Phil was born and raised Swedish Baptist but in the early days his family attended Bellingham “C” Street Pentecostal, a church described by the family as “alive – the city hasn’t had anything quite like it since.” Phil said he “accepted Christ’s great gift of salvation” when he was 7 under evangelist Watson Argue of Calvary Temple. [Argue’s son Don subsequently became president of the National Association of Evangelicals and president of the Assemblies of God’s Northwest University in Kirkland].
Shirley recalled their reluctance to move from their church in Renton without direction from the Lord. To determine if it was God’s will, they put a small “For Sale” sign in the window of their Lakeridge home and if someone stopped, asked about it and bought their home, it was God’s will to make the move. Almost immediately a young couple stopped, liked the house and purchased it. In Poulsbo the Odles rented one of the project houses just a few blocks from the Full Gospel Tabernacle, and they attended church their first Sunday after moving to Poulsbo. The said they liked the young Pastor Al Munger, the Spirit of God resting on the congregation and the opportunity for service. A sister-brother couple, too, were happy, too, as long-time treasurer Marvin Nicholson and Sunday School Superintendent Ruth Raygor were able to pass their batons to Glen and Shirley Odle. Choir director Erika Munger also had two more voices to add to the volume of God’s praise. Shirley also recalled a large group of children and young people in this growing church – children who offered lasting friendships for their girls. The church was very small, the sanctuary, seating about 115, had reconditioned flip-down former movie theater seats, small living quarters behind the platform of the sanctuary where Sunday School classes met, and an upstairs loft just off the front door to the sanctuary with a cry-room below and Sunday School rooms above.
“The church grew and grew with good people. We had some money problems, but the Lord took care of it,” she said.
Pastor Munger added, “The five Waag sisters were beautiful blondes who always captivated the audience when they sang. The Trostad family was very talented musically and contributed often with solos, quartets and instrumentals.”
“Al was a man of great forward vision who could see the Lord moving and that in a short time we would be crowded out,” Shirley Odle said of the old church. “He told us that if we don’t make a place for the people to come, they won’t come.”
She said more families began attending, some from Bremerton and surrounding communities. The church called a meeting of the whole congregation to discuss options for expanding facilities.
Pastor Munger provided added perspective. “We arrived in September of 1956. The first church building (now ‘Blue Sky Printing’ had a neon ‘Jesus Saves’ sign over the front porch and practically no parking except for main street. Many in the community were apprehensive or frightened by the church. They thought it was weird and wild and didn't want anything to do with it. On the other side of the coin was ‘First Lutheran,’ the more traditional church in town with a much larger congregation.
Respectable? Perhaps the people of the tabernacle, nor even the pastor, were not as accepted by other churches as one might have hoped. Yet, the Holy Spirit had other plans and ultimately wooed and won the heart of the Lutheran pastor, among others.
“I remember the wedding of Nancy Schroder. It had to be held at First Lutheran because we couldn't accommodate the crowd. Pastor Eide, the Lutheran pastor, had to do the service but allowed me to read scripture,” Munger continued. “The rest of that story occurred years later when we were hosting six or eight nationally recognized speakers that rotated among five Seattle churches and Poulsbo. They were speaking on the Holy Spirit. Pastor Eide attended one night and after the service went into the prayer room with other seekers to receive the Holy Spirit.”
By 1960 it was evident that expanded facilities would be needed to accommodate the growth.
According to a church bulletin:
…a new site [at 5th and Harrison] was purchased and construction proceeded on a modern sanctuary [designed by Gordon Nickell of Seattle] seating 300 worshipers with offices, classrooms and fellowship hall. The lovely 10,000-square-foot building was dedicated in May 1966 {complete with pipe organ] under a new name, “Christ Memorial Church.”
“Some had wanted to build onto the existing building, but there was very little parking,” Shirley said. And yet some of the pioneers were convinced the small congregation of modest means might “just as well remodel as to buy property.”
Although Shirley recalled that a minor split resulted in the loss of some of those older people, “the unity of the majority was so outstanding that we knew the Lord was in this” matter of securing property elsewhere, and the church went ahead with plans for rebuilding at the new Harrison Avenue location.
No local church, especially one regarded as noisy and somewhat strange, could grow from such humble beginnings to the largest church in the area without God’s leading. Pastor Munger cited several factors he believed to be evidence of God's hand on the flock: constant growth, people saved and filled with the Holy Spirit who shared in ministry to others, and financial provisions.
“For instance, when we bought 2 ½ acres on Harrison [now the Presbyterian church] we had about 20-22 families giving tithes and offerings. We needed a loan to build the church,” he said.
“I went to Arnie Jacobson, the president of the local bank on Front Street,” Munger said, “and explained our vision and gave him a list of giving families. He listened and responded with, ‘I think we can help you.’”
Phil Youngquist was a board member and added, “They couldn’t handle it, and so the bank partnered with a bank across the bay. Then we had some money, and we had to buy the lot. Each bank provided $25,000. We were glad to get it.”
Munger observed, “For a bank to loan money to a church in those days was a big deal. I can't remember exactly but I think the congregation added about 75-85 grand to finish the building.”
“I put all those windows in the fellowship hall where we initially held services,” Phil said.
“I went to Tacoma Beams and Laminate and I built that cross.”
Development of the Harrison Street location caught the attention of the community.
“The purchase of property and completion of the building was a huge turning point,” Munger said.
“Gordon Nickel the architect made sure it all worked together so smoothly,” Shirley recalled. “We were never late. As treasurer, Glen was right on top of it. When the mortgage came due, we always were able to make the payments.”
She extolled the foresightedness of Pastor Munger and said, “Al was the kind of a guy who was not exclusive to our church. He was very outgoing with other pastors and formed a ministerial association.”
Shirley told of the excitement surrounding the planning and construction of the new building, with a multipurpose room upstairs, the Sunday School downstairs and ample room to house various equipment and supplies.
Even so, Phil Youngquist recalled that money was hard to come by, and the congregation used only a portion of the building until the sanctuary was completed after “a couple of years.”
Pastor Munger and his father-in-law, Karl Eichler, put stones on the walls in both the sanctuary and chapel in place.
Shirley said, “We brought in great speakers, such as [Seattle’s St. Luke’s Episcopal pioneer charismatic Pastor Dennis] Bennett. We had spiritual awakenings and gatherings of other pastors and their congregations.
“One pastor had a great vision and said he saw trees growing in our narthex – that a person couldn’t get through the trees, which were throngs of people crowding out the church”
Shirley told of her husband, Glen, and Rod Trostad taking a trip east. “They went back to get our first pipe organ in Syracuse, N.Y. Rod had obtained it from an old, defunct Universalist church. They spent a week taking the organ out of the church and packaging it in big wooden trunks to be shipped west by train. At dinner it was the first time the men had seen a salad bar and Glen embarrassed Rod because he continually went back for more. Rod claimed, “You were to use only one plate one time through.” Glen claimed he could go as many times as he wanted. And he did!
“To be with Rod you have a lot of good times. While carrying pipes out of the attic Glen, holding he back of a huge pipe, didn’t see the hole Rod had carved to remove the pipe and he fell though the hole. “Rod nearly laughed himself to death at Glen’s expense!”
Later, when they traveled to see Erika’s sister and family, Rod left his suitcase on the curb where they had waited for their transportation. They were asked to sing in a quartet that Sunday in church, and Rod had to borrow a suit and shoes from Erika’s sister’s husband in order to be dressed presentably. When they got back to Syracuse, N.Y., the suitcase was still sitting on the curb. No one had dared touch it as these men were on a mission for God.
In the mid-sixties the Sluys family made a purchase that evolved into a regional and even worldwide phenomenon featuring Poulsbo Bread after the now-famous Sluys Bakery became a Poulsbo landmark. “We moved to Poulsbo in 1966. We had attended a Presbyterian church in Bellingham where we lived for many years,” Marion and Loretta Sluys wrote. “It was only natural to transfer our membership to the Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church when we came to live here.
“The move was a big one for us as we had purchased the home of our dreams four years earlier and had no intention of moving to a place we never heard of (POULSBO).
“It is a long story but we purchased Bauer’s Bakery for a down payment of $1,000.00 dollars I borrowed from my sister’s insurance policy. Now many years later we know God’s hand was in our lives in every way. We were able to purchase our present home on Hood Canal one year after we arrived in Poulsbo.
“With our children’s involvement in the church young peoples programs Loretta was on the road constantly taking them there or returning. When driving by Christ Memorial Church one Sunday we noticed the parking lot was full and commented that it was always that way. We decided to visit the next Sunday and were pleased to be so welcome. The people there were friendly and we felt right at home. The rest is history as we have been attending for 42 years now.
“I remember while working on the roof and looking down from the peak of the church we are in now, seeing the cement floor a long way down there and thinking it would not be good to lose my footing and fall there. I have been able to build things in different countries and here at home and have been blessed with good health, a good helpmate, and a hard working family!
“We have 18 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. Now we have over 500 children we feel responsible for as well in Sakila Village." More on that later.
Meanwhile, a Sluys daughter, now Karen Ross, reflected on the early days. "I was a contemporary with Trudy Munger Owens as we were in the same class from sixth grade through high school. My biological family moved from Bellingham in 1966 when we bought the bakery," Karen said. "We attended a Presbyterian church in Bellingham so we found a Presbyterian church in the area. The closest was Rolling Bay Presbyterian on Bainbridge Island. With six children in the family it just got too difficult to try to get the family all the way from the family home near Hood Canal Bridge and on to the island in time for Sunday school and Church services.(When we first moved to Poulsbo the Lutheran minister remarked that a family that was not Norwegian would have a hard time making a successful bakery in Poulsbo!!! Needless to say, when my dad heard that, dad determined not to attend the Lutheran church. (Thank God for the minister's remarks since I believe this was part of the pathway of God leading our family to CMC).
"Our family arrived at CMC soon after the congregation moved to their new building on the highway. The building is now used by the Presbyterian Church. We were a family of eight and always sat within the first three front rows of any church we attended. So when our family marched in and sat right up front and filled an entire pew of a newly occupied church you can bet we were warmly greeted! CMC was an amazing congregation and it was a growing concern. It just seemed that families were being saved and changes happening weekly.
"My Vacation Bible School teacher was Irene Lanning. She asked, at the end of the 5th-6th grade VBS, if there was anyone who wanted to accept Jesus into their hearts. My sister, Lynn, and I raised our hands and Irene had us stay after. We sat on the hall steps that led up to Pastor Munger's office and we asked Christ into our hearts. Years later, at the funeral of Jeannie Kallstrom, who was a pillar and prayer warrior of CMC, I learned that Jeannie and her husband Walt had befriended Irene and her family and constantly invited them to church. Finally Irene relented and she soon found Jesus as her Savior.
"I loved the opportunity to go to Fort Flagler Youth Camp that was run by the Northwest District. Most of the Assemblies of God churches on the Olympic Peninsula participated. There was Kid's Camp for fourth through sixth grade and Teen Camp for junior and senior High. It was a great way to get to know other Christian young people on the Peninsula. Back then, though not too long ago (1966-1969) there was no "mixed-bathing". This means the guys went to the beach to swim and then the girls went separately. The situation was the same for camp chapel Services: boys on one side and girls on the other. The chapel services were incredible. There were long, long altar services every night for a week. Many came to the Lord, rededicated their lives, and were baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.
"During the summer small groups met to have baptisms at local beaches."
A pastor’s family perspective
While Al Munger ministered to others, he and Erika were rearing their own family, including two daughters, Trudy and Karin. Trudy recalled that the many demands from the church on Dad’s time took away from family time, but she found support from the church family as well.
“I remember those days as thrilling experiences,” Trudy said, “a never-ending stream of activity. It was frustrating at times – Dad was very involved in church and the people, all good things. The needs of a pastor’s child occasionally seemed somewhat secondary to God’s calling, and I remember we’d have to do something extraordinary to receive attention and focus we wanted. A neighbor boy my same age would take me for rides on motorcycle trails until Mom and Dad found out and told me. “You can’t do that anymore.’ Even so, being a little rebellious, I’d meet the boy and off we’d go. But then Youth Pastor Arne Halverson drives into town on his motorcycle, and soon we were all racing each other on motorcycles – my sister, Dad and me.
"I remember competing in motorcycles on a track where Schuck’s is now located during Viking fest. The track was one big mud pie and we lifted our legs to minimize the mud getting all over us, and we’d hope that we would not stall out in the middle ’cause you’d be doomed! I was racing in the Powder Puff Derby on my Honda Trail 90. One time the gas tanks fell off, which were the seat, and I picked it up and pushed it over the line.”
Despite missing family times, Trudy closed the gap through her involvement in church activities. “Pastors are more educated today about priorities and keeping your house in order. Dad was very busy on the building project, and there were even times he’d forget to pick me up from my piano lesson.
“Yet, there was the feeling, ‘My dad’s the pastor,’ and we felt a sense of prestige. Everyone knew who you were - the good, and the bad - everyone knew that too!”
Trudy remembered the Spirit penetrating her heart as well. “My Sunday School teacher, Tess Edelblute, was very caring and loving. I felt like I got something out of it, which is just as well since a pastor’s daughters have to go to Sunday School. It is a special experience to be a preacher’s kid. If we would fall asleep in the service, Dad would stop his sermon and tell us to behave. Even so, I actually enjoyed going to church.
“The church went through ‘rock-your-boat revivals. Everyone focused on the Lord and the outpouring of the Spirit. At the school building, Dave Gentry led worship, which was much more free and physical with the sense that you could get up and dance. Now it’s somewhat more regulated and scheduled, but at that time, the second service would go longer. Those who enjoyed a freer worship would gravitate to that service, because they knew it was going to happen.”
With no little amusement, Trudy told of “Dad’s chagrin as the worshipers were clapping and raising their hands, someone pulled him out in front and tried to get him to dance – he did not feel comfortable. I saw it and thought, ‘O my gosh!”
A “PK” is not without mischief. “From where we lived in the parsonage, I remember walking with Dad to church early to light the oil stove to warm things up. We were expected to be nice, but with the building project and being up there all day at the construction site, I recall entertaining myself once by giving a frog a warm bath. The frog bloated up and began screaming. Then it blew up in the warm water.”
Sometimes the mischief gets into the genes. Husband Jim Owens recalls a later recurring challenge in the basement daycare a backup of the sewer to inside the dishwasher. Trudy added that their son, Garrett, was inquisitive and often got “on people’s nerves because he was active and so busy. I took him to the daycare for the third service. He saw the fire alarm, climbed up on the railing and the alarm went off throughout the church and sanctuary in the middle of the service!”
When it came to mischief, Jim was not to be outdone. Years later he heard a church growth consultant encourage teachers to retain attention by doing something unusual. So Jim, teaching a class on contemporary issues, brought a pistol to class and laid it on the table to introduce his discussion on gun control.
That concerned Pastor Tom Duchemin, who dropped into the class to make sure proceedings were legal and orderly.
Back to the church construction scene, Trudy said, “The people came every Saturday and worked together. There was a lot of closeness, many friends and a sense of community. There would be a potluck for all the guys that were working. People in church these days are so busy that they sometimes miss that closeness. It’s a generation thing; there were so many worker bees pulling together.”
Jim Owens had come on the scene while both were still in school. After dating long enough to know that the young couple’s love for each other was growing, Jim made an appointment with Pastor Al to ask for Trudy’s hand in marriage.
“I was dripping wet,” Jim said. “I was a nervous wreck, but Al was skilled in making the conversation comfortable. His advice was brief: ‘Don’t make it a long engagement.’”
Jim found himself immersed in church construction and the hard work helping Rod Trostad to make the pipe organ a reality. He recalled people making headlong commitments to the work, such as Joe Collier and Terry Holmstrom helping with the electrical.
“The finances weren’t there, and Rod fashioned an agreement in which he would build with the support with the guys in the church. It went that way for a period of time until the participation dwindled away. Rod was upset and challenged the men. ‘Do you want this thing to go or not?’ After that, participation resumed.”
Trudy added, “By comparison with today, the people were a part of it and they were a church family in a true sense of the word. The events of the church brought people in and Dad earned the right to speak into their life. Too often today you see that too many people go to church because it’s the right thing to do. Back then, there was more of a bond because the church was smaller. Dad was more described as a shepherd than a teacher, as Marc Pearson is. With Dad I heard it said more than once that ‘I felt like I could tell him anything and he would listen. Marc Pearson connects on a spiritual level – Dad connected with people and the spiritual would follow.”
