lim, church planter, Farmington Plant, Unionville, Conn.
Shonvue Lor, lay pastor, Tulsa (Okla.) Hmong Alliance Church
Lynn D. Long, associate pastor, The Cross Walk Church, Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Jonatan L. Martinez, assistant pastor, Catedral de la Esparanza, Rio Piedras, P.R.
Diane Mathew, associate pastor, Seven Hills Church, White Plains, N.Y.
Shane R. Minne, lead pastor, Canal Fulton (Ohio) Christian Fellowship
Kahri L. Mlinarcik, pastor of grade school ministries, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church
Cher T. Moua, special assignment, North Central District
Barbra M. Mullinax, district missions mobilizer, Midwest District
Samuel E. Naaman, professor, Midwest District
Phu K. Nguyen, district personnel, Vietnamese District
Timothy T. Nguyen, district missions mobilizer, Vietnamese District
Robert E. Ortiz, associate pastor, CrossPoint Community Church, Toledo, Ohio
Paul L. Owen, pastor, Upper St. Clair C&MA Church, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Douglas P. Parkinson, director for development, Big Sandy Camp and Retreat Center, McGregor, Minn.
Efrain Perdomo-Lopez, associate academic dean, Salem (Ore.) Alliance Church
Carlos A. Perez, executive pastor, Alliance Chicago (Ill.)
Michael S. Pierce, lead pastor, First Alliance Church, Toledo, Ohio
Mykel L. Pollock, associate pastor, LEAD Community Church, Toledo, Ohio
David J. Richter, associate pastor, Plymouth Alliance Church, Sherrill, N.Y.
Nicholas J. Romanin, lead pastor, Arise Christian Fellowship Church, Lafayette, Ind.
Awilda Ruiz, missionary, Spanish Eastern District
Milton J. Ruiz, missionary, Spanish Eastern District
Kevin A. Schafer, pastor, Christ Community Church, Fort Myers, Fla.
Nicholas A. Simpson, district personnel, Metropolitan District
LeeAnn M. Strecker, director of candidate development and missions, The Alliance South
Spencer E. Sweeting, executive pastor, Allegheny Center C&MA Church, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Jefferson A. Taylor, special assignment, Rocky Mountain District
Peter P. Teng, transitional senior pastor, Grace Chinese Alliance Church, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Blong Thao, associate pastor, Eternal Life Church, Sacramento, Calif.
Jonathan T. Tu, assistant pastor, Living Word Community Church, San Jose, Calif.
Billy Vang, senior pastor, Hmong New Hope Alliance Church, Auburn, Ga.
Leon K. Vang, lay pastor, Central Valley Hmong Alliance Church, Visalia, Calif.
Nhia V. Vang, church planter, True Life Church, Hickory, N.C.
Stephen Wang, non-Alliance seminary, Central Pacific District
Nathaniel Whisler, associate pastor, Providence Church, Omaha, Neb.
Liam M. Wright, pastor of worship arts, North Seattle (Wash.) Church
Bakersfield, Calif., Agape of the Valley Ministries, 7424 Ruidoso Way, 93309
Big Bear Lake, Calif., Communidad Big Bear, 40946 Big Bear Blvd., 92315
Bonita Springs, Fla., Iglesia
Alianza Bonita Springs, 10915
Bonita Beach Rd. SE, 34135
Cathedral City, Calif., Iglesia Nueva Esparanza, 32500
Cathedral Canyon Dr., 92234
East Freedom, Pa., New Life Alliance Church, 2879 Everett Rd., 16637
Irvine, Calif., Irvine Chinese Alliance Church, 5200 Irvine Blvd. SPC 487, 92620
Lynwood, Calif., Nueva Vida
Hispanic Plant, 10701 Sampson Ave., 90262
Mastic Beach, N.Y., Represent Church, 31 Neighborhood Rd., 11951
New York, N.Y., New Spring Church, 440 Lafayette St. #4G, 10003
Phoenix, Ariz., Iglesia El Buen Samaritano, 3622 N. 35th Ave., 85017
Yonkers, N.Y., Seven Hills Church, 793 N. Broadway, 10701
Casey J. Blackbird, pastor, Hope Church, Apple Valley, Minn.
Crawford S. Brooks, discipleship coordinator, New Spring Church, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Ryan L. Brown, associate pastor, Compassion Church, Anoka, Minn.
Kan Chan, assistant pastor, New Life Chinese Church, Fort Lee, N.J.
Alec Dorcheus, missions leader, Belgrade (Mont.) Alliance Church
Bamudis V. Ganem, pastor, ACM Luz de Esperanza, Bradenton, Fla.
Hai C. Giang, pastor, Vietnamese Alliance Church, Taylors, S.C.
Kedner Jerome, associate pastor, Uplift Church, Jacksonville, Fla.
Christian L. Jones, youth and family pastor, Greenview Alliance Church, Montoursville, Pa.
Lawum R. Kayamba, pastor, Disciples International Christian Church, Portland, Maine
Stephen Koytek, assistant pastor, Moosic Alliance Community Church, Avoca, Pa.
Anthony T. Kurtz, pastor, Marion Hill C&MA Church, New Brighton, Pa.
Roland J. Lee, assistant pastor, Redemption Point, Fountain Valley, Calif.
Justin McGillan, lead pastor, 24/7 Life, Madison, Ind.
Duy D. Nguyen, associate pastor, Philadelphia Vietnamese Alliance Church, Collegeville, Pa.
Jacob Ongley, pastor, Titusville (Pa.) C&MA Church
Nathan D. Pederson, church planter, Alliance New England
Diona A. Ries, other ministry, Smokey Point Community Church, Arlington, Wash.
Stewart Stemple, director for employee development and human resources, Ohio Valley District
At Shell Point® , you’ll enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle where you can explore, worship, learn, grow and even continue to serve. And with new additions to our campus, like Tribby Arts Center, a sparkling centerpiece for the arts, and the state-of-the-art Larsen Health Center, you can rest on a firm foundation, knowing that your needs will be taken care of – both now and in the future.
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Shell Point is located in Fort Myers, Florida, just minutes from the islands of Sanibel and Captiva.
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Megan L. Stiver, director of women’s discipleship and missions engagement, Alliance Community Church, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Mona Suen, assistant pastor, Peninsula Community Alliance Church, San Mateo, Calif.
Tim Tiemann, pastor, Living Faith, Princeton, Ill.
Lee Y. Vang, senior pastor, Kansas City (Kans.) Hmong Alliance Church
Ian D. Vencil, assistant pastor, Fremont (Ohio) Alliance Church
Qing D. Wang, missionary, MidAtlantic District
Joe E. Ward, associate pastor, Verndale (Minn.) Alliance Church
Chad Weaver, associate pastor, Huntingdon (Pa.) C&MA Church
Chad A. Woolf, regional director SW and church multiplication, Alliance Southeast
Benjamin Yarbrough, lead pastor, Bridge Community Church, Troy, Mich.
Micah M. Yarger, camp director, Mahaffey (Pa.) Camp
Timothy Yee, assistant pastor, New York (N.Y.) Chinese Alliance Church
Lor Xiong, Greenhouse resident, Refuge Church, Appleton, Wis.
Ron G. Ballard, Ohio Valley District
Mark R. Barnard, The Alliance South
Bruce W. Bliss, The Alliance South
Stephen T. Boda, MidAmerica District
Dennis R. Borg, Metropolitan District
Timothy M. Bubna, North Central District
Hau Chee Paul Chan, Northwest District
Robert C. Coggins, Rocky Mountain District
Nguyen D. Duong, Vietnamese District
Ronald J. Friesen, Northwest District
Robert S. Frye, Western PA District
Francis Y. Fung, Metropolitan District
Thomas L. Hartley, Northeastern District
Robert L. Lennon, MidAtlantic District
George C. McKain, Alliance Southeast
Dean E. Morin, North Central District
Sang D. Nguyen, Vietnamese District
Bradley R. Sickler, Western PA District
Ralph S. Trainer, Central District
Bon V. Truong, Vietnamese District
Yen V. Vu, Vietnamese District
Myron L. Wattenphul, North Central District
Iris I. Wetzel, MidAmerica District
Timothy D. Williamson, Alliance Southeast
Brian J. York, Alliance Southeast
James Van Yperen, Alliance New England
Palmer L. Zerbe February 4, 1933–August 27, 2019
Shirley A. Zerbe March 18, 1935–January 18, 2025
Born in Williamsport, Pa., Palmer attended the Missionary Training Institute (later Nyack [N.Y.] College and Alliance University in New York, N.Y.) and St. Paul’s Bible College (now Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minn.), where he received a degree in Christian education. On July 17, 1954, he married Shirley A. Frankenberry,
who was born in Morgantown, W.Va., and attended the Missionary Training Institute for one year.