Karen Ross added evidence of the move of God:
"The Hippie Movement of the late 60's and early 70's had an impact on CMC. I remember so many vivid stories. Three particular people stood out and here is the story of how they found their way to CMC: David, Linda, and Lisa were hippies who came up from California. There were only three of many, many hippies who migrated to the Olympic Peninsula. They landed in Forks, Washington. Most lived in shacks in the woods or tents. There were a lot of shake mills in the Forks area at that time. One of the shake mills was owned by a man who was the chairman of the board at the Forks Assembly of God Church. This man was quite prejudiced towards the hippies and he refused to hire any of the dirty long-hairs even though many came in looking for work. The Lord began to deal with the mill-owner's heart regarding his prejudice and soon he was known as the mill-owner who hired hippies. He got to know these lost hippie-souls and became their friend.
"Art Morland was pastor of the Forks church at the time. Pastor Moreland was going to be out of town one Sunday and he asked the chairman of the board to preach. The chairman prayed and prayed seeking the Lord for what he should preach about. And there seemed to be no answer. Finally on Saturday night the Lord seemed to direct him to preach from John 3:16. Well, word got around to the hippies that their friend was going to be preaching and a big group of them walked into the service that Sunday morning and they sat right up front. Now the mill-owner knew why the Lord had led him to preach from John 3:16. Many came to the Lord!
"Now a contingent of hippies was attending the church regularly and the Lord was bringing more and more into His salvation.
"This caused some consternation within the regular church attendees. The hippies were very dirty and the pews were getting soiled. They sure didn't smell well either!
"Some of the board members decided it was time to deal with the problem. It was time to ask them to leave. The mill owner let his fellow board members know that if the hippies left he would leave too.
"Sunday morning the mill owner saw some of the board members were approaching the hippies in the church foyer. The mill owner walked that direction in hopes of intervening.
"But…God had dealt with the other board member's hearts and they were opening their arms and hearts to the hippies!!!
"A revival broke out!
"And that's the way three of these hippies, David, Linda, and Lisa, who lived in a shack together in Forks, came to minister at CMC. David was an opera singer and Linda and Lisa sang and played guitar also. They ministered in song and speaking. Sunday evening services were such a blessing with these redeemed hippies coming to minister! David, Linda and Lisa made an album (I still have it) They are now missionaries in Israel where they have been for over thirty years!"
Evolving music
“It would be difficult to overestimate the impact music played on CMC's worship and outreach,” Pastor Munger said. “When we came in ‘56, Erika started a choir. A choir in a church of that size (60-70 people including children and family pets) was unheard of. But the people got involved because she knew what she was doing and was a dynamic personality. At first the choir would do special programs at Christmas and Easter as well as worship ministry each Sunday.
“Then at a time when there was only 10 or 12 pastors in North Kitsap, she started a United Choir and invited people from NK churches to join in preparation for a community concert at Christmas or Easter. The first year a few joined us but the second year many came. Even 1st Lutheran had one or two the first year and it caught on and they had a good number from then on. It was about this time that the NK Pastors began a monthly meeting and for the first time in history, churches and pastors were working together, sharing and having fellowship beyond their local congregation. The United Choir was a big catalyst. When we moved to Harrison street, Erika started a Youth Choir, something almost unheard of in those days. They were exceptional. Bob Stone was our Youth Pastor and led the way. Five blonde and beautiful Waag sisters sang specials during the Youth Choir Concerts and just rocked the audience with their a cappella singing and their personal appearance.
“Erika continued to develop the music program until CMC led the county in church music. This included soloists, groups, choirs, orchestra and pipe organ. We are the only church in the nation, I think, that has self-installed three different pipe organs in the church's history - one at Harrison Street, one in the school gym and one in the present facility. That's a story in itself and revolves around Rod Trostad. “
Rod Trostad revolutionized the instrumental music of the church and produced a musical family that is still a mainstay of musical voices. The following is from the brochure from the dedication of the Liberty Bay building, May 15, 1966:
The pipe organ is unquestionably the most expensive of all musical instruments. It is not difficult to purchase organs for $20,000 or $250,000. Installing a good one for $5,000 is a different story. Our story begins with a man, Mr. Rodney Trostad. On his own initiative, Mr. Trostad searched the country by correspondence for a suitable instrument. In March 1963 he shared his discovery with the church board. It was a two-manual organ built by John Steere and Son, for sale in Auburn, N.Y., for just $1,200. Rod’s vision and enthusiasm were contagious. The board approved the purchase and Rod and Glen Odle, the church treasurer, took two weeks of their vacation and flew to New York to dismantle and crate the instrument for shipment. We learned of their monumental task when the truck backed up to the church door and more than six tons of organ parts were unloaded. Air chest, 16 ranks of pipes (61 pipes per rank), relay panels, regulators and hundreds of parts littered the floor of the unfinished sanctuary. The project began to grow. A three-manual Moller console was purchased and shipped from Pennsylvania. An additional six ranks of pipes were secured in Seattle. It became necessary to enlarge the organ chamber. People would look at the multitude of pipes and parts and walk away shaking their head. Could this conglomeration make music? The answer came during the 1965 Christmas season in a rather modest form. Three ranks in the Great and one in the pedal section sounded forth. Week by week, new voices were heard until at present we are hearing 14 of the ultimate 23 voices of the organ. An organ of this size and quality is distinctive when one considers our total membership is less than 100. Even more surprising are the financial facts. Purchase, shipment, renovation and installation total: $4,600. How does a small church acquire a pipe organ of this size and quality? The answer is “personal sacrifice by committed Christians.” Not only has Mr. Trostad enthused the congregation with his vision, but he has given unstintingly of his time, labor and leadership to fashion this beautiful instrument of worship and praise. Sharing in this labor of love are many men from the congregation who have supported the project with untold hours of skilled labor. It is our prayer that the pipe organ be used to glorify God and edify the entire community.
When the church outgrew the Liberty Bay location, the pipe organ remained for the new Presbyterian congregation.
The story of Sue and Don Green and their family is typical of the welcome and miracles at Christ Memorial. Sue reported was searching. She had become a new Christian but found her attendance at a Presbyterian church unfulfilling. “It wasn’t what I needed.” She considered attending the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church on Bainbridge. “But before making up my mind I thought I would try one more time to find a church that would meet my needs. My five kids and I first attended Christ Memorial in 1968 Al’s mother Lu[ella] met us and took us all into Al’s office. All five kids knew we would be there for the long haul.”
Don didn’t go. “Mom insisted we go to Sunday School at the Methodist church all the time I was growing up. My family was Christian, but I never really heard the Word or the call, and when I was old enough, I asked myself, ‘Why do I need to keep going?’ and I dropped away. I had a lot of Christian background and prayer, but I didn’t see a reason to continue. When Sue and I married she didn’t have a Christian background but felt a need and started looking. After she took the kids to CMC I saw what was happening to her, and life started changing for me.”
Sue added that it was after nationally known Bill Gothard’s huge Seattle seminars that Don started to see the practical aspect of the Bible and he was able to put it all put together.
“Meeting Al was a special connection - he’s not your typical preacher; he’s a person-to-person person!” Don said.
Don began attending Pastor Al’s Heathens class. “He talks at your level and brings it around so that [the Gospel message] is very understandable. He makes you start thinking about things that make sense – what it boiled down to was that you didn’t have much of a choice. The other direction wasn’t very good – you start to take it seriously. The Heathens class was by invitation only and very small – six to eight men at first.
“After getting involved I really liked Al; we had a lot of things in common – we started flying model airplanes together. We have a remarkable lot of experiences that are the same, even where we had lived – I looked up to him even though I am an inch taller than he is!”
Because of warm relationships, Don said that he and Sue made an easy transition to the Pentecostal movement. “That would scare a lot of people but it didn’t me or Sue. It felt like home to me after growing up among strong Christians. The first time I saw somebody put their hands up, it was something different, and I had heard about ‘holy roller churches,’ but I never saw that and I found an excitement about it that stirred me positively. I had been through a Methodist church, stone cold, but this was alive! This had feelings; this had expression; I really felt that, and it didn’t offend me or put me off. The personal contact, the personal feelings, the personal expressions to me you couldn’t deny – it was a warm thing.
“Sue went one night went to CMC. They had invited a special speaker. The speaker called Sue down to take notes, recording what he was prophesying about people in the service. She was a bit uneasy but went forward. After a time he turned to her; it petrified her, but he just put a finger on her forehead and she was slain in the Spirit, down on floor, which she described as floating on a pillow. I know her well, and it was an experience she would never do on her own. It convinced us both that there is more than the visible, something else supernatural and beyond, out of our hands. She came home absolutely a different person I knew something happened there, something supernatural. She is not someone flighty; she’s very straightforward. When things go bad for me or I wonder about the future, I can go back to that incident. I knew it’s real.
Don concluded, “We have great, great memories.”
Shirley continued, "CMC then began remodeling the Elementary School building that had just been purchased. The plan was hold church services in the school gym while the new church was built. Dave Gentry was our Music Director at the time and shortly after beginning services in the gym we mentioned that he had a pipe organ in storage and perhaps CMC should install it on either side of the platform in the gym. Rod and crew were up to the task and soon we were the only church in the state, perhaps the nation, with a wonderful pipe organ in their gym."
In preparation for the second new church - this one to seat 1,000 people, including stage lighting and organ chambers designed on either side of the chancel - Rod began another pipe organ search in the late 1970s and located one, manufactured by the Reuter organ Company, in the First Methodist Church in Yakima. He made similar efforts and arrangements for shipment.
The Reuter organ was refurbished and enlarged and installed in the present building. Frank Burlingame performed as organist. Meanwhile, Rod Trostad and his crew, including Jim Owens, worked to upgrade and improve the organ. This involved meticulous and arduous cleaning of more than 4,000 individual pipes.
“I was best friends with Rod and Elaine’s daughter, Cheryl,” Trudy Owens said. “She and I were at their house or our house Sunday night after church. “I grew up in their house.”
Jim continued the Rod Trostad story. “I met Rod and connected with him when he was giving a seminar about the CMC pipe organ. After that he would come up and talk to me about the interrelationship of physics and music. Then he asked me if I would help him refurbishing the organ. I told him, ‘I would absolutely love to be involved.’
“We spent many long hours working on it. At one time the baptismal leaked on the pipe organ. He didn’t have electrical skills and I helped him with that.
“I remember Erika played tremolo, and Rod didn’t care for it. So his son, Robbie, and I wired up a switch on the wall so we could disable the tremolo!
“Rod absolutely loved music.”
Trudy added, “And he fostered a love for music in his family.”
“It rubbed off on me,” Jim said.
Three organs Rod brought in – the last from Yakima. It was in the church’s school building many years. Rod and Jim spent much time in the school building taking dents out of the pipes, spray-painting and nurturing every rank and some 3000 pipes.
“Rod had a vision, but congregational buy-in wasn’t always there; even so, the church agreed to a couple of organ chambers and raised the design height of the church roof six to eight feet to accommodate the 16-foot pipes. Rod would not allow a nail to be used as a fastening device. He insisted that the every inch of the chests and woodwork was varnished. He double-coated the floor paint so all would be clean – the very best way that it could be. Ruth Edgley played the organ. Robbie Trostad enhanced the theater organ in the gym with bells, whistles and bird calls.”
Trudy observed that “everyone chipped in and played the organ.”
Jim added, “Every Saturday we’d go down to the school and spend most of day working on the organ. We’d crank up the popcorn machine that was our energy and payment! Even today if I hear a stuck note [in the newer sanctuary] I jump out of my seat and go up to the chambers and fix it.”
The Trostads acquired a cabin overlooking a lake, where countless, untold monumental experiences of fellowship and bonding took place for family and friends.
Trudy recalled that Rod was always looking for a bigger and better sound system for his cabin. He’d invite people to the cabin, they would play cards the first night and retire for the night. “The next morning his guests would wake up to the sound of windows shaking like a train coming down track!”
At one point he and his devoted wife, Elaine, took a 90-day vacation in Scandinavia, primarily the Mother Country of his roots in Norway. The Trostads invited friends and family to visit the cabin during their three-month absence. The only request was to sign their guest book. When they returned, more than 90 people had visited and signed the guest book.
Jim said that Rod would play musical works on his phonograph, such as Saint-Saëns’ Psalm 94 – “He’d say, ‘Check out this ending!’ as the music resounded in his cabin and again rattle the windows. Then he’d tell a story and say, ‘This is what the composer was doing at that time in his life.’ Rod would find sequences and analyze little pieces, an adagio for strings punctuated by two strong chords that would then go to silence. He would find a story in the song, and he had a keen appreciation for harmony here and discord there.
The organ was Rod’s overriding passion, but he didn’t allow it to stifle his other interests and outreaches, which included a large, old, wooden boat that he made seaworthy and used to provide memorable cruises for seniors, youth and disabled.
Frank Burlingame, his own words & music
In the fall of 1965, Joann and I made our first visit to Christ Memorial Church and were warmly greeted at the door by none other than Rodney Trostad. Upon learning that I was a music teacher from Bainbridge Island, I was in for one of his famous tours of the organ, which included a look in the pipe chambers and the story of its installation. That led to an incredible adventure of serving off and on over the years as a volunteer choir director, organist, choir accompanist for Dale McClellan and Dottie Clogg, and as the first full-time Minister of Music under Pastor Marc in 1989, until my retirement in 2004.
I stepped in a couple of times as choir director in the old church and a great memory is the presentation of Gaither’s worship musical “Alleluia.” Some of the old-times will remember that event and numbers of the participants have gone on to be with the Lord. I believe that was back in about 1972.
After stepping out of music for a number of years due to a busy corporate job with a lot of travel, it was Dale McClellan that asked me to accompany him on the piano as he auditioned to be the choir director. He came after Dave Gentry who had served several years as choir director and organist. That led to my accompanying the choir for Dale and with his encouragement, I began playing the Reuter Pipe Organ for Sunday services. After Dale, Dottie Clogg was the choir director, then I believe Erika Munger stepped back in for awhile and then I was asked to direct the choir as well as play the organ.
As I came aboard full time in 1989, so many things could now happen in the area of music ministry.
Youth Choir
I formed a youth choir with willing teenagers out of Ron McClung’s youth ministry. With his encouragement and help, along with several parent helpers, we presented two memorable youth musicals, Friends Forever and Hightops. Our last night with Hightops we had one of the largest crowds ever at CMC – over 1,100 people and what a performance!! We went on the road and enjoyed giving performances at other churches in Washington and Canada. What a joy to see some of those young people now as adults still involved in ministry, some still singing that didn’t even know they had a voice. I’m thinking of Steve Silberman [now missionary to Mexico] to name one!!
Handbell Choir
Through memorial fund gifts, we were able to purchase a beautiful set of Schulmerich Handbells. The handbell choir has been an ongoing ministry for many years at CMC and has not only blessed the congregation during Sunday services but continues to be a highlight of the Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service each year. After my retirement, Dianne Johnston has led that group and they continue to play for special events.
Celebration Choir
The Celebration Choir has always been the centerpiece of the music ministry at CMC and although people have come and gone over the years, there is a core group of which many have served for 15, 20 or more years. We have been blessed with dedicated singers and so many talented soloists who have added so much to the worship experience at CMC. We can never forget “When He Was on the Cross, I was on His Mind” and “Daystar” sung by Merle Trostad; “He’s Been Faithful,” sung by Caroleen Smole. DeAnna Henning blessed us with so many solos along with Ginger Phillips, Bill Beaver, Chuck Driver, Kathy Jungkeit, and Jim and Miko Baker, just to name a few. Dianne Johnston has served as choir accompanist for over 20 years and continues today. During my time working with this group, we went through several significant transformations.
- We moved from a robed choir singing from the choir loft an anthem each Sunday to no robes, no choir loft and we moved to the center of platform and took on more of a worship leadership roll.
- We sang in one service, then two, and then three.
- We moved from doing a Cantata at Christmas and some special music at Easter to major productions for Christmas and Easter, and a special musical for Patriotic Sunday. The choir also presented several worship musicals such as “God with Us,” “God for Us,” “Mighty Cross” and “Experiencing God.” We had the opportunity to premier two of these musicals in Bellevue at a large conference of church music leaders from around the Northwest. We also did a lot of music from the Brooklyn Tabernacle and presented an evening of worship based on their music.
- One year, we totally flattened the platform, took out about ten pews, built and installed a large ramp, which created an orchestra pit and the ramp was used to enhance the drama presentation. At that point, we moved to a whole new level in ministry.
Musical productions
Our goal was outreach to the church and community with the message of Christmas and Easter. The presentations included drama, music, and orchestra and hundreds of hours were spent preparing for these performances. At Christmas we were doing five presentations – At Easter usually three. The leadership team for many years was comprised of Karen Trostad, production manager and much more; Jim Wise, drama; MaryAnn Hill, costumes; Gary Jensen, sound; Jim Ray – set construction; Dianne Johnston, orchestra coordinator; Elsie Bjorndahl, music assistant; David Quinn, lighting; and me as the conductor – what a blessing to direct these programs and see it all come together with His blessing and by His grace.