During their 60 years of C&MA ministry, Palmer and Shirley served churches in Garrison, Minn. (1957); Clarion (1962), Meadville (1966), and Camp Hill, Pa. (1970); Roseville, Minn. (1974); Beaver Falls (1982) and Huntingdon, Pa. (1985); Portsmouth, Va. (2004); and Aliquippa, Pa. (2010). Palmer was also the Western PA district superintendent (1997–2003). In addition to serving alongside her husband in pastoral ministry, Shirley was the treasurer and yearbook editor for Alliance Women for many years. She also was the leader of several Alliance Women’s missions tours.
Palmer and Shirley are survived by children Deborah, David, Mark, Rebekah, and Janet; 21 grandchildren; and 32 great-grandchildren.
David A. Frazier Sr. June 19, 1934–July 4, 2024
Born in Palm City, Fla., David graduated from Toccoa Falls (Ga.) Bible College in 1956 with a BA in biblical education. He received a master’s in education from Florida Atlantic University in the 1970s and earned his doctorate in education from Nova University in 1987. On August 9, 1963, David married Jeannie A. Toner in West Palm Beach. Fla.
During his 66 years of C&MA ministry, David was the first pastor of Belle Glade (Fla.) Alliance Church (1956–1958) and a missionary in Pleiku, Vietnam, and to the tribal people groups (1958–1968). He and Jeannie left Vietnam after the Tet Offensive in 1968. David also had a career in education, having been a teacher, a principal, and a headmaster. He
served as an official C&MA worker with the Alliance Southeast and in New Life Alliance Church, where he was an elder and then elder emeritus (1968–2024).
David is survived by his wife; son David Jr.; daughters Laurie and Julie; 12 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.
Alice Schmidt
July 4, 1934–November 8, 2024
Alice was born in Sask., Canada. She graduated from Western Canadian Bible Institute (now Ambrose University, Calgary, Alta.) in 1956. For three years, she served as an official worker with the Beefhide Gospel Mission (Jenkins, Ky.), which later became the first C&MA church in eastern Kentucky.
In 1966 while living in Toledo, Ohio, Alice became a district office secretary, which led to 37 consecutive years in that position in four different districts with five different district superintendents. She was known for being a skilled, Christ-like servant who considered her work a ministry. Faithful and hardworking, she also had a remarkably good memory. Everywhere she lived she had a circle of close friends. After retiring from her ministry as the district office secretary, she moved back to Toledo, where she took a job at the Data Service Center, retiring again at the age of 89, and faithfully served in First Alliance Church.
Alice is survived by her church family, friends, and co-laborers for the gospel.
Colleen Mae (Johns) Shepson
October 25, 1926–December 22, 2024
Born in Irvona, Pa., Colleen received a BA in secondary education from Geneva College (Beaver Falls, Pa.) and taught English at Coalport High School, Pa., for several years. She attended the Missionary Training Institute (1947–1950), later Nyack (N.Y.) College and Alliance University in New York, N.Y., and credits her time there as instrumental in her spiritual formation. Colleen was an official worker with the C&MA for over 43 years and traveled throughout Europe, central Africa, and Asia studying local languages to mentor local pastors and share the gospel in Gabon, Africa, and the Middle East. She earned a master’s degree in Arabic studies from Wheaton (Ill.) College and taught missionary studies for nearly a decade at Toccoa Falls (Ga.) College.
Colleen first met her husband, Charles Shepson, while preparing for the mission field, but it wasn’t until 48 years later when they retired that the couple
reconnected and married on October 26, 1996, in Toccoa, Ga. They resided at Shell Point Village (now Shell Point Retirement Community in Fort Myers, Fla.), where they supported the local community. They traveled extensively during most of their 28 years of marriage to minister and encourage others in the faith. Charles predeceased Colleen on September 16, 2024.
Colleen is survived by 11 nieces and nephews; stepsons Brian and Gary; and 2 grandchildren.
Faith Elizabeth Scarrow
May 23, 1937–December 25, 2024
Born in Morristown, N.J., Faith received Jesus at the age of 10 and committed her life to overseas ministry shortly afterward. During her childhood and teenage years, she was actively involved in her parents’ ministry in the United States (New York and New Jersey) and Canada (Ontario and the Maritimes). Faith had a beautiful singing voice and frequently sang in church, at special events, and as a soloist on the radio. She studied missions for three years at Canadian Bible College in Regina, Sask. On June 25, 1960, Faith married Donald “Don” J. Scarrow in Lumberton, N.C.
During 45 years of C&MA ministry, Faith served with Don in Rosetown, Sask. (1960–1962), and as an international worker in Peru in theological education, conference ministry, counseling, and administration (1962–2002). After retiring in 2002, they were assigned as the regional director couple for Latin America (2002–2005). This responsibility involved the oversight of Alliance ministry in 14 countries with 208 international workers. The couple retired in Toccoa, Ga., in 2005. In subsequent years, Don and Faith were active in the Toccoa First Alliance Church as well as serving on the Southeastern Accreditation Committee for several years.
Faith is survived by her husband; daughter Jessie Lynn; sons Stephen Francis and Daniel John; 6 grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren.
Hans Jordan Vik
September 15, 1934–December 29, 2024
Hans was born in Fairview, Mont., and received his BA in Bible and theology from St. Paul Bible College (now Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minn.). On June 26, 1964, he married Dorothy Roos in Cloverland, Wis.
During his 39 years of ministry, Hans served C&MA churches in Savage, Mont. (1962–1970); and Cass Lake (1987–1992), Cloquet (1992–1995), Verndale, (1995–2001), and Hubbard, Minn. (1996–1999). He
also served in Evangelical Covenant Churches for 17 years. Hans retired in 2001 and died in Superior, Wis., at the age of 90.
Hans is survived by his wife; son Carey; daughter Janelle; and 3 grandchildren.
Greta Milley
July 6, 1928–January 1, 2025
Born in Stamford, Conn., Greta was a 1956 graduate of Nyack (N.Y.) College (later Alliance University in New York, N.Y.). She was married to Ronald G. Milley, a C&MA pastor. Together they ministered in C&MA churches in Maine, Ontario, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Greta was involved in Christian education and music. She was a member of the Washington Union Alliance Church (New Castle, Pa.) and upon retirement a faithful adherent of the Open Door Church (Chambersburg, Pa.).
Greta was predeceased by her husband; she is survived by children Barbara and Frank; 3 grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren
Wilma Mae (Schlatter) Riggenbach
January 25, 1930–January 15, 2025
Wilma was born and raised in Akola, India, where she developed a spirit of resilience and compassion that would define her work for the gospel. Upon moving to the United States with her mother, Wilma attended St. Paul Bible College (now Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minn.), where she met Kenneth “Ken” Riggenbach. They married on August 31, 1951, in Westmont, Ill.
Prior to serving in overseas ministry, the couple ministered at the Dessie Scott Children’s Home in Kentucky. In 1956, they sailed for Indonesia, where they were C&MA missionaries for the next 40 years. During that time, Wilma served as a Bible college instructor, district worker, and mission bookkeeper. She also started a Bible study on the Book of John with a military guard living on the couple’s property when they were under house arrest after Wilma was accused of being a spy. Later in their ministry, Wilma and Ken conducted marriage seminars.
The couple concluded their missionary service in Jakarta, where Wilma was the mission bookkeeper until they retired to Niles, Mich. After her retirement, Wilma led weekly women’s Bible studies through Bible Study Fellowship and participated in women’s ministries in her church. She died at the age of 94 in Buchanan, Mich.
Wilma is survived by sons Terry and Scott; daughter Jacki; 12 grandchildren; and 28 great-grandchildren.
Joseph “Joe” H. Beck
December 5, 1924–January 17, 2025
Born in High Point, N.C., Joe was saved at a spring revival at the age of 13. On May 25, 1946, he married Mildred Jacqueline “Jackie” Hartsell, with whom he enjoyed over 71 years of marriage. Joe attended Bob Jones University (1947–1951), where he graduated with a BA in Bible.
During more than 38 years of C&MA ministry, Joe pastored churches in Asheboro and Winston Salem, N.C.; Hialeah and DeLand, Fla.; Des Plaines, Ill.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Macon, Ga. He was also the director of Extension and Church Growth in the Southern District. Several Alliance pastors, as well as a C&MA missionary to West Africa, began their ministry under Joe’s leadership.
Joe died peacefully in his sleep in Runaway Bay, Tex. He had just celebrated his 100th birthday several weeks before with all his children and many grandchildren present.
Joe is survived by daughters Linda, Kathy, and Shirley; sons Ken and Howard; 17 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; and 5 great-great-grandchildren.
Deborah “Debbie” Cowles
October 25, 1952–February 12, 2025
Debbie was born in Sayre, Pa., to Marge and Robert “Bob” Cowles, who began two terms of C&MA missionary service in 1953. During Debbie’s childhood, she and her father were evacuated from the Philippines after contracting polio, which left them both with lifelong disabilities. The family later returned to the Philippines, but Debbie’s medical treatments forced them to resettle in the United States in 1962. Her father later served in various capacities at the C&MA National Office, including 15 years as editor of the Alliance Witness (now Alliance Life).