Guests always commented that we had brought in outside singers and actors, but it was always our own CMC group that did these productions. It was ordinary people doing extraordinary things, as a result of a lot of hard work and a lot of prayer. Never in all the years did we have any understudies and we never missed a beat! God is so good!!
Our budgets for costuming, set design and sound were small but with a lot of creative people doing a lot of hard work, we always came through with something that exceeded our expectations. It was a great journey!
We built a wonderful group of instrumentalists from CMC and from the community that came year after year to accompany these productions and several are still participating today in the CMC Liberty Bay Orchestra.
Some of our special Christmas presentations were – “The Gift of Christmas,” “The Christmas Post,” “From the Mall to the Manger,” “A Time for Christmas,” “Four Tickets to Christmas,” and “Journey to the Manger,” to name a few.
At Easter – “Once upon a Cross,” “Mighty Cross,” “The Last Supper,”
and “The Power of His Love” come to mind.
Kid's Choir
Kid’s Choir began in the 80’s under the direction of Dottie Clogg. At Christmas time and again in late spring, around 60 children in first through fifth grade were involved in a musical presentation. After Dottie Clogg, DeAnn Henning assumed the leadership for a number of years and she was followed by Sandi Cooney. After a
few years Heather Criss directed, then her mother Kirby and finally Jodi Harster. What a great experience for hundreds of kids who participated over the years to the delight of their parents, grandparents and friends.
Worship team and band
Sometime in the early 80’s, Pastor Munger asked Karen Trostad to begin leading a couple of contemporary choruses in the Sunday morning services and so began a long journey which eventually led to worship teams, several leaders, and a worship band with brass, guitars percussion, and drums. Karen remained a leader in the worship ministry for 25 years.
As the whole genre of contemporary worship grew and developed over the years, we grew with it moving from an overhead projector to slides on the big screen to multi-media projection on side screens. We moved from piano and organ accompaniment to a band in the front pews to a full worship band on the platform. We also moved from a worship leader to several leaders and several worship teams that rotated on Sundays.
We continued to develop our skills as we attended worship seminars in the local area, as well as Vancouver, B.C., and several participated in the International Worship Seminar in Dallas, Texas. In the year 2000, we sponsored our own worship seminar, “The Heart of Worship,” which was well attended by worship groups in the Kitsap area.
It was our privilege over the years to host worship leader Duff Rowden, Bob Fitts, Bob Kilpatrick, and Scott Wesley Brown.
Special guests
CMC has hosted a number of very talented and well known individuals and groups to minister to our congregation and community. In the earlier years, I think of the Hawaiians, the Continentals, Doug Oldham, The Imperials. Lilly Knauls, Grant Goodeve, and the SPU Singers. More recent are Dino, Phil Driscoll, Frank Peretti and Northern Cross, groups from Northwest College, and Lessons and Carols by the Northwest Boy Choir and the Men’s Glee Club from Wheaton College.
Christmas Eve - Candlelight Communion
The first Christmas Eve Service took place in the old church in 1976. Dave Gentry was the choir director and organist and the ensemble “His Song” presented that first service. Since that time, the sanctuary fills each year on Christmas Eve for a musical program which includes traditional carols, scripture, a short musical program, communion, and the singing of Silent Night right at Midnight. It would not seem like Christmas without this service.
The Trostad Organ
The Reuter Pipe Organ built for the new sanctuary at CMC was dedicated October 21, 1984. The dedicatory concert was given by organist, Dr. Donald P. Hustad Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Hustad was the editor of the last two hymnals used by CMC for congregational singing.
On May 14, 1989, the Reuter Pipe Organ was named the Rodney C. Trostad Organ. In honor of this occasion, organist Robert Hebble gave the concert.
On both occasions, I remember the weeks and hours Rodney and his wife spent tuning and working on the organ in preparation of these concerts. Elaine would sit at the console and press a key and Rodney was in the Organ Chamber tuning each individual pipe. Rodney worked almost up until the concert began wanting everything to work just right and the ranks pipes to be in tune. What a guy!
A Trostad epilogue
Rod had battled cancer and heart disease, and finally, a heart attack felled him in 1997, just days before his granddaughter’s wedding – he had been helping decorate. When all hope for recovery vanished, his musical family gathered at his deathbed and sang the Seven-fold Amen. Nurses remarked how blessed Rod was to have such a devoted family.
The family reenacted the moment at his memorial service at Christ Memorial, which was a service to remember. Rod had written the entire service in seven binders, designated roles for the pastoral staff members and supporting cast.
A banner in front repeated a phrase written by Johann Sebastian Bach on his music: Jesus, Priceless Treasure. The service, attended by perhaps 700, recalled a unique life of devotion to Jesus Christ and His followers at Christ Memorial, highlighted by pipe organ selections performed by Frank Burlingame and singing by Rod’s talented family.
“Rod would insist on hearing every word of a song,” Jim said. Even though he was a member of the American Guild of Organists, he was a very humble man. He’d say, ‘I’m not an organ builder.’ I was so honored that he asked me beforehand to run the music at his memorial – his favorite music that was played on tape and cued into the schedule,” Jim concluded. “It made me tearful. Rod often had come into a class I was teaching – he came in to support me. I called him my second dad. He had a great heart.”
Today a special musical program would not be complete without the participation of Rod’s son Merle, daughter-in-law Karen, a staff member at Christ Memorial and musical production director, along with other family descendants and personifications of Rod’s musical legacy. A memorial fund was established in Rodney Trostad’s name, resulting in an extensive upgrading of the organ in 2005 to include many modern electronic features and a console facelift.
An added tribute from Frank
By the way - when Rod died - I got one of those notebooks and was so honored that he would ask me to be the organist for his service. The day before the service, I had a diverticulitis attack and the Dr. wanted to put me in the hospital. I told him there was no way I was going to miss that service and talked him into pain medication and promised to return after the service. God was faithful and I never played any better than I did that day.
An incredible journey
God always provided the vision, He always provided the talent, and He always honored our hard work, dedication to excellence, and our desire to minister the Word of God through music. I have been so blessed to work with so many wonderful people, a great staff, and Pastor Marc who always supported me but gave me the freedom to be innovative during the years I served. My wife, Joann, and my daughter, Jennifer, were so supportive of my ministry. Jennifer sang in the youth choir and then for years in the adult choir as well as played her harp in the orchestra. Joann baked muffins for the choir on Sunday mornings for years, helped with rehearsal meals and was always there for me. “To God be the Glory for the great things He has done!!”
But we digress - the rest of the story
Munger continued his recollections:
It was thought by the congregation that the lovely new structure on Harrison Street would be all they would ever need. However, growth accelerated and soon two worship services became necessary to accommodate the people. Sunday School, missions budget and expanded ministries kept pace. A feasibility study for further expansion was accomplished in 1974, but a major enlargement was not desirable in that location because of property limitations and the residential nature of the neighborhood. A small addition was added in 1975 to relieve overcrowding. During the 1970s the staff began to grow with additional ministers. Bob Stone was the first Minster of Youth.
In 1974, Christ the King Academy was started and joined the successful North Kitsap Day Care in ministering to youth. Both Academy and Day Care grew in numbers and excellence. Munger continued:
In 1975 plans began in earnest for a new sanctuary and related facilities. What comes to mind is the property shuffle that occurred when we were preparing to build the present building. Having outgrown the Harrison Street facility after a major addition had been added; the city told us we could not add any more to the building in that location. We were in two services, crowded and growing. We purchased 10 acres on the hillside above what is now Schuck's Auto and the video store.
I believe we paid $35,000 for the property and intended to build a larger facility there. About a year after the purchase, I came out of my office one day and was met by Don Green, our Building Committee chairman, and Architect Gordon Nickell. Gordon had designed the Harrison Street building. They confronted me with, “Have you considered the elementary school property?” I admitted that it hadn't crossed my mind. To make a long story shorter, we took a hard look.
Troubled by practices of his partner in his merged factory operation, Don left the company at a time the church needed help. “Al asked me to take a look at a project, and it just so happened that I had a period of time look for the right property.”
At the Harrison location, “Al saw the need for growth and asked me to head up a group to look at options for moving ahead. It was a four-year project – one property the church owned – near what is now Schuck’s – I, and later Al and I, walked the property top to bottom and width to width. ‘I don’t feel good about this as the best location,’ I told Al. I heard about the school property sitting empty at a dynamite location – people were coming in and out of town on three sides near the property, which had classrooms we could use.
“I went to the district superintendent of schools who said no decision had been made yet and they had no authority to sell it, but that a decision would be have to be made before too long. The city of Poulsbo had put moratorium on construction – the property had a high value for construction of homes.
We talked to people in the city offices and they laughed. ‘Do you think CMC could buy that piece of property?’
I lived on the north end of Bainbridge at Port Madison. I had to travel 2 miles to work every day, down Phelps Road to a ‘Y’ in the highway ; I had to go to the left or right. I always went left to the factory – day after day. But one day I turned right. I said, “Why did you do that?” I tuned right. I kept asking, ‘What are you doing???’
“I kept going and kept asking, ‘What are you doing?’ as I continued toward Poulsbo. The thought came to mind to visit the superintendent of schools. But I had no appointment. ‘I can’t just walk in. What are you going to say?’ At the Standard [now Chevron] station I turned right and stopped at the school administration building. I stopped with my car facing toward the entry. I sat there – my mind was in a fog – I then got out of car and found myself walking toward the building. Just as I got to the top stop of the stairs, two men came out. The second man was the superintendent.
"He said, ‘Hi, Don' and reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. ‘this is for you,’ he said, and walked off, got in a car, and drove away. I sat there and opened the letter. It was from the school attorney to the superintendent. He had made a copy for me. It said a decision had been made, that the school district was in a position to sell the property on a bid basis, and from the standpoint of value, they required a minimum rock-bottom price and specified it in the letter. I grabbed the paper – I was among first to know about it – and began to ponder all the possibilities, despite the moratorium on the property.
“I thought, ‘How am I going to present this?’ I knew Gordon Mickell. I knew he was very good friends with Al who respected him. He was an architect of churches, and I made an appointment with him and went to his Seattle house. I told him, ‘I need your help; come over with me and tour property. I’m excited about it and I want to get your thoughts. He came over and before we were half way through the property, he said, ‘I don’t need to go any further – this is unbelievable.’ At that point I decided I was going to talk to Al now.
“Al thought they wanted a fair amount. The property was suitable for a church, for classrooms, and a primary school, which later became Christ the King Academy.
“Al was excited about it and started on a road to plan to have dollars available. Phil Youngquist and others were involved.
“We looked at comparable properties and decided all we could do was to offer very little more. If we could get it for that, it was for us. The city’s moratorium put a cloud over it. We had that figure in mind when it came to the day for bids to be accepted. The superintendent and attorneys were all there. People were there with their accountants. We thought, ‘Well, we gave it our shot, but we probably would not be able to get it. Somebody will outbid us for sure.’"
Munger continued, “The location could not have been better. There were classrooms and a gym that could serve a church. It had been empty for three years and would soon be put up for sale to the highest bidder. We got a vision of what could be, we invited the people to go over to the property and walk around it in faith that the barriers would fall, as Joshua did outside Jericho.
“You have to believe God’s hand was in there. It was a very unique piece of property close to downtown.”
“The day of official bidding came and our building and finance people went up to the superintendent’s office to offer our bid,” Munger said.
Youngquist added, “Our congregation wasn’t too large, and almost all of us were in the room. An attorney had come from Tacoma and opened it for bid. We were going to wait to see what transpired. We had a certain figure, but no one said anything.”
Pastor Munger continued, “The minimum bid that would be acceptable would be $220,000. Bids were called for. No one responded. It was silent for maybe a minute or more, and then Phil Youngquist spoke and stated that CMC would like to bid $225,000 for the elementary school property. Other bids were invited. Nobody responded.
Youngquist remembered, “The attorney barked, ‘Last calls for bids.”
The pastor concluded, “Finally the meeting chairman said, ‘If there are no other bids, the property is awarded to CMC,’ and he put a deadline on completing the transaction. Why no contractors bid is still a mystery. Maybe they didn't want to deal with an old school building."
Said Phil, “There had been a problem with the sewer and water had been restricted to the building, but in a matter of days, the restriction was dropped. It had to be the Lord’s work. We were able to do anything that needed to be done to keep the ball field for the youth - and we played there ourselves.
Munger observed, “In my mind it was the hand of God that the property has served so well these many years. God is master of the impossible.”
Don became chairman of the building committee for the two years it took to build the present main structure. They had meticulously scrutinized the needs for a new building. Gordon Mickell was not the designer, Don said, but another Christian firm with whom he has had “a long and good relationship.”
Bruce Samuelson had been a nursing home administrator in Bremerton and became the business administration pastor at CMC in July 1976. “The Mungers came to our house to discuss it, the board saw a need for an administrator, Pastor Al recommended Bruce and the board voted him in unanimously. He served for 16 years, 1976 - 1992, before retiring.
Sale of the building on Harrison Street was negotiated with the Liberty Bay Presbyterians and the CMC congregation moved to the renovated school gym in January 1978.
“We started a Sunday School class over at the school – with the pipe organ in the gym, Shirley Odle recalled. “Rod and the choir put it together backstage.”
June 11 of that year saw the congregation breaking ground for the present new church building. Just one year later the congregation moved from the gym to the present modern sanctuary, which even featured a pulpit early-on that rose out of the floor.
Conrad Green added that it was often Pastor Al who took the common laborer initiative. “When he asked men to remove the packaging from the rafters, the first on the ladder was Al Munger even though the only thing under him was a concrete floor!”
Bruce said he supervised volunteer bookkeepers, “and one of the first things I did was see to it that the restrooms were painted.”
Ella chimed in, “When the toilets were plugged up, you’d hear people ask, ‘Where’s Bruce?’”
She said, “Bruce and Munger were penny-pinchers. Often they wouldn’t take a pay raise because the money wasn’t there.”
Bruce added, “We sometimes had financial crises, even in the new building. I’d keep the bills in a rubber band and I’d check the offering. If I couldn’t mail all of them, I was at least determined to always make the mortgage payment.”
Conrad Green added that Al Munger’s solution on several occasions was that his own “salary was the fudge factor.” Conrad said that even though Pastor Al’s paycheck was short, he had a “giving spirit.” Al was a “man’s man” who emerged himself into what interested men. “He has owned an airplane, a boat and motorcycles. There was no retirement fund, but God provided and enabled Al and Erika to be comfortable even now.” While Conrad gives God the credit, he also points out the God-given gifts to Erika Munger – “that German who was a master at managing money and even used to teach women how to budget.”
John Hubbell provided additional insight on the evolving Christ the King Academy:
Jude and I started attending CMC in 1976. We had returned in 1974 to Washington from Norfolk, Virginia, after a three-year hitch in the Navy. While in Norfolk, we had attended Berean Chapel, which met in a women’s auxiliary hall in Chesapeake. Many of the people who attended BC were employees of CBN including Pat Robertson and his wife. When we returned to Washington, we lived with Jude’s folks for a month while I began to substitute teach in Federal Way, Kent and Seattle. I did this for about six months. I was able to sign a one-year non-renewable contract for the next school year at a Federal Way junior high (Sacagawea).
Before that stint was over, Ken Johnson, an associate pastor at CMC and administrator of CKA, gave me a call and wanted to show me a new Christian school that had fallen into the lap of CMC. CKA had started as a satellite school of King’s Garden and met out at Island Lake. After about two years, King’s decided they didn’t want to invest the time and effort into CKA and turned it over to CMC. My connection to Ken was through track & field at the University of Washington. He had been a javelin thrower and I a shot putter. I have always considered Ken as my spiritual father as he helped me make it through my spiritual infancy without totally crashing and burning. He wanted me to get a taste of Christian education before I got used to the public school salaries that weren’t really all that much better than what I was offered at CKA.
Unbeknownst to me was that Jude had always wanted to live on the peninsula. We had just bought a house in Kent when the call came. We made a visit to CMC and caught the vision for Christian education. We rented our house out for two years and then sold it for almost twice the amount we paid for it. We lived in Suquamish on Agate Pass. Jude and I worked together in the learning center, she being my aide and did as much teaching as I did. We then got pregnant with our daughter Amy. Just before moving into our present situation, we got pregnant again with our son Matt.
The rent for the cabin we lived in Suquamish was more than we wanted to pay by about $40. The place was overgrown so I went to work cleaning up the outside. The landlord stopped by and saw what I had done and knocked $40 off our rent. God made it fit within our budget.
When we came to serve at CKA, CMC met at the present Liberty Bay Presbyterian Church. CMC was growing out of that facility and was ready for larger accommodations. CMC was renting the old Poulsbo Elementary School from the school district. The property at the school was prime location when it went up for sale; however, there was a sewer moratorium that kept the speculators from bidding on the property. There was concerted prayer and an offer was made just over the minimum bid. Nobody else bid on the property and we obtained the future site of CMC.