In 1974, Debbie graduated from Nyack (N.Y.) College (later Alliance University in New York, N.Y.). and was an Alliance missionary in the Philippines (1979–1988). She later worked as a hospital administrator in Kentucky and relocated to Pennsylvania after retiring. Debbie was an active volunteer at Chapel Pointe, an Alliance retirement community in Carlisle, Pa., and served on its Board of Directors (2016–2022).
Debbie is survived by sister Rebekah, brother Daniel, and sister Esther, who serves with her husband, Andrew, as a C&MA missionary; 8 nieces and nephews; and 8 grandnieces and nephews.
Lois Marie Hultberg
April 19, 1938–February 25, 2025
Lois was born on the family dairy farm west of Monticello, Minn. On June 17, 1951, she received Jesus as her Savior and dedicated her life to serving Him. She attended Bethel College in St. Paul, Minn. (1956–1958), then transferred to St. Cloud State University to study elementary education. After teaching at a public school for three years, she attended St. Paul Bible College (now Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minn.) to earn a degree in Bible.
Lois served with the C&MA for 41 years. After language study in Costa Rica, the C&MA appointed her to teach at the Alliance Academy Internacional in Quito, Ecuador, where she taught fifth and sixth grade and worked in the elementary library. She returned to St. Cloud State for 14 months, earning a master’s in elementary education in 1970; she later earned a second master’s in informational media in 1990. In 2001, Lois was honored by Crown College at a special event where she received an award for Teacher of the Year.
After settling back in Monticello, Lois began substituting for librarians in the Great River Regional Library system. For several years, she was a volunteer teacher’s assistant at Pinewood Elementary.
Lois is survived by brothers Stanley, Scott, Mark, Jeremy, and Adam; 10 great-nieces and nephews; and 9 great-great-nieces and nephews.
NOTICE OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE CHRISTIAN AND MISSIONARY ALLIANCE
It is my privilege to announce that the regular meeting of The Christian and Missionary Alliance is hereby called to take place beginning at 7 p.m., Monday, May 26, 2025, and ending Friday evening, May 30, 2025, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High St., Columbus, Ohio 43215. It will be a delight to share these days with you in Columbus and a great joy to be identified with you in our joint labor to change the world for Jesus!
Dr. Thomas George Corporate Secretary
is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students to encounter God in a powerful way. But for some, financial barriers make this experience just out of reach. We believe no student should miss LIFE because of money. Our goal is to provide scholarships so that every student who desires to attend can. Scholarships range from $200 to $500—but any amount you give helps!
Would you prayerfully consider investing in the spiritual future of a student?
At Crown College, we inspire you to be bold in your faith, purpose, and leadership to impact the world for Christ.
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C&MA50%STUDENT DISCOUNTup to a minimum of 50% of tuition (this includes scholarships,academic other eligible grants)
The General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance require that notification of any proposed Bylaw amendments, or a summary of the changes to be affected thereby, shall be given within the time and in the same manner as notification of the meetings of the General Council. More specific information is presented in the Report of the Corporate Secretary to General Council and can be accessed at cmalliance.org on or before April 25, 2025. Following is a listing of specific Bylaws to be amended and a summary of the changes to be affected by the amendment proposals.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 7.3., Membership, for the Board of Directors (pages A2-17–18), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 8.1., Number (regarding officers) (page A2-24), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Article VII, Board of Directors, Section 7.15, Removal (page A2-22), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. Whereas, there is no need to state that the vote comes from two-thirds of “those present” since Robert’s Rules of Order assumes that, unless otherwise stated, the group to whom the proportion applies is always the number of members present and voting.
Recommendations will be brought to amend the Statement of Faith which is located in the THIRD Article of Incorporation (pages A1-1–2) as well as in Article 1 in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance (pages A2-1–2). The Statement terminology is being updated and modified for more consistency with Alliance beliefs. Some of the first amendments in this current endeavor were approved at the 2021 and 2023 General Councils. Further amendments approved at 2023 General Council require ratification in 2025. One new amendment to the remaining section is proposed and would require approval by two Councils (2025 and 2027) verbatim.