We shortly thereafter moved into the CKA gym for church services while the new facility was being built. The music director, Dave Gentry, had a pipe organ that he had purchased from a closed-down Pizza and Pipes restaurant. With the help of Rod Trostad and crew, it was installed in the gym for the duration while we met there. We were probably the only school on earth that had a pipe organ in our gym.
The next time you are in the gym, look at the full court basketball hoops. Rod Trostad designed it. A former Seabee, Steve Davis, built it, and a mighty crew installed it.
When in need of funds to improve the programs at CKA, the first auction was organized with Judy Black taking the lead. Stokes auctioneers ran the show and I think we cleared about $7,000. For the same purpose we attempted some rummage sales that serviced the community but did not make a lot of money for the school.
During my stint as principal at CKA, Bill Austin created the sign that still stands out front of the office entrance of CKA.
CKA came about when Christian schools were opening up on an average of two per day throughout the United States. During those years we were able to expand to a K-12 program using a packet curriculum produced by a Texas company called Accelerated Christian Education or ACE. Students worked at study carrels and a staff of teachers and aides monitored their progress. Each student, prior to entering CKA, was tested to determine reading levels and was plugged into materials at their level of reading competency.
At our peak, CKA had a student population that had grown from 34 to 239. Tuition at that time was below $2K for the year. There was a graduated scale for families with more than one student.
Several things affected the growth of CKA. One was a recession; two was dissatisfaction with the packet curriculum, and three was a lack of marketing experience - not knowing the best way to promote the school.
One of the highlights during this period was a group of girls who had won a small Christian school state volleyball championship. This earned the team a birth in a national competition in Denton, Texas. While in Texas we came head-to-head with a literal tornado and we also went to Dallas and visited the site where JFK was assassinated.
While principal, I was under direct supervision of Pastor Marc as CKA was part of his portfolio as an associate pastor. We worked our tails off back in those years. Organizing a school board, sweeping the gym floors, teaching and coaching, fund raising, balancing the budget, trying to keep tuition down while trying to raise teacher salaries, driving the bus, stomping out figurative fires and starting a few too, counseling and ministering to students and parents and teachers and staff, working on improving the facility were all part of a small Christian school environment.
I learned many lessons during this experience. Number one was choosing your battles carefully. Another was delegate, delegate, delegate! Don’t let your ministry become your god. Don’t let your job steal you away from your family. To illustrate this lesson, we were at Lake Cushman supposedly on vacation at the Trostad cabin. I was trying to balance the CKA budget for the umpteenth time while my 4-year-old son who was upstairs attempting to take a nap with my 6-year-old daughter. Amy came flying out of the room choking out that Matt had fallen out of the window. He had a little match-box car that he was playing with on the window screen when he leaned too hard and fell two stories just missing a grounding rod. He was stunned from his belly flop. He didn’t move at first but then crawled up into my arms as we waited for the EMTs to arrive. The EMTs put him on the board and off we went to the Shelton Emergency. Matt lost a third of his spleen in this accident and we spent the next six days at the hospital as he recovered enough to go home. I still tear up whenever I think about what happened on that day. I should have had my eyes on Matt and Amy rather than on the budget. Not only are budgets sometimes difficult to balance, but so are our lives when our priorities get out of sync.
One other lesson is to let Him show Himself mighty. Let Him fight the battles that only He can fight. Sometimes it is painful getting to a better spot where the gifts He has given you can be used more effectively by Him. One other significant lesson that Jude and I would want others to consider is that the Body of Christ is family and to leave your family just because things didn’t go the way you would have liked them to can stunt your growth, and you may find yourself having to repeat a grade.
Elaborating on the growth that resulted in building the present sanctuary and facilities, Bruce recalled that the new building required a loan of $750,000. Capital Savings and Loan said the would finance half of it, with the other half financed by mortgages on staff and members’ homes, second mortgages taken on by the likes of the Mungers, Samuelsons, Greens, Odles and Youngquists, among others. The bank wanted a list of the 200 members and others who comprised 450 attending.
Bruce said the new church cost a total of $1.3 million, and much of it was financed by $250,000 to $300,000 in what was called Kingdom Investors coupons or notes that people would buy and collect interest. The notes, yielding 5, 7.5 and 10 percent interest, were issued in December of 1977 with maturities in the early 1980s. Guidance for the program was provided by Phil Youngquist and Roger Gehrhardt. One person, newly divorced, gave a $100,000 note. Finally, fundraisers made up the difference, with baskets on the platform, donated cars, coins and jewelry.
“Someone gave a velvet tray with silver dollars from every state in the union,” Bruce concluded.
Women, seniors, scholarship
In 1978, Shirley recalled, a new emphasis emerged of women ministering within the church. “We had a women’s society who met regularly for sewing, prayer and fellowship besides the ministry of deaconesses: Lu Munger, Sue Green, Ruth Raygor, Ruby Watland and Patty Schroeder, who prepared communion and served at the pastor’s request in various ways.” Shirley had been working for some time at the Keyport Naval facility and was invited to a retreat when Ruth Tangen was president of the women’s society. The speaker was emphasizing he Spirit and asked for those who felt God’s direction to speak for His word, and some did.
On returning to their cabin, Irene Lanning said she had been given a prophecy that to her seemed inappropriate, and so she remained quiet during the service. She was encouraged to tell us and she said, “My child, if you will obey My voice, I will give you the desires of your heart.” The Lord had been dealing with Shirley’s heart about leaving her job, and she knew this prophecy was for her. When she got home from the retreat she decided not to tell Glen about the prophecy, and if Glen asked her to leave her job, it would be confirmation that this prophecy was for her. At dinner soon after, Glen said, “Honey, I’ve been thinking you ought to quit your job.”
“This was totally of God, because Glen would never have asked me to do what he knew I loved to do,” Shirley said.
The next Sunday there was an ad in the bulletin for a church bookkeeper, and she thought this might be what she was to do. But, she said, the Spirit impressed on her to wait and see what He had for her. Shortly after, when she was walking from the Harrison Street church to the school facility to teach her women’s Sunday School class, Pastor Al stopped and gave her a ride and outlined his vision for a woman to work on staff with him to organize the various ministries of the church. He asked her to consider this ministry, and she knew in her heart that this was her calling from God.
Shortly after, three of the deaconesses visited Shirley outlining the pastor’s vision for this ministry to women. They asked Shirley to consider accepting this position. After speaking to Glen about the deaconesses’ request he agreed that God was calling her to serve. Bruce Samuelson gave her an office in a corner of Room 18 in the elementary school and Shirley began the task of organizing the women. The first leaders were placed according to their talents and education as follows: Patty Benedict, nursery coordinator; Judy Harrison, special events coordinator; Marge McRae, Bible study moderator; Judy Hubbell, outreach coordinator; Laura Schmidt and Carol Pearson, showers; Karen Trostad, Missionettes coordinator; Jan Stenerson, secretary; and Earlene Wallace, treasurer. To this talented group was later added Bette Collier and Gail Stivers, decorations; Sue McDonald, studies; Gladys Lindholm, Manna Ministries; Sherry Scherr, food preparation; and all who were willing to serve were placed in a position.
The ministry’s first event to raise money for the building fund was controversial as in those days, sales within the church were frowned upon. And so the women held the event in Joe Mentor’s unfinished building above the pet shop on Anderson Parkway. “The lack of any heat in the building did not bother our gals as they enthusiastically made Christmas swags, sold hot coffee, home-baked beans, various Christmas craft items besides good-as-new clothing (formerly called rummage),” Shirley said. “The next Sunday we were happy to present the church with a sizable gift from the proceeds. This was the start of many successful Fall Sales in the gym and later when the addition was built housing Fellowship Hall and West Wing.
“Besides weekly women’s studies, we sponsored church-wide events such as the Doug Oldham Concert, The Hawaiians, a luau, Sunday night film series, Hillbillies Night and family dinners. For most of the events we were packed out. Our retreats at Island Lake and other accommodations were a blessing to our women. Exercise and weight-loss classes were a hit as were the special seasonal celebrations of skits and a brunch or luncheon in the Fireside Room and narthex. Our WM board not only emphasized spiritual pursuits but happy times and fun that helped bond our ladies in Christian love.”
The church board sent Shirley to a women’s leaders retreat at Robert Schuller’s Church in Southern California, and she said she was surprised at how very advanced Christ Memorial was in the ministry to women compared to many very large churches there. “This would never have happened if Pastor Munger had not had a vision for women active in church ministry.
“One of our ladies from California brought a ministry of providing food for the needy in the community and after receiving pastoral direction, a similar plan was formed and named Manna Ministries. Bruce Samuelson screened those needing help, met their financial needs for gas, heat and other needs, and when WM provided a nice box of groceries for them. Gladys Lindholm took on the ministry, taking the items from the manna box in the narthex and stocking the shelves in our storage room in the basement. She always had several boxes ready for those in need. This was a lonesome ministry, but she was faithful to it for years. She also made a baby- and young-children-clothing closet on the shelves of Room 18 for those needing children’s apparel Shelves were stocked with usable clothing and those not taken were sorted to take to the Little Kicker Rerun Shop at Poulsbo Junction for sale. This provided a little money for the WM’s fund.
After five years of working with women, Shirley’s husband Glen retired and her mother recognized “how lonesome he was at home” while Shirley was working at the church. Knowing that a ministry does not depend on any one person, Shirley resigned and God placed a capable young woman, Kay Young, in leadership and the ministry continued to flourish.
In the fall of 1982, the Odles became involved in a ministry for seniors. Kenn Lindgren had also had a real heart for seniors and had taken a group to the Woodland Park Zoo, which was their first recorded trip.
Shirley and Glen had wanted to be involved in a ministry together and remembered visiting Hazel and Bill Cross in Arizona who enthusiastically supported their church’s senior group. Now some years later the burden was on the Odle’s heart again.
Shirley gave Pastor Al a proposal to organize such a group and after reviewing it Pastor Al “thought the idea was great!” She asked who he thought would lead the group, and he answered, “You.”
They planned a picnic for about 30 seniors at Kitsap Memorial Park and explained the plans for this ministry. The name “Olympians” was chosen, probably because of the beautiful mountain range visible from the park that day. “Phil Youngquist’s name, ‘Holy Oldies,’ was voted down by all,” Shirley added.
The same method Shirley used to organize this group was what she had used in forming the Women’s Ministry. A council was chosen of willing workers: Marge and Phil Youngquist, Clarence and Lucille Fochtman, Bruce and Ella Samuelson, Rod and Elaine Trostad, Bill and Shirley Lomas and Ruth Borge. This council met monthly at one of the member’s home for a potluck and planning session. The Trostads hosted this meeting more than once at their beautiful Lake Cushman mountain home.
A file of trips was established, accessible by our yellow bus, Shirley said. A yearly schedule of activities was planned with monthly trip destinations, coffee stops and eating places. “We took those seniors all over the state of Washington. We had retreats at Cannon Beach, Oregon; Harrison Hotsprings in British Columbia; Yakima; Leavenworth and Lake Chelan; Warm Beach Conference Grounds; and even took 62 seniors on a Princess cruise to Alaska. On a trip to Mt. St. Helens, the bus driver got lost – not Bruce, our regular driver – and ended up in the danger zone off-limits to all vehicles. Can you imagine the surprise of the mountain rangers as some of our seniors exited the bus on the top of the mountain!
“We ate royally at the top of the Space Needle,” Shirley continued, “took a boat trip on Puget Sound to Blake Island for a salmon dinner; went to the top of the tallest building west of the Mississippi – the Columbia Tower; toured around the Olympic Peninsula staying at Quinault Lodge; Sol Duc Hotsprings; Victoria, B.C., with high tea in the Empress Hotel; rooted on the Mariners and took a tour of Safeco facilities; visited Hurricane Ridge in the Olympics and many other places during the 10 years the Odles directed the Olympians. But we all grew older and some of the younger members of the congregation whom we had hoped would join our group were reluctant, preferring to stay in the Prime Timers Class led by Conrad Green and Al Gerdes.”
Shirley also couldn’t say enough for the council members who helped in so many ways to make each event a success, especially Bruce, who drove that bus “and seemed to have the right answer when we ran into trouble. We had many answers to prayer and the Lord was always faithful. One time we took the Olympians to the outdoor presentation of “Jesus of Nazareth” and the old yellow bus broke down on Highway 16 at Union Avenue. We rolled down the exit at midnight with a bus full and that bus just wouldn’t go anymore. First thing we did was pray while our makeshift mechanics crawled over the bus’ engine. It was dark, we were tired and some had to ‘go to the necessary.’ Off the freeway drove a truck with a young man who got out and asked us, ‘Having troubles here? Can I look at it? I’m a mechanic.’ In a short time he had that bus fixed and on its way. You’ll never convince me that wasn’t an angel!”
The Olympians were not just for fun and trips. The group’s Sunday School class featured Ed Parr as the first teacher and Marge Youngquist as pianist. First meeting in the Fireside Room (now named for the late Ed Parr), it wasn’t long before Olympians packed the classroom out. Through the years God blessed the assembly with excellent teachers, one being Maxine Williams from Northwest University in Kirkland. Shirley also gives credit to the ladies who faithfully provided hot coffee and delicious pastries during fellowship time each Sunday: Shirley Lomas, Betty Peck and Shirley Floyd.
Shirley and Glen led the Olympians until 1992 at which time she was 70 and he was 73. She said if she had chosen a theme during that time, it was “Seniors are Special.”
“It was all the Lord’s doing.”
Bruce and Ella Samuelson took over in 1992 followed by Wilson and Jewel Leake. After the Leakes moved away, the Samuelsons again took the reigns through 2006. Associate Pastor Dick and Sally Heuschkel have since taken the leadership. Olympians today involve themselves in rousing old-fashioned hymn singing, testimony, prayer for requests, hosting visiting missionaries and preaching’s, along with monthly breakfasts at Crista Shores, lunches and Valentine’s and Christmas banquets, and an occasional concert or day of games and tasty food.
Leadership of the Olympians wasn’t to be the end of the Odles’ labor for the Lord, proving that God’s servants are what the military calls “lifers” – working and praying until God calls them home, and Glen heard God’s call to his homegoing in 2007, but not before the Odles established still another benefit for the church.
In 2001 Glen and Shirley were at Central Kitsap High School’s graduating class awards night as their granddaughter, Jennifer Morris, was graduating. The Silverdale Methodist Church warded a nice scholarship to one of their youths and the Odles wondered why CMC did not have a similar program of encouragement for their graduates.
They made an appointment with Executive Pastor Tom Duchemin and told him what was on their hearts, and he spoke to Pastor Marc, who agreed that it was an excellent idea. They contacted Richard Tizzano, who was in involved in civic clubs scholarships for help in forming a program and also contacted Bruce Samuelson and Bill Lomas and asked them to join in the planning process. The entire package was presented to the church board. Conrad Green reviewed the legal aspects of the new program. When it was all approved, it was presented to the Olympians, who agreed to sponsor the scholarship. It was originally a church-wide effort; however many in the church felt it was the responsibility of the Olympians to carry the load. The Lord sent in the money and in 2003 Pastor Wes Davis presented the first check for $1,000 to Bethany Tyler for her to follow her dream of being a teacher. She has since graduated and is now a missionary mathematics teacher in Mexico at a school for missionary children. Succeeding recipients are as follows:
2004 Kori Phillips $1,000 design fashion
Julie Parrot Rose 500 environmental biology
2005 Kaylee Ross 1,250 education
Serena Manzo 750
2006 Stephany Tell
Anthony Bucat law enforcement
Zack Olson drama
New members on the Glen Odle Scholarship Board are Jan Parr, Nancy and George Richards, Richard Tizzano, Peggy Covey and Heather Aklund. The Glen Odle Scholarship Fund is now well over $60,000 and features a revolving fund that generates interest to be awarded in scholarships to young people.
Struggles
Much goes on behind the scenes, and also often with the knowledge of the entire congregation, gut-wrenching situations that test a pastor’s faith, endurance, patience and wisdom. It has often been said that a church isn’t a shrine for saints, but a hospital for the broken and spiritually hurting. With every program – even those unquestionably brought about by the hand of God – there are parishioners and even staff members who find themselves at various levels of spiritual maturity. A member may be a baby Christian or one of awesome insight and perspective. And in any human organization, sin rears its repulsive head. Often a pastor has no choice but to deal with it.
Three considerations emerge: Scripture tells us that Jesus had to confront all of the temptations and struggles as we do, and so He fully understands what we are going through. The second consideration is to deal with sin and conflict as Jesus would, seeking a balance between justice and mercy, hoping for an outcome of repentance from appropriately administered discipline bathed in prayerful compassion. Finally, we learn from James’ epistle and elsewhere that when we are guilty of one sin, we are guilty of all. The gospel provides a remedy: confession, repentance, forgiveness and restoration. But in any congregation, there are those who focus on certain sins as worse than others.
A pastor’s life is anything but isolated or sheltered. Accordingly, Pastor Al Munger had to deal with heartache and sin of every description among those he ministered to and worked with: moral failure, such as adultery, homosexuality, abuse, as well as those sins some apparently consider not quite as severe, such as financial indiscretions, backbiting, gossip, bitterness and the rest. And a pastor is not immune from heartache even in his own family.
Munger wrestled with all of them, and he did not always find Christlike unity in carrying out the restoration process of loving discipline or in the hoped-for outcome. On one occasion of a staff member’s moral failure, Munger reported that some 200 people left the church.
“It was a very difficult time for me,” he said, “a tragic and painful experience for pastor and people” - the outcome of that tragedy encompassed repentance, renewal of the sinner’s faith, further fruitful ministry in another church and even a lethal disease and ultimate death. And yet, God snatched ultimate victory from what Satan intended as a crushing blow.
Over the years, many changes, obstacles and victories contribute to growth in a church and in individuals, including the pastor.
“My life was in a constant growth cycle. I came to Poulsbo, 30 years of age, with no pastoral experience,” Munger remembered. “My understanding, abilities, relational skills were constantly growing. I can't think of any one event that changed my life.”
As for disappointments and frustrations, Munger cited “perhaps, every pastor is tested, due to just a few people that drag their feet, play for power or are insincere,” and he added he was sometimes discontented “from my own failures.”
As a board member, Conrad Green reported that over a two-week period, the board met some eight times, “well into the night, weeping together,” concluding with a Sunday night congregational meeting and vote “which Al handled masterfully.”
Conrad said that Erika Munger whispered during the meeting to him of her husband-pastor, “He may not be the best preacher, but he is a great shepherd.”
Blessings, burdens and blunders
More often, however, seeing God’s hand resulted in gratifying experiences. “Every time someone got saved, healed or filled with the Spirit I was blessed, and also when we met our financial goals,” Munger said. “Only one month did we not have enough money to cover the mortgage payment on the present building. I was blessed when new people arrived. We often invited them to our home to welcome them and get better acquainted. I almost always served toasted cheese on dark bread. It was very simple but they loved it.”
Just as the first apostles experienced, Pastor Al found that he took on too many responsibilities. “I spent too much time counseling people. My secretary, Bobbie Nicholson, (a really great lady) would schedule appointments for much of each day. I finally asked her to reduce the schedule to just Tuesdays and Thursdays. I should have spent more time with my leadership,” he said. “I think I took too much upon myself. I was motivated and engaged. Long days (10 hours or more) were common. When the church was small the people depended on the pastor, Erika was deeply involved in Poulsbo music ministry for 18 years. I was spending six days-plus at the church. On my day off, Monday, I would announce that I was going to the office for a few minutes and wouldn't return until mid or late afternoon. That schedule caused problems because my family was coming out on the short end. When I realized this problem, I changed my schedule. As pastor, I was always on call and sometimes there was stress on me and the family.”
The heavy schedule and growing congregation resulted in some humorous incidents and mix-ups.
“Erika and I were on Front Street when we met a lady from the congregation,” Munger related. “We warmly greeted each other and then I asked her, ‘And how is your husband?’ She looked at me with surprise and said, ‘Oh, Pastor, don't you remember? You buried him six months ago."
Munger recalled two “memorable” weddings, one where four of the attendants fainted during the ceremony.
“Then there was the wedding in Kingston that I was to perform. I completely forgot. The bridal party and guest were at the church waiting. They called. I couldn't be found. Arnie Halverson, our youth pastor, was reached at Holy Roller Park (see below) and hustled over to Kingston, borrowed a suit from the local pastor and performed the ceremony – a little late.”
Munger added, “When the church grew the pastor should have depended more on the people to accomplish ministry. This is one great thing about Marc [Pearson, the present pastor]. He gets more people involved in process.”
Numerous people from all walks of life impacted and guided Munger – “certainly the staff that I worked with including the janitors, office, school administration/teachers, church board, pastors, and construction guys,” he said.
I
f I were to name one person whom I remember impacting me, it may have been Elmer Tigner. He was pastoring in Kingston and was District Presbyter. We were fishing in Puget Sound. I admitted that I didn't know much and he encouraged me and believed in me. I never forgot that. Church-wise, there were just too many encouragers and exciting people to talk about just one or two.”
And yet, when it came to proof of the reality of the power of Jesus Christ in seeing transformed lives, Munger recalled many - “those saved, touched by the Spirit, those counseled with positive results in their own, and their families’ lives,
mentors in and out of the church, and the men who attended the ‘Heathen's Class’ (discussed below) and became outstanding disciples of Christ.
A thriving ministry is not without a few “thorns in the flesh.” Munger summed them up succinctly: “One music director, one adult teacher, one board member, one child. A board member got us into a year long review of church leadership as described in the New Testament. After a year's study and debate, only very minor adjustments were made.”
And then there was the “prophecy” challenge - “a very small group of ladies that bought into a written prophecy by their leader and thought the whole church should accept it as God's voice to the congregation,” Munger said. “The prophecy was reviewed by the pastoral staff and it was our decision that it may have meaning to the individual but not the congregation. They were invited to a meeting where we shared our judgment and love for them. They rejected our counsel and the leader would then come on Sunday morning, sit near the front, wearing sackcloth and ashes.”
Outside the box – fun-filled faith
One of Munger’s fond memories was the “Heathen’s Class” he initiated. He was aware that many married women were coming to church without their husbands – men staying at home watching football, working in the yard or going skiing. He found it difficult in a normal church setting to get through to these men.
“I wanted to attract these guys into a meeting and explore the real issues of Christianity,” he said. He got their names from women and business friends and wrote about 20 letters to men who, he found, enjoyed football but had little interest in church and thought church was for “women and sissies” and that the preacher was phony and primarily interested in money.
“These were red-blooded guys. I told them they could say anything they wanted in these meetings, come one or two times, and if they don’t like it, they could quit. And I added, ‘Please don’t stay for church.’”
The pastor said that eight to 10 men showed up after he wrote the letters and called a number of men. He asked them for their take on things, such as “Who is Jesus Christ. The sessions lasted for three or four months. His only rule was no smoking, and he didn’t flinch when he heard bad language, especially from one man who, Munger believed, was trying to test the pastor.
“They really got into it,” Munger said. “They enjoyed the fellowship, the rapport, the openness. We talked about archaeological, historical and scientific evidence for the Bible. After a few months I’d go around the room and ask each one if he had any good reason not to accept Christ.”
The Heathen classes repeated for several years, he said, ministering to some 80 men, and “usually eight out of 10 responded to the invitation” to invite Christ into their lives.
“One year we included women,” Munger added. “That didn’t work. After that, it was men only, because men react differently when in the company of a lady.”
Recalling those sessions, he concluded, It was the most productive thing I ever did in small groups.”
Future pillars of the church came out of the Heathen sessions, and Munger named as examples Chris Duffy; Wilson Leak, an anesthesiologist; and attorney-conciliator-teacher Conrad Green as Heathen “graduates.”
Chris Duffy recalled that secular discussions he had been involved with often centered on put-downs and ultimately, men he associated with on the ferry often complained about their wives.
Al Munger, well-acquainted with human nature, challenged his Heathen class by asking each one to write down the answer to his question, “What do you like about your wife?” Duffy said that the resulting lists were put into envelopes and brought out for review from time to time.
A pejorative slang term for Pentecostals is “Holy Rollers,” and Christ Memorial, under the leadership of Arnie Halverson, youth pastor, transformed the term into an attraction when he started the “Holy Rollers” motorcycle club. Bikers came from miles around to participate in the club’s motocross races, rallies and trips, the club acquiring a 20-acre property and named it Holy Rollers Park.
Al Munger recalls seeing Arnie Halverson coming to town with his motorcycle on the back of an old car. The elder pastor sighed and rolled his eyes, but it wasn’t long before Munger had his own bike and was riding along with the rest of them.
Conrad Green said bikers came from miles around to race. “These were hard-bitten guys. They couldn’t drink beer at the races, and there was a prayer before every race.”
Priscilla Diehl was a pastor’s daughter from New England, now married to Paul with three sons. They spent many Sundays riding their dirt bikes, but she wanted to get the family into church. Husband Paul said, “Well, if you find a pastor who rides a motorcycle, I might try church. A short time later she reported, “Honey, I found two pastors who ride bikes in one church.” They started to attend, joined the Holy Rollers and one Sunday morning Paul committed his life to Christ. “Both his business and family life prospered,” Munger recalled.
Munger said as a young man he focused on having fun – “we were not immoral, not into booze, but into fun,” and he carried that quest into his ministry.
“A lot of our church activities were held in question by other pastors,” he said. “They thought we were ‘outside the box.’” But relating to our community led to consistent growth of the church until it found itself a major influence on the community.
One such activity was the CMC Yacht Club. Boating was booming on Puget Sound and the pastor, with Glen Raygor and Art Edelblute, wanted some of the action. They decided to build “kit boats,” Months after beginning construction, the boats were launched and the families began fishing and cruising together. Soon other boaters joined them, and it wasn’t long before eight to 12 boats flying the club burgee (CMC Yacht Club) were heading for the San Juan Island or Canada for family adventures on the water.
Sunday school, preschool, Christian school! Sure, but what about “ski school”? Well, Pastor Al had skied most of his life and there were others in the congregation who skied or wanted to learn.
“So during the season, we would load the church bus,” he said, “and head for Snoqualmie Pass each Friday for skiing and lessons taught by Arne and Palmer Lee."
Christian drama became an important ministry.
“There was vivacious Gwen Mansfield. She was trained and experienced in drama. So she put together some excellent Christian productions for special occasions at CMC. Big crowds attended these events and soon the drama people began traveling full-time as Royal Diadem, the Christian drama troupe. Again this ministry was outside the box," Munger said.
For Zion's sake, I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. Isaiah 62: 1-2
“How exciting it was in 1976 to have a vision for a traveling theatre company,” Gwen recalled. “Six of us prayed about the vision and went to the elders of the church to see if they would ever let us step out and fulfill this crazy idea. We were met with Al Munger’s and Phil Youngquist's enthusiastic support. We all left reputable jobs to work in this faith ministry for five years. Bruce Samuelson became instrumental in that time with his wise counsel on the income potential of faith ministry.
“I guess for the six of us it was like a working on a doctorate in life and we saw the face of God all over the west coast of this country, including Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. We learned how to serve one another--how to learn from our mistakes--how to forgive and how to thank God for his amazing provision.
“I remember going to the Seattle Public Library and essentially camping out for three days--looking for material to produce for our company. There was nothing that was relevant to our world that emphasized God's power. I will never forget walking out the door and saying, "Well, I guess I'll have to write it myself." It was those innocent words that led me to my calling in life - which is to write for God's glory.”
Phil Youngquist said, “Glen Settle and Gwen Mansfield wrote plays, and Gwen directed Royal Diadem, the church drama troupe that traveled full-time presenting the Gospel in drama in churches across the state.”
Phil remembered others involved in drama, including Gale and Mary Ellen Malvick. Conrad Green, Phil Mansfield and many others also took key roles as the church encouraged dramatic presentations, especially at Christmas and Easter.
Conrad recalled the Royal Diadem’s performance in Oregon on one occasion before 1,000 people, but upon returning, only 30-some people showed up for a performance at CMC’s Harrison Street location.
“We wanted to cancel, but Gwen insisted we perform. ‘We are doing this for God’s glory,’ she said.”
Gwen added, "This May [2008], thirty-plus years after Royal Diadem traveled the I-5, one of my plays made the final-four in a New York competition, and as I went back for the public reading of the work and watched the professional actors and director read the words I had written, I thought about the little church of CMC in the little town of Poulsbo that served a big God and was willing to believe in a person who brought passion and a vision that was nowhere near inside the box."
Pastor Al explained, “Many churches equated drama with Hollywood and thought it was sinful.”
But Gwen and the CMC leadership had captured a higher vision. Gwen continued, “The adventuresome spirit of the pastors and elders set ministry free. That affected my whole life and I know many came and come to Christ because of that. The opportunities of Royal Diadem led me to understand that my eventual work in writing would not be directly Christian - it would be writing for a secular world with the redemptive moments woven through the pages. Along the way there were so many people who prayed for us at CMC and supported us in a multitude of ways.”
Young people were a high priority with Pastor Munger. “Before Bob Stone arrived as our first youth pastor, I invested lots of time and energy in teens. There were ballgames, camping trips, water skiing, youth choir and, of course, the well-attended CA – Christ’s Ambassadors – meeting each week. A diesel yacht was chartered to take the high school grads on an overnight cruise to Blake Island or Lake Washington. It became the envy of the other grads.
“Those days provided great memories of church life to this pastor. I felt close to the kids and watched them mature in the faith.”
As mentioned earlier, the Bruce Samuelson family began attending regularly. Before Bruce became administrator, the family had started attending in 1972. They were concerned about their son, Dan, who was shy, and they said they were glad that Christ Memorial had a solid focus on the youth department. They expressed the situation with Arne Halverson, who said, “I’ll take care of it.”
Ella Samuelson noted their thankfulness that Arne was a strong youth pastor and “got next to the kid and got him involved. One-on-one he had a good rapport with the kids. And while the Samuelsons didn’t compete in motorcycle racing, “Bruce was a scorer” who recalls a special motorcycle competition the first President’s Day they were in attendance.
Ella talked about the atmosphere at CMC. “You could feel it. You sensed the Spirit. You knew it because of what was happening to people – the renewal in lives and hearts. People were anxious to get to church, sometimes as many as five to seven days a week. The messages, prophecies and healings were wonderful.”
Phil talked of charter boats that church members had acquired. Rod was one who offered cruises to seniors and disabled kids.
According to Phil, Gordon Nickel, church designer went out fishing and got sick. He took his gold dentures out, and when he felt better, he put them back in. “It got rough again, he couldn’t get his teeth out fast enough and in the excitement, he lost his teeth. When they came to shore, his wife came down, and he held up the big fish his two kids had caught. “
Mrs. Nickel discovered the more important matter. “But he lost his teeth.”
Phil said he believes there are a lot of expensive teeth at the mouth of the Columbia River.
He said a second charter boat sailed by church members is still sailing in Alaska after providing adventures and church outings since 1975.
Other activities included FOLD (Fellowship of Local Disciples), small groups meeting in homes; art festivals; short-term missions overseas; youth camps; athletic competition; and more.
The years of chock-full pastoral schedules and trials – both exhilarating and wearying – take their toll on a pastor. Time and again, the pastor turned to tried-and-true remedies.
“My best resources were the Word, the Spirit, and a devoted and loving wife. Trials are great opportunities to grow in endurance and patience. I attended conferences, had a supportive congregation and great friends that encouraged me. But my greatest encouragement and hope came from the Word.”
Romance
Munger discerned another force at work in the future of the church.
“Carol and Linda Johnson, two lovely young ladies, had lived about a block from the Harrison Street church,” he said. A young graduate of Northwest College, Marc Pearson, was interested in Carol, courted and married her. They lived for four years in Denver where he was on staff with Charles Blair, pastor of a large church. They had two children. The family visited Poulsbo every year from Denver. “Because of growth and the need to develop our education program, we were looking for a qualified leader. I approached Marc and he took the challenge. And just maybe, his ties to Carol and her Poulsbo roots had something to do with it. He was well received and did an outstanding job with our teachers and students. Marc had good platform presence and was a capable supply pastor when I was out of town. And of course, 10 years later he was chosen to be lead pastor when I retired.”
Moving on?
There were times of refreshment and revival. And times when a pastor, even if briefly, entertains the idea of moving on with his life.
After weathering the [staff member’s moral failure] scandal, I was close to burn out. I confided my weariness to Bobbie and typed a letter of resignation. The next morning she confronted me with, “You're not going to quit.” We stayed two more years, the church stabilized and began to grow again and then I felt we could pull the plug.
In '88, after 32 years as pastor, I was ready for some rest. I retired in January of ‘88 and began drawing SS the next month. After a year of inactivity I was restless. Then I received two invitations to minister: one as Camp Director at a great facility in the southern part of Washington and the other was an invitation from D. V. Hurst, president, to become the Campus Pastor at Northwest College [now “University”], Kirkland. I chose the latter and spent five great years there. Retiring again, because we wanted to travel in our 5th wheel, we toured the country coast to coast, north to south. A great time. We seemed to always wind up in the Palm Springs area at winter time. First we rented a condo for a week or two and next we bought a lot in a great RV Park. Finally in ‘98 we bought a house in Sun City, Palm Desert. This fall [2006] I will begin my fifth year as chaplain at "The Fountains," an upscale retirement home. I work about 15 hours weekly and hold 5 services each week. Though he has since again retired, he said of his chaplaincy, “It's been a fun thing.”