Although adopted for temporary use at 2025 General Council, the following five recommendations were tabled at 2023 General Council. They are proposed to provide clearer procedures for the Committee on Nominations for the process of vetting and nominating presidential candidates, the reintroduction of presidential candidate floor nominations, and criteria for the evaluation of nominees for corporate officers and members of the Board of Directors.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 6.8.A, Regular Meeting (page A2-11), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 6.10.C, Presidential Nominations (pages A213–14), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 6.10.D, Presidential Elections (page A2-14), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 6.11.A, Nominations (page A2-15), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 6.11.B, Elections (page A2-16), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
When offsite accredited delegate voting was introduced for presidential elections, 24 hours was allowed for the offsite vote because it was believed that timely voting might be difficult for some offsite delegates who were in remote regions of the world or were in significantly different time zones. A proxy voting process was created to legally provide for voting over a 24-hour period. In retrospect, Alliance Missions believes that the benefit of simultaneous voting far outweighs any inconvenience caused by eliminating the 24-hour window for offsite delegates. Proxy voting is not required when voting is at the same time. Therefore, the following recommendations are presented to eliminate references to proxy voting for presidential elections in the Articles of Incorporation and General Bylaws.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 5.1.B, Accredited Members (page A25), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 6.2.A (8), Presidential Elections (page A2-7), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 6.3.A, Credentialing (page A2-8), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 6.3.G, Presidential Elections (page A2-9), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 6.4, Voting Rights (pages A2-9–10), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 6.7.A, Proxies (page A2-11), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
A recommendation will be brought to amend Section 6.10.D, Presidential Elections (page A2-14), in the General Bylaws of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.
This July, 6,000 students from around the country will gather at the LIFE conference to seek God’s face. This is more than just an event—it’s a divine gathering where lives are transformed, and many young hearts answer the call to ministry. We need round-theclock prayer support, covering every moment of this time with intercession.
“The
prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” —James 5:16
Sign up today and commit to a dedicated time slot. Together, let’s storm the heavens and watch God move in powerful ways!
by D. A. Fairley, from the 1944 annual report to the C&MA from Gabon, Africa. Adapted by Alliance Life staff.
With two couples on furlough and three couples and a single lady still awaiting permission and passage, this field closes another year with only two couples, one being new recruits. God, in His love and grace, has blessed the effort in each area, and our faithful native brethren are carrying a mounting share of the responsibility of this growing church. The following incident is an example of this evangelistic field:
One day, a tall, elderly man presented himself at our door. He had come a five-day walk from his village in the mountains, bringing four chickens in a basket as a gift. These he presented as he pleaded for a native worker to come live in his village and teach God’s Word, for he said, “I have come to you for help. I realize that I
am like a blind man and my heart is full of darkness. I know this now, for I have heard two of your Christians who come to our village once in a while from far over the mountains. They have told us about God. Our parable says, ‘Little by little a bird builds its nest.’ I must hear the Word every day, then my darkness and blindness will go.”
This man represented the largest village in a hardly touched district. But here was a problem! Every worker already had a full charge. What to do!
A meeting was called and the matter presented. A number prayed, then suggestions were made, showing plainly that God was moving hearts to accept this challenge. But who could leave their present work and go?
An evangelist, Mungiba, rose and said, “I will go with the help of Jesus. He wants somebody to go, therefore He will work out the problems in the way. There are, however, two matters to pray about. You know with how much labor and tears Kenge and I have established our new church circuit. We built our house and the church with our own hands, and a good number have confessed and been saved. Who will come and care for them? And Kenge, will she leave her new fields of peanuts and sweet potatoes to go with our little son and me, and so soon again experience hunger?”
The new project was presented to Kenge, who was taken aback and said she could not go. She withdrew to weep before the Lord. Later, a special prayer gathering was called, at which Kenge stood by her husband and, beaming in the love and compassion of Christ, accepted the call to go, placing her all upon the altar of service for Him. The Spirit was moving upon the hearts of all the workers present, and a newly married worker with his bride stood quickly and requested to be sent to fill the vacancy left by Mungiba and Kenge. In like manner, others are pioneering in new areas far from the mission station.
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REALIZING THE NEED TO develop thriving stewards, Orchard launched Faith & Finance, an initiative to provide financial stewardship and generosity resources to the Alliance family—soon to be released in multiple languages.
AND THIS YEAR, we are launching financial coaching services to help pastors and church leaders with their personal finances, retirement planning, and financial challenges within their churches.
ORCHARD ALLIANCE. Created by The Alliance . . . for The Alliance. It’s our honor to serve you where Faith & Finance meet.
To learn more about how we can help you, contact us today. 855.391.1649 service@orchardalliance.org