How would Rev. Al Munger like to be remembered?
"A man who loves God and a man who loves people," he said.
Al is a "people person" with God-given gifts of showing kindness, encouraging, exhortation, wisdom and leadership. “When we recognize and use our gifts we are fulfilled and having fun.
“I am not a great orator, student or power broker,” he surmised. “I love people, believe in people and invite people into the ‘abundant life.’
Jim Owens said, “Al was named Poulsbo’s Man of the Year. To many he was a hero. He met people where they were and brought the community together. Even though the church setting in many ways was holy and separate, his relationship to men came down to real guy issues.”
Jim recalled the meaningful time when Marc was installed as senior pastor with the passing of the shepherd staff.
"In conclusion," Munger said in jest - “that’s the famous saying of pastors before they go on for another 20 minutes in the pulpit - we have had great adventure, both spiritual and natural. We have been blessed way beyond our imagination or vision. We have been so privileged to have a minor part in God's big work!”
The Pearson Perspective
Ask a pastor about highlights, lowlights or achievements, and at first he seems dumbstruck, trying to pick from multiple experiences over decades of pastoral service – perhaps similar to one description: “drinking from a fire hose.” Pastor Marc Pearson settled on several, including his involvement with the newest church in 1978, after a two-year planning and building program:
“I watched from the ground up. There was nothing but a field here. We did everything,” he recalled – professionals were key builders, but the congregation got involved in virtually every manner of construction tasks. “What I consider significant mileposts included Al’s retirement - changing of the guard - that whole process. Al was a fantastic model for the job, including planning two years before and looking out for the welfare of the church.”
He also highlighted the birth of the aforementioned Olympians seniors ministry - its leadership by Shirley and Glen Odle - and the significant growth of the church.
“In 2000 CMC was designated the Church of the Decade for 1990-1999 by the Northwest District Council of the Assemblies of God for its growth and leadership. Out of 12,000 AG churches in the U.S., it was 67th in size,” he said.
Pearson also noted the birth of New Life in the fall of 2000, a church within the church that outgrew the Christ Memorial facilities and left in January 2004 with CMC’s blessing to become their own independent and sovereign church in Silverdale. Pearson pointed out such highlights as the youth and children’s ministries.
“The flourishing of all the ministries here tells me that they’re effective,” he said. “Effectiveness translates into the fact that God is doing something here and although it was never a goal to be the biggest church, the numbers indicate that lives are being changed.”
He noted as lowlights or frustrations the periodic loss of staff people, “especially if it was for moral reasons or a family breakup.” In at least one case, the loss involved a divorce.
“It was a sad day.”
He also has had to deal with people yielding to persistent sin and with discipline issues involving “people who know better. They were confronted by me and others and they left the church,” he recalled with a tone of remorse. “One leader went to jail after lying to the board and confiding the truth to me.”
He added, “The ups and downs don’t get to me that much, but it’s the pain that some of the people experience.”
Expanding on the growth and departure of the New Life congregation under the leadership of Wes Davis, Pearson said the experience brought “great joys and disappointments. We lost a significant number of people over the seven years since they began with us. It was never our goal or intent to plant a church, but we did plant a church whether we initially knew it or not.”
“They didn’t all pick up and all of a sudden a huge went away,” he explained.
“Some people would say when they left, ‘Oh, you planted a church,’ and they would think that attending New Life was to attend CMC and to attend CMC was to attend New Life, but we’re actually legally separate, sovereign churches,” which became a reality in 2004.
“Their leaving was a good thing, not a bad thing. I don’t want to couch it in that anyone did anything shady or that anyone stabbed us in the back or that they stole our people. That’s simply not true – none of it’s true. We sent them off with our blessing and prayer,” he said. “There was no underhandedness or sin involved. There was no contentious spirit. Why have a contentious spirit? We thought, ‘Is it possible God was in this thing?’ There was no wrongdoing on anyone’s part, and yet it had a profound effect, emotionally, financially and volunteer-wise. It was not a matter of their rejecting us. It was not a matter of negative feelings at all. Before that, they were us!”
To recover from the loss, Pearson said, “You just keep doing your best to replace them. We’ve added 250 in just the last 11 months [through mid-May 2007]. You keep moving forward and growing.”
He said, “We are pretty much recovered, running about 1,100 right now. Recovering is a good thing, not a bad thing. We asked Wes to start a ministry; it had an effect that we never planned. They and we are thriving and doing well, but we were saddened by the loss of Wes, the staff, the camaraderie, the energy. The group they took was not made up of older people. The group that went with them group was ages 18-35 – a big chunk. But our church is doing very fine, financially, and so is theirs.”
Pastor Tom added, “The New Life impact has been huge. We started New Life wanting to reach young families and couples, and it did just that. So, when NL was planted in Silverdale, so were the families it attracted. It left a large gap in that age group so the planting of NL has been a good thing in that a wonderful church led by great men was established but it did leave a gap here to be filled – and, praise the Lord, it is being filled over time. I love Wes Davis and Del Chittim (two staff members from CMC that started NL) – these are great men who did what we asked them to do. Our initial intention was not to plant a church - and I don’t think we would do the same thing over again - but it seemed God was in this move and we celebrate what is being accomplished.
Missions Pastor Dave Fischer added, “Marc has always been very gracious in his discussions about this matter with me. He speaks well of all men and I appreciate that so much about him.”
Pearson pointed out that to avoid any possibility of bias, “I don’t have a clue what anyone gives. I don’t want to even subtly wonder why someone might not be giving. I don’t want that knowledge to have any chance of getting in the way of my prayer for them. I choose not to know, because I know what it would do to my heart.”
But by national demographics he said he knows that “senior adults don’t give as much. And I don’t blame them – they’re on a fixed income. They may give out of their wealth, but not their income. Ages 40-55 are the givers, because they are the ones earning the salaries. And yet, he noted, “You have to have that middle group” in a viable congregation. That temporary loss resulted in a financial “bump in the road” but the response to a special giving campaign in August 2005 remedied it. “People rose to the occasion immediately.”
“People vote their preferences with their attendance and their pocketbooks,” Pearson said. “Churches are not competing for the unchurched people – they’re competing for Christians. Only 2 percent of church growth actually comes from previously unchurched people. The rest come from other churches.”
Son-in-law and Student Ministries Pastor Mario White concluded, “The greatest need of CMC is not very hidden nor is it neglected. I think that we can all see that we need to incorporate a younger demographic into our church body - the post-college, pre-parents-of-teenagers crowd. This group is the immediate future of our church and we are currently taking steps to make this a reality.” Mario transitioned into his leadership post since Wes had led CMC’s youth as well as starting New Life on the CMC campus.
“Some things that I've tried to keep intact are a commitment to helping our leaders grow and instilling the need in our leaders to ‘call out’ the best in young people.
“I tend to think that any challenges I have are because of a lack of leadership on my part.” Mario laments and jokes about distracters to a student’s walk with Christ: “School - I say we get rid of it all together and go back to the apprentice style of life! Honestly, they are also busier than ever - it makes it difficult for me to try to instill in them the importance of the Christian walk when so many other things have been instilled in them as ‘supreme importance.’ Some things I see of those that walk into our doors, however, is that they are lack any sense of identity, which snowballs into other areas of life like motivation and self-worth. And last, [the team is involved in] helping parents see the need to push students to serve at whatever age they are at. If we can get students serving, we'll feel the impact as a church.”
Mario has both a lighthearted and sobering perspective. He said he has found encouragement in the “Remnant” student group’s “longevity of its leaders. It's rare to find people that choose to stay involved after they graduate from high school but we have some amazing people who have chosen to stay. I'd like to say my preaching is something that makes us unique,” he said with a smile, “but what I hear from other students is that they love the quality and style of music and how friendly the people are that call Remnant home.”
He has found God still at work among the youth in overcoming serious impediments to personal spiritual growth and even physical health. “Our winter and summer camps are a particularly special time of seeing the hand of God move. I recall two of our current leaders being steeped in pornography and other lustful behaviors being prayed over and set free right on the spot at one of our winter retreats. I know of a young lady that was told she had only weeks to live because of cancer that is still with us years later. I attribute this as the power of prayer amongst the believers.”
Pastor Marc cited as a matter of overcoming obstacles the success in raising money for three capital campaigns.
“I was a presbyter for 12 years and executive presbyter for six; I’ve spoken in over 150 churches, and I’ve learned that in raising money for any building program, not everybody gets aboard; there are those who resist. It’s difficult to have a capital fundraising campaign without splitting the church or getting kicked out. But it’s one of those things we’ve been able to do, with God’s help. When you ask someone to attend your church, it’s one thing, but when you ask for money, it’s a whole different matter. Now you’re getting personal. Now you’re meddling, especially if it’s for a lot of money – getting a person to consider not buying that car, for example.
“The reason we succeeded is that we had great people leading these campaigns. But, people wanted to know, ‘Is Marc on board; is he part of this?’”
He added with quiet emotion in his voice that “one of the great thrills of my life is to listen to people who sacrificed, who have come in, who have written me letters and told me, ‘We have gone to prayer and we felt God leading us to sell our home’ or delay buying a car or they would sell their car or home, saying they could go without. That counterweights those who say they don’t want to give to this campaign. You know, I’m not in control of any of these lives, and I don’t blame any of them.”
God is still moving at Christ Memorial
The spiritual temperature and commitment of people can be portrayed by concentric circles, Pearson said. The Vision of the church is “Helping people take their next step toward Christ,” or closer to the center of the circles. “I am amazed by the number of people I see who are serious about their walk with Christ and not just church goers.
About 3,500 call Christ Memorial their church home, Pearson said, and they represent a wide range of levels of spiritual growth and maturity.
As far as their spiritual progress, he said, “some are flaky, some sick emotionally, but I marvel at how many really have a heart for God as indicated by their enthusiasm, volunteering and giving. When we baptize someone, there are many who spontaneously clap, because they’ve experienced God and they’re thinking, ‘That’s it!’ They’re engaged, because they know that God did something in this person’s life!’”
A few of the senior adults have expressed a nostalgia for another era, a time as related in testimonies of earlier days in Christ Memorial’s history of dancing in the Spirit and other “signs and wonders,” or of the “Holy Ghost fire.”
Marc Pearson was born and reared in the Pentecostal movement, he said, surrounded by worshipers who were “very expressive.” At the age of 13, he was baptized in the Holy Spirit. He ministered in two churches before becoming associate pastor at Christ Memorial in 1978. Over two decades ago, he recalled, he had a life-changing experience of what he had heard described as the “exchanged life.”
He said that concept had never registered with him before, but in February 1985, he said, “God lifted the veil and showed me what it means to have Christ living in me and through me.”
If there are differences today from the earliest days in the church, the way the Holy Spirit may be interacting with people “is in the eye of the beholder,” he said.
He added, “I see the Holy Spirit working here all the time. Often it has to do with what you are expecting that has to do with what you see or miss. I’m not trying to recreate the past or recreate an experience. I am for experience, I am for the movement of the Holy Spirit, but He moves in different ways. All of us, and that’s including me, have to guard against what we don’t like to see in other people, and that’s spiritual tunnel vision which holds that ‘God’s here if I see certain things. God’s not here if I don’t.’ That’s simply not true. Churches change. I’ve never, ever preached against the Holy Sprit, or ‘here’s how we want the Holy Spirit to move’ – we’ve never said that. I teach about tongues, about signs and wonders in church, about I Corinthians 14, about the prophetic ministries.
“I want them here, but I cannot command them.”
Pearson explained the size of a church often makes a difference. “When I was a kid, a church of 300 was a pretty good-size church. But today when you’re in a congregation of a thousand people, the dynamics of the services change and people are less inclined to speak out; it’s a different setting, and it’s not that the Holy Spirit isn’t here - the Holy Spirit demonstrates His presence in different ways.”
As an example, a pastor who is commanded in scripture to keep order in a worship service may not know a visitor in the balcony who may or may not be prone to deliver a genuine message of the Holy Spirit. Among fewer group members, the lives of worshipers are better known and expressions more readily discerned as to their authenticity.
Karen Ross added, "I remember a testimony time when George and Nancy Richards shared that they were having the concrete poured at their home (driveway) and a rainstorm was coming. They prayed that it would not come their way and it was the ONLY home that did not get rain in their area!"
Continued growth & focused ministry
Now the senior pastor, Pearson said he saw the need for a different approach, if not a turning point, as the congregation and campus expanded.
“We proliferated ministries; that is, we released people to create ministries rather than maintain a centralized operation running out of the office here. The atmosphere in the church was, ‘Go ahead.’ That was a major turning point.” As a result, lay leaders with a passion for focused ministry initiated such gatherings as, among others, divorce care; Royal Family Kids’ Camp, a unique outreach to provide love, care and fun for abused and neglected children; Olympians for seniors; Love and Loss for those experiencing the death of a loved one; apologetics; and Prime Timers – study, singing, prayer and fellowship for adults.
“And I think the Men’s Roundtable is one of the great blessings of the church.”
The Roundtable is a miracle work founded by the late Doug Walton in the 1990s. Doug had a vision for men - both for a Monday night Bible study and for a Saturday morning session where men could share their concerns, triumphs and heartaches - a 90-minute session where, according to scripture, "iron sharpens iron," and men find understanding among men with similar challenges. The Roundtable has inspired clone organizations in Australia, East Bremerton, Port Orchard and Australia. Men's lives have been radically transformed.
“I believe CMC is unique in its approach to releasing ministry to others,” Pastor Tom said. “We have both structured and unstructured ministries and promote both. Structured ministries are those that have a connection to a CMC staff person while unstructured are those with no connection to CMC staff but are (and they are many) led by CMC people and they include Bible studies, outreach ministries, lay counseling and on and on. Neither is more valuable or important and we are always encouraged and amazed by how God uses people to accomplish his purposes.”
Marion and Loretta Sluys, the bakery owners, reported an incredible move of God involving CMC people in Tansania:
We have been going to the mission field since 1972 when we first went to visit and help Jim and Lou Hance. They spoke at Christ Memorial Church and our hearts were touched for what the opportunities were. We went twice and both times we spent time building and helping in their work. I traveled to the Kingdom of Tonga with Jim, a pastor from American Samoa and a businessman from Western Samoa. What a time to see what the Lord was doing in that part of the world. We saw many come to the Lord; healings were many and what a time we had diving for fish and lobster to feed all the people we were involved with. Our Lord allows us to work but also have lots of fun while doing His work.
Jim was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had to come home for treatment. He went to Idaho where he was the pastor until he died.
I went to the Solomon Islands with our son Dan and eight other men. We built a 2000-square-foot church there and named it Christ Memorial Church. What a time of fellowship with the men we went with but also the people there. One Sunday we split into two groups and went to separate churches. One of the pastors spoke and thanked us for coming and sharing with them. He spoke of his grandfather and that he was a cannibal. He was so glad that missionaries came and brought the Lord Jesus to the island. Just think two generations and we were privileged to be there in the name of the Lord to share with them our bounty and love. The children of CMC raised money for the doors of the church in the Solomon Islands.
We were privileged to travel with Pastor Al Munger and his wife Erika to Korea, The Philippines, Palau Islands and Hong Kong. Five weeks and what a time we had!
We had not gone on the mission field for several years when in 1989 Eliudi Issangya spoke at Christ Memorial Church but only briefly. We were invited to the home of Bill and Joyce Ostling for a dessert. We thought of Africa as a dark hole in a dark continent to put money in so when we had the opportunity to go on a building trip with 15 others we decided to go. Seeing the large pile of Tanzanian shillings we had the first time we went there as the exchange rate gave us so many bills. We changed our money and had a stack about one and one half feet high. Anyone would think we were rich.
We built a teachers residence while we were there. We could see that the Lord’s hand was in the work there. I had a private meeting with Eliudi and told him he better own more land around the evangelism center. He has never been bashful about asking for help so we decided to make our mission the purchase of land.
We went again in 1993 with 15 other people. At that time we built a student dormitory.
Leroy Snyder and I started the rice program to supply the evangelism center with rice that did not have small rocks in it as the local rice did. Gene and Lorraine Anderson are now our partners in selling the rice to our congregation. Last March 2008 we sent 10 tons to share with the evangelism center and Sluys-Anderson School.
In 2002 the Sluys’, were organizing a CMC mission trip. Marion recalled, “I asked Gene Anderson to go with us to Sakila Village in Tanzania to help build toilets and showers for both boys and girls. He did not have to be convinced because just a soon as I asked he said yes. It seems he was looking for some place to put his talent and energies.”
Gene and Lorraine Anderson took up the story: “Lorraine had absolutely no desire to make a long plane trip to stay two weeks in a primitive village. (She would have been happy to donate the cost of the plane ticket.) However, Bishop said she must come. When she explained that she had no muscles for building, Bishop said she could play with the children. Now that tempted her. So she made the trip with Gene, Marion, Loretta and eight others from CMC, and she fell in love with the children.”
The Sluys added, “They did skits, told bible stories and just plain enjoyed the time with the children singing and sharing.
The Andersons provided an anecdote: The first year Gene and Lorraine went to Sakila, Lorraine had prepared some Bible stories for the children. She had some pictures she wanted Rogathe, the school coordinator, to copy for her. When Rogathe asked when the copies were needed Lorraine replied, "Tomorrow." Rogathe seemed puzzled. When tomorrow came Rogathe didn't have the copies ready. Lorraine later discovered that "tomorrow" doesn't mean "the next day." It means "in the future."
The Sluys’ told of the developing venture. “We joined Gene and Lorraine to make the school a reality. We could see the hand of the Lord in the decisions that had to be made up front. The purchase of property, the building of classrooms, hiring teachers and in general just putting together a school. It may sound simple but there are hundreds of decisions that had to be made and we were privileged to see the Lord’s miracles come upon our school.”
The Andersons continued: Just a couple of months after the group returned home Bishop Eliudi contacted Gene and Lorraine to ask if they would become the United States Coordinators for a sponsorship program so the people of Sakila could educate their children. After getting some good, practical advice and encouragement from Pastor Marc, Gene and Lorraine began the Sakila Sponsorship Program. Marion and Loretta agreed to help and "we became a team with the common goal of doing everything we could think of to give the hope for a better future to the children of Sakila."
Gene had retired in 1993 from the Washington State Ferry System as foreman of the maintenance crew working out of the Eagle Harbor facility. His leadership and organizational skills have been indispensable to the future school program in Sakila. Lorraine has a background in banking with a little bookkeeping experience. They have also worked with children as foster parents and in various church ministries from Sunday School Superintendents, the Royal Rangers program, Vacation Bible school organizers and teachers to nursery and children's church coordinators. Together they raised their four children and took care of two of their four parents in their home on Bainbridge Island.
By God's grace, as the school vision took shape, people began signing up to be sponsors and supporters for the children. The families of CMC rose to the occasion and have consistently sponsored almost half of the students in the school. Many in the Olympian class were among the first to respond. They still represent a very dedicated group of supporters.
"Seeing the need first hand by visiting Sakila has enabled us to speak from our hearts with passion," the Andersons said. "People find it difficult to turn away from a child when confronted with a practical way to affect his or her future. The support we have received from Marion and Loretta, Greg and Lora-Jean Piper, Dan and Gloria Simmering, Anna Sutphin, Mark and Karen Ross, and our sponsors and supporters actually has not been generated by us. We look on these folks as gifts from the Lord. We are amazed at their willingness to be involved and the depth of their commitment. To help our sponsors feel connected we give them a photo of their child and an opportunity to correspond and even pay a visit to Sakila. We produce a monthly newsletter and hold an annual potluck at CMC so the sponsors and supporters can meet Bishop Eliudi and Godwin, his son. To spread the word about the program we make presentations at churches and other organizations. But we get the best response from word of mouth, from people who already sponsor a child or those who have visited the school."
But the work was not without challenges. "The very first challenge was how to bridge the cultural gap. Pastor Marc had a simple answer for that right away. He suggested we work with Godwin Selembo, Bishop Eliudi's son. Godwin was born and raised in Sakila until he came to the United States at the age of 17. He attended High School and College in the state of Oregon. Godwin not only helps us to understand the cultural differences but also guides us into practical and efficient ways to help. With his assistance we have understood many circumstances that seem so puzzling to us Americans. Our effectiveness has been greatly enhanced because of this young man. For instance, one of our sponsors thought he was buying a milk goat for his child's family. When we discovered the goat to be a male we got in touch with Godwin. He explained that a male was easier to care for by an inexperienced person and, if successfully raised to maturity, could be sold for two females.
From the Sluys’ perspective, “The biggest challenge is seeing the glass as half full instead of one half empty. We have over 300 families who really want and are seeking to have their children accepted into the school each year. We can only take between 60 and 80 children. The others are left out. Can you imagine what a disappointment that is to not have your child selected?
“We took 80 for a couple of years but it is more difficult to get them sponsored as our sphere of influence is being filled up. We are taking 65 for the 2009 class. We now have over 500 children.
“My triumph would be after I took pictures of all the children and while seeing them on the computer and printing each one to realize that the life of each one is forever changed for the better. When we give them an education it will change each one. God is really good!
The Andersons continued, "Just ten months after opening the school in 2003 with a class of 102 preschoolers we discovered that we had some major decisions to make. To proceed we needed a new location, new buildings, and the government certification required to continue with grades 1-7. We called a meeting at Starbuck's in Poulsbo. Marion, Loretta, Gene and Lorraine were sitting at an outdoor table waiting for Godwin. When he finally showed up he said he was just going to mail a package and he walked right past us. We were astonished when he came out of the Post office and headed back to his car. It seems he had canceled our meeting but none of us had gotten the message. He just happened to have stopped to mail that package. Well, God hadn't cancelled that meeting because it was then that we made the decision to buy the land for the new school. Bishop was able to get certification for the school in one month (a miracle!) and a couple from CMC gave a large donation, enough to build the first of the new buildings.
"An ongoing challenge is to remember that this is God's work and not ours. When we look at the size of the ministry it would be easy to either take credit for it or be frightened at the enormity of it. Each of us is just a part of the big picture of God's work in Sakila. We are thrilled and amazed at the progress since 2002. It's obvious that we could not have orchestrated what has been accomplished. We can best serve this ministry by not getting in God's way, but carefully following His leading.
"So many miracles they would fill a book! One of the most recent came from someone we had never heard of. It seems Marion and Loretta were vacationing in Hawaii, sitting next to the pool, when Loretta noticed a man drowning. In a flash Marion jumped in and rescued him. Six months later the man expressed his gratitude in the form of a large donation to the children of Sakila.
"Marion and Loretta have been so generous. One of the generosities that touches our hearts…each year they host a banquet for the teachers and staff (now 40 plus people) when they visit Sakila. At that time they hand out bonuses to each staff member and the top student of each class. What a tremendous blessing! This precious couple is responsible for many of the classroom buildings."
They added, "We are so grateful for the support from Pastors Marc, Tom and our church family. Pastor Marc applied for and secured World Ministry Credit status for the Sakila Sponsorship Program from the Northwest Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God. Now Assemblies of God churches are able to receive credit for their Missions giving when members of their church body donate to our organization. God's hand is so evident in this ministry and we have faith that He is raising leaders for the country of Tanzania out of the school in Sakila because of the support they are receiving from donors and sponsors in the U.S."
The Sluys’ concluded, “Our school and the other ministries in Sakila are growing and more Africans need to be lifted up to share in the Lord’s work there. There is the hospital, the evangelism center, the orphanage, Sluys-Anderson School, the trade school and many churches to oversee. There is a work in the Congo and also South Africa. The Bible School is reaching out to the Maasi people. Since there is a shortage of water for cattle and the Maasi are unable to free graze as in the past, they are being put in permanent villages. Eliudi took us to see a church built for the Maasi, pastored by a Maasi. This came about through the Bible School.
“We need more help on this side of the water as well. We are all in good health but are getting older. It would be good to have others come along side of us to help make the school a better place and share in the blessings of the children. This help is especially important as we are now going through grade 12 and will have almost double the children in attendance than we have now when the school is full.”
Finally, according to the Andersons, "Pastor Marc and Pastor Munger have been there for our family at each major milestone in our lives since we began attending CMC in 1980, births, deaths, marriages, and in between. Pastor Munger used to visit Gene when he worked for the State Ferry system. Those visits meant so much to Gene and our family. He would come right into Gene's office and sit and chat. What a loving gift of time. Pastor Marc and Pastor Ed Parr responded to the family need when Lorraine's father died. They were right there to minister to her mother with comfort and love. Pastor Ed held us in intercessory prayer when Gene's mother died suddenly. And Pastor Marc offered God's living words when Gene's father accepted the Lord. During Lorraine's short time in the choir she had prayer support for salvation for Gene's father from the choir members and Frank Burlingame. Rich Gill, himself a CMC faithful, led Gene, Sr. to the Lord on one of those Sunday mornings when Pastor Marc would devote the whole service to prayer. We could go on and on. But it's sufficient to say that we have been ministered to every time we needed it by the pastors and people of CMC.
"We have enjoyed 28 years of wonderful, biblical teaching at CMC. Pastors Al and Marc have rightly divided the words of truth for us. They have been honest and completely trustworthy. With leadership like these two men have provided it's no wonder CMC is such an 'alive' ministry. Because they have been handled with discretion, we have been mostly unaware of any internal struggles that may have taken place."
Missions pastor Dave Fischer spoke of God’s provision in CMC’s progressing missions focus. “In 2006, Marc and I were attending a conference in Virginia to help train the key leaders for our Unreached People Group engagements. During that conference, Marc suddenly asked me if I had a few minutes to talk. We went into the library alone and he said, “Dave, I think you could lead our Missions efforts at CMC. Would you consider being our Missions Pastor on a part-time basis?” Well, I was just shocked that he would ask me that…and honored that he would even consider that as a possibility. That led to two years as a part-time pastor at CMC from 2006 – 2008.
“Then, in early 2008, I met with Marc to tell him I was planning to leave the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ, after 30 years of ministry. I was expecting that I’d be taking my resume’ to the local employment office and looking for a new job. Marc smiled and said, ‘let me show you something.’ He printed out an e-mail he had sent to the church board that day, asking them to consider taking me on as a full-time pastor. That blew my mind…and encouraged me greatly!”
Dave Fischer and Marc Pearson have traveled many miles to foreign mission fields. “During our first trip to China together, Marc and I were walking across a college campus in N. China. It was late October and it was snowing. Along the way, there was a work crew made up of prisoners…most of whom had their shirts off as they working extremely hard to use picks and shovels to dig a huge ditch for a new water main. Marc said, “Boy, I wouldn’t want to be one of those guys.” I commented back, ‘Some of them are probably our brothers in Christ who are in prison for their faith.’ That sobered us both for that entire week!
Again, on our first trip to China together, Marc and I were staying in a hotel in a seacoast city. We’d been in the room for a day without the toilet working, so we requested it be fixed. They came, but nothing changed, and so, the next day Marc asked for a new room. After we got all moved, he suddenly remembered he’d left a small briefcase in our other room…that had all his passport, visa, money, tickets, etc. in it. He was nearly panicked as we hurried down to the front desk to ask to retrieve the briefcase. Unfortunately, it was about midnight and none of the desk clerks spoke English. We were told we’d have to wait until morning! After a mostly sleepless night, we were at the hotel front desk at 8 a.m., asking to look in our old room for the lost briefcase.
“When the hotel manager took us up to the room and knocked on the door, a Chinese man came to the door in his briefs! They had rented the room with no working toilet out, even after we’d been in it for two days. The man in the room graciously allowed us to look for the lost briefcase, which was right where Marc had left it! Then, the Chinese man in his briefs invited us to stay for tea and breakfast! We just kindly declined and laughed all the way back to our room.
“On that trip, we attended the Chinese Acrobatic Show in Beijing. We had another couple from Campus Crusade along with us. Before the show, we had time for only a quick meal, so we had our Chinese host find us a little “hole in the wall” place and ate. One dish was of ribs, cut in small sections. While the couple was in the washroom, I told our host that we were going to play a joke on them and to play along. After the meal, I asked Bobbi, the wife, how she liked the cat ribs. She turned purple and said, “I ate cat?” I said, “Yeah, it was good, wasn’t it?” We didn’t tell them that it was really lamb until after the incredible Acrobatic Show. We all had a great laugh!!!
“During our trip to India in March 2008, we waited an hour to get into a coffee shop we’d seen in the town where we were staying - we really wanted some good coffee! After getting in shortly after they opened, we ordered our coffee, and then sat down to enjoy the morning. As we waited, we watched the man on duty wipe all the tables and then the front windows with a rag. Then, we watched in horror as he used the same rag to take all the cups off the shelves and wipe them out! Needless to say, we did not drink our coffee!
Ministries abound through CMC – those monitored by the church staff and those not. During one Sunday morning service, Pastor Marc joked, “I’m the last guy you should call if you want to know about one of the many activities going on around here. Someone called me at the house and asked when the softball game was going to be. I asked, ‘We have a softball team?”
Marc’s attitude of humor has spread throughout other ministries. Mario added, “I can recall a time where Chad Alvarado was on the stage on a Sunday morning service acting out a scene where he was reading a newspaper. Much to our alarm was the fact that of all the sections he chose to pull out, the side that was facing the audience was some type of ad for women's undergarments! There's also a circling effect that happens with us pastors that some may call "miscues." I recall walking up on the stage after the "end" of a choir song, getting ready to clap and transition only to find out that once I was on stage, the song started back up again - hence the awkward circling effect of walking down the steps until the song ended.
One of the co-leaders of adult [younger?] Sunday School class, Prime Timers, Al Gerdes, quipped that there likely were some members of the Olympians who were probably young enough to be in the Prime Timers and some members of Prime Timers who, well, felt good being around younger people! During a time when the Olympians and Prime Timers temporarily met next door to each other, Al noted that the Olympians used a public address system that could be heard through the walls. He observed that an indicator for becoming more identified with the Olympians would be when the Prime Timers, as well, needed a public address system. To forestall that day, he suggested that the middle-aged class members “speak up and don’t ask us to repeat”!
Just a sampling of ministries through CMC include the following:
Apologetics
CARE AND SHARE (Was called Benevolence)
TeleCare – prayer ministry, calling homes
CHADD: Children & Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder
CHOICE: Christ-Centered Help Overcoming Interpersonal Co-dependent
Experience
Children's Ministries
Christ the King Academy
Counseling
Marriage
Conciliation
Couples, Inc.
Divorce Care
Funerals
GUEST SERVICES
Glen Odle Scholarships Fund
Healing ministries
Liberty Bay Orchestra
Love and Loss
Men's basketball
Men's Roundtable
Men's softball
Missionettes
Missions:
Wolof Unreached People Group
Basque Unreached People Group
Garhwali Unreached People Group
Garhwal Alliance of 7 AG Churches focused on N. India
Finishing the Task Fund (For our 3 UPG engagements)
Encouraging 6 Area AG Churches
Sakila Sponsorship
Short-term mission trips (Indonesia, Colombia, Senegal, Mexico, Spain)
Support for Individual Missionary Families
Multimedia
Music
Olympians Senior Sunday School Class
Perspectives
Prime Timers Adult Sunday School Class
Quilting
Remnant Student Ministries
Coram Deo Summer Camps
Royal Family Kid's Camp
Royal Rangers
Seasonal/Special events/music/drama:
Easter
Friends Day
Patriotic
Christmas
Vacation Bible School
Visitation
Weddings
With a larger church came the need for more delegation. If Pastor Al Munger confessed to burnout, Pastor Marc Pearson saw the need to manage his time in dissimilar circumstances.
Was Munger more involved in the day-to-day operation?
“I don’t get burned out,” Pearson said. “I get tired. I self-regenerate. As part of that, I limit myself to one or two meetings a month outside of normal duty hours. I don’t make as many hospital visits as I used to. I don’t do long-term counseling with anybody.” Referring to himself in the third person, he said, “It needs to be done, but Marc doesn’t need to do everything. I’ve seen people get torn apart trying to do everything everyone wants them to do. Do I get stretched thin? Do I get tired? Yes, of course! But I take time off when I need it – I get five weeks of vacation a year. I don’t use or need it all, but Carol and I do lots of things together. I have a very healthy family and a strong marriage. We have an understanding that I go home at night and that we expect to have dinner together and we have a good time. There are a lot of meetings going on, but Tom [Duchemin] or Dan [Rueb, business pastor] is at them. I’m not on the master planning committee; I’m not on the finance committee; I’m not on the missions committee. I could be. But I've chosen not to
“There’s the difference between Al and me. “Al had to be. If I were the leader when he was, I would be doing it the same way he did. I couldn’t lead the church then the way I do now. Al came into a church of 50 people and grew it [in time to 300-400 in the Harrison Street church. When Munger left the newest site in 1988, the attendance grew to 600-700], and the times and tasks demanded his role in the way he did it. He needed to do things I would have to do in a similar church of that size. If I led the church then like I do today, it wouldn’t go well.
“Al is a great leader and mentor,” Pearson said. “It’s tougher to be a pastor of a church of 300. In a large church, people don’t expect the senior pastor to visit people in the hospital. In a smaller church they do, and if he doesn’t, it agitates people. Today, Tom [Duchemin] takes care of the day-to-day operation under the goals that we have and what we’ve all agreed we’re going to do,” assisted by the pastoral and support staff.
Reflections
Are there things the pastor would do differently if he had them to do over?
“If I would plant another church, I wouldn’t do it the same way,” he said. “The New Life experience was an emotional experience, not in a negative way, but like a daughter leaving home at age 17 and going to Florida to go to college. It’s not a bad thing, but you don’t want her gone. Wes never intended to plant another church, but if we were to do it over, and I saw it growing, I might suggest planting a church 100 miles away. Otherwise there can be the incorrect perception that there is a competition.
“Church discipline is another area I would do differently. On two occasions, we disciplined someone publicly from the platform, expelling him or her from fellowship, and church discipline doesn’t of necessity mean doing it that way. The purpose of church discipline is to restore people. Matthew 18 instructs us to talk to someone about a conflict privately. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, we are to take two or three witnesses with us – people the person knows and trusts. We keep widening the circle. But to publicly discipline someone in front of a large congregation when many don’t know the person – I believe widening the circle means to ultimately share the situation, if necessary, with others as needed who know the person – again, people he knows and trusts and who have an influence on his life and love him. Otherwise many in the congregation don’t have a clue what’s going on and they can be confused. And yet the experiences we went though didn’t come back to bite me. As a result of what we learned, we have established policies and processes.”
Although he had been an associate for 16 years – 10 under Pastor Al Munger from 1978 to 1988 – Pastor Marc discussed the 1985 situation earlier cited when a staff member left the church after moral failure and found that it was “heart-wrenching, but I couldn’t begin to understand what Al went through as the senior pastor – the pain, the stress and the concern. At least 185 people left the church as a result of that incident, perhaps as many as 200. 185 submitted to exit interviews. That was a wrenching time for the church and all the staff. That took a lot of life out of Al.
“Al is a brilliant man. He seems to have a sixth sense, and he knows what goes on. He’s an amazing man; I’ve told him that many times,” Pearson said. “It was the first time I went though an extended fast and we prayed,” he said.
Pastor Marc gave additional insight of what it means to be a pastor.
“No matter what happens – if there is some tragedy – come hell or high water, you still have to preach on Sunday,” he said. “The people need a leader. You have to be consistent. You can’t be phony. You’ve got to be real. The time I really appreciated Al was when I became a senior pastor.”
In the aftermath of that incident, procedures and policies were put into place in terms of hiring. “I’m a policy guy,” Pastor Marc said. “Today we have a management team of four people and a leadership team of eight” to shape and review many of the decisions, especially in hiring a senior person. You know that old saying, ‘The best way to get rid of a bad person is not to hire him.’”
The pastor said he has no major regrets – “nothing that bugs me” – and no feelings of guilt over how he has interacted with family.
There are minor areas he might revisit: “There are times when I made a decision and should have been more concerned with building consensus. Other times I should have decided and not spent so much time building consensus. You have no guarantees. If you make a mistake, people will forgive.”
Theological side trips
The pastor related some “weird” things that happened over the course of his ministry.
One man came to him, having saved all of Marc’s messages and asked permission to use them “as the next pastor of CMC after the Rapture.” The man admitted the idea didn’t square with his theology, but he thought he had a calling to preach at Christ Memorial following the Rapture, after God’s elect would be taken up into Heaven, leaving unbelievers behind. According to many Bible scholars, it is possible to be saved after the Rapture, but one would need to experience death before Christ comes again to establish His kingdom on earth.
Before becoming associate pastor at Christ Memorial, Pearson was an associate at Calvary Church in Denver. While there, he a woman at a nearby college told him she had a garage filled with medicine and that the reason Christ hadn’t returned yet is because He was being held by the Egyptian god Horace in a pyramid, and that her medicine would be used in healing and freeing Jesus from captivity!
Most fulfilling
Pastor Marc said while he enjoys it, his most fulfilling ministry activities are “not preaching.” More fulfilling is his preference for a smaller classroom where he can teach and “make the Bible come alive” so that the light turns on in people and they say, “I get it!”
He also said he finds gratification in “working with teams of people toward a common goal – a worthy goal – to produce results for God’s sake.”
In 2005 and again in 2008, the pastor taught a pivotal series, “How Can I Know God’s Will for My Life?” He explained the freedom a believer has to make career, training and relationship choices within the confines of the larger circle of God’s moral will.
“Some call God’s individual will for their life ‘the Dot,’” he said, meaning that some believe God has made precise choices for us – whom we should marry, where we should live, what job we are to have.
“But, there is no Dot. The Bible doesn’t teach the Dot,” he pointed out. “The Bible does teach the will of God – we are to submit ourselves to God and His sovereign will, and we are to know his moral will for us – we are to desire it in our lives, pursue it with a passion, seek after it, and we are to do it – not to is sin. We are to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord.
“God gives us an enormous amount of freedom to choose as long as it’s within his moral will.”
Pearson practices what he preaches in this sense when it came to his own choice to become a pastor, he said.
“I was free not to be a pastor, but I wasn’t free not to serve God. I had many choices. I would describe it more as a sense of desire - more than a divine calling - a setting apart, a way of life. I had been brought up to consider a vocational ministry, but I could just as well have chosen to be a teacher in teacher in a Bible college, or I could have pursued a vocation in archaeology or history. I could have been an adventurer. I have a keen interest in travel and other cultures. That’s why I’m so passionate about our ministry to the unreached, such as the Wolof people. However, I have no interest in being an attorney or accountant.”
Most admired
As mentors and inspiring individuals he admires, Pastor Marc named four: Al Munger, retired senior pastor; Bruce Samuelson, retired business pastor; John Hubbell, former Christ the King principal and current teacher at King’s Schools; and Pastor Tom Duchemin. Pastor Marc’s admiration for Al Munger is discussed earlier. Pearson said that most had gone through conflict or personal crisis and came through “steady” and exhibiting Christlike qualities. “They never let anything come between us,” and their friendship with Pastor Marc grew, even if Marc handled situations “in an immature way.”
Pearson called Samuelson “a champion of a man.” Of Hubbell, who now heads the local Royal Family Kids’ Camp, Pastor Marc said, “Though he went through valleys, he kept teaching. He is a godly man, and there are very few people I respect as much as John.”
Referring to his long-time associate, Pearson said, “Tom Duchemin is my man.” Not in anyway diminishing his regard for the entire staff, Pearson’s admiration for Duchemin’s commitment is unsurpassed.
“Others may leave, but let's keep him here.”
Pearson said that Tom has had “a constant flow - many opportunities to pastor, to work for the district superintendent, and each time, Tom has asked me if he had the freedom to consider them. But at the District Council in Yakima several years ago, something happened, and Tom came to me and said, ‘I want to cross a bridge and settle something. You don’t have to answer me right away….My ministry is to you, first, and then to the church. I’d like to work for you until we can’t work anymore.’”
Thus, the senior pastor called his colleague “loyal,” – an understatement - and added that “Tom is a very gifted person. He’s my guardian. If Tom won’t let someone get through to me, it doesn’t happen. One time, a person said ‘Tom won’t let me talk to you. Give me your phone number.’ I said, ‘If Tom said no, I won’t give you my phone number.’”
Pastor Tom added in 2008, “I am now in my 21st year working with Marc and we made a commitment a number of years ago that we would finish together. It is his style, personality, and leadership gifts that make that particular commitment possible. As far as I know we are the longest lead/executive pastor team in the Northwest District. Marc’s style allows people to develop in their area of giftedness. He is truly a team leader and I have said many times both in private, and in front of others, that he is uniquely gifted in this area. Marc does not just “talk” team – that is the way he leads. Everyone feels important and needed. His style is to involve others in decision-making. There are times when the team leader (Marc) needs to make the decision and he will do that but prefers to involve the team or team members. The old cliché that has been around for sometime – “it’s amazing what can be done when you don’t care who gets the credit” (or something like that!) is practiced consistently by Marc – he lives that.
Marc celebrates the successes of others and does so from his heart – he means it – a rare gift. Marc is always upbeat – he is not a person that becomes discouraged or depressed. That’s not Marc. He sees the positive side in everything and in everybody – that’s Marc. I have had numbers of staff from other churches stop by and one of things they comment on is that CMC seems to be a great place to work – they sense that and much of that is due to Marc’s leadership. He is a gifted leader whom God has uniquely placed here to lead CMC. He has no other aspirations or calling. He has had many opportunities down through the years to serve other churches or ministries, but Marc knows God has called him to this church family.
Shock & Awe
On June 6, 2008, Pastor Marc, having suffered the loss of his father and two uncles to Lou Gehrig’s disease, broke the hearts of all who know him by writing the following:
Dear CMC Family:
Thank you so much for all of your concern and prayers for my health and our family. Our hearts have been lifted up on many occasions knowing God’s people are calling out to Him for us.
I have recently been diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. I didn’t notice any symptoms until sometime after Easter. Since then, I’ve had a series of tests that indicate I am in the very early stages.
My medical team at the University of Washington Medical Center ALS Clinic has told us my symptoms are subtle.
Some of you know that ALS most often affects swallowing and the respiratory system. Specific tests on both of those areas show no affects whatever so far. The disease progresses at different rates and in different ways in different people.
We are aggressively fighting this disease with everything we have and in the name of the Lord. I am following a regimen laid out for me by my UW medical team, including exercise.
At our request, mighty prayer warriors at CMC have prayed over our entire family and I’m sure we’ll ask them to pray for us again. The Elder Board has anointed me with oil and prayed. We are bathed in love, prayer and support. Ultimately, we live in God’s hands.
I am physically strong and will continue leading this great congregation. I have a lot of vision and passion to see this work of God continue to grow and thrive. I have no plans to retire anytime soon – I plan to serve here for years to come. Our Elder Board is 100% supportive. God has wonderful days ahead for us.
I continue my regular work schedule. However, I am not pushing it but am taking regular rest times to pace myself. As already planned, Carol and I will take some vacation this summer. We are going to Japan in late September for a wedding reception for our son and his wife who were married in Tokyo in late November. Our entire family is heading to Hawaii again in January.
I will be speaking this Sunday, June 8, as I end my current teaching series.
On July 6, the weekend following our Patriotic Sunday, I begin a new summer teaching series – How Can I Know God’s Will for My Life? That’s a question every serious believer asks and God has some clear answers for us. This will be an updated version of a similar series I did in 2005, and I’m really looking forward to it.
The Day of Celebration planned for June 22 to honor Carol and me on our 30th service anniversary at CMC has nothing to do with this disease. It was planned long before any of us became aware of my health needs.
Please continue to pray for us. Pray for God’s healing in my body and in those of others. Pray God’s peace and comfort into our lives and those of others who are also facing challenging times. Pray for the ongoing health and vitality of the church body, that we will walk in faith and without fear. Pray that God will use this time to reveal Himself to each of us in fresh and deep ways. May God be honored in everything we think, say and do. Carol and I love you dearly.
In His mighty name,
Pastor Marc
Dave Fischer provided a glimpse into Marc’s outlook: “As a friend, Marc told me about his diagnosis early on. I was not too surprised, because I’d seen some change in his strength and mobility. We wept together when he told me, but then he expressed that his hope in Christ was very, very real during this time. His main concern was not for himself, but for his family and the church family at CMC.
“This has been a blow to me personally, as Marc is my immediate boss and my good friend. I know God is good and that He will walk with Marc and his family through all this, but it is not what I would have chosen.”
Pastor Tom Duchemin added, “Regarding Marc’s illness just let me say that Marc and I have a very close personal and professional relationship so I choose not to say too much at this point – my decision. There have been many tears shed and at times my emotions are very close to the surface. But, this is a time to practice what you preach! When we made the commitment many years ago to finish together neither of us knew then, and we don’t know now, how that will end or what challenges the future will bring, but God knows and our trust is in Him. I will say this – there is no one who has handled this personally or professionally better than Marc."
At least two CMC members, Dick Osburn and Dave Harris, have had close friendships with other pastors stricken with this cruel disease.
Dave and his wife, Suzanne, brought to Marc’s attention Pastor Tommy Paino’s experience in Indiana with ALS in the 1990s and asked for prayer.
Marc later spotted Dave in the balcony during a Sunday morning service and placed his hands together, signaling he was praying for Tommy. When Tommy died, Marc called the Harrises and conveyed his concern, telling them of his own father.
It is important to retain one’s sense of humor during such an ordeal. Pastor Tommy told of being brought to a dentist’s office for a teeth-cleaning “because my wife did such a lousy job of brushing my teeth!” His helpers left his wheelchair in the car and helped him into the dentist’s office. When he came out through the waiting room, he shouted, “When I came in her I was perfectly healthy!”
Suzanne’s mother had suffered a heart attack and two strokes and was paralyzed on her right side. She wanted to see Pastor Tommy and was wheeled in to see him on his wheelchaired eye-to-eye level.
“Helen,” he whispered with a mischievous smile, “Someday in Heaven, you and I will be dancing partners.”
Someone joked that they were trying to tell a young teenage girl about Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“Who was Lou Gehrig,” she asked.
“He was a famous baseball player, and he had Lou Gehrig’s disease.”
“Wow! What a coincidence!”
Perhaps the one providing the optimum greeting after learning of Marc’s diagnosis was Del Chittim, former associate pastor who followed Wes Davis to New Life and is now working at the Assemblies of God district office:
Marc -
Kerri and I have been praying for you and your family and we will continue to do so. For some reason when I read your post just now I felt like I should be sharing with you what a great influence you were on me, how much I learned from you - real sappy stuff - almost talk to you as if you were about to keel over or something. Of course, all of that is just silly though because we have many years of friendship and ministry left so you will just have to come up with something much better than this before I spill all the good stuff! OK - all kidding aside, I do actually wish I could just go down the hall to your office and give you a hug and tell you how much Kerri and I love you - but this will have to do for now. (In case you are wondering why I never did wander down the hall and gave you a big hug and told you that I loved you when I worked there, it is of course because Tom would have gotten jealous!)
Much Love and Prayers,
Del and Kerri Chittim
While hundreds, perhaps thousands, cry out to God for Pastor Marc’s healing, Jenny Thornton, Dr. Elvin Larson’s daughter who shares her father’s dental practice, reported having a patient who has lived with ALS for 15 years and going strong. Many pray for even better results with Pastor Marc.
Karen Ross said, “I always seem to be whispering prayers are Pastor Marc is preaching. I cannot imagine the difficulty on Carol and their children. I hope God miraculously heals Pastor Marc.”
Marion and Loretta Sluys reflected on their thoughts: "Thankfully we do not know what the future will bring but we do know that prayer really works. We will continue to ask our Lord to give Marc complete healing, also to be with his family in this time, trusting in Him. Praise Jesus for allowing such a man to shepherd us these many years! We have been so blessed with the pastoral staff at Christ Memorial Church! We are thankful Marc is living life to the fullest and accepting any and all challenges.
"In conclusion we also have been blessed with a wonderful family! Good hardworking children who know and love the Lord. That, after all, is the test of a successful husband and wife."
Gene and Lorraine Anderson added, "We will continue to stand with the Pearson family in prayer. We are praying and will continue to pray for Marc's complete healing. We are convinced that is what God wants and expects us to do. We do not measure what God is doing by what we see or by man's prognosis. The Pearson family is a living testimony of God's faithfulness in every situation and/or circumstance. The future of CMC is secure because the people of this church belong to the Lord. As long as we look to Him, He will supply the needs of our church family. God will use this situation for good. He's using it now to bring the church body together in united prayer. We pray that Pastor Marc and the Pearson family will continue to serve at CMC for many glorious years to come."
As a word of encouragement, Dave Harris reminds CMC parishioners that Pastor Tommy’s church has flourished beyond imagination. Tommy started with 34 in attendance. His church, Northview Christian Fellowship, which he helped build, is now adding new facilities, with a congregation numbering in the multiple thousands. Harris admonishes CMC parishioners to “hang in there” and not abandon a God-breathed ministry.
“This is not about a man,” he said. “This is about God’s Kingdom. And men and women of God, despite unthinkable setbacks, ‘turned the Kingdom upside down’ for God’s purposes.”
Legacy
Marc Pearson said he would like to be remembered as “down-to-earth so that people can relate to me, someone who is authentic, and if in one word, Bible. I want to be remembered as someone who explained the Bible – and when people think of me, they associate me with the Bible.”
He said he sees ahead of him as a goal to pursue: “To see the first church planted among the Wolof and Basque people – reaching the unreached people will take decades of commitment.”
Mario added, “Steady is a word that I would use to describe CMC. Like a huge ship out on the open seas, CMC takes time to consider its course and makes the necessary adjustments over time keep us headed in the right direction - towards Christ. There is a tremendous amount of health at CMC as well - it is a rare thing to see in today's churches.
Tom said, “There are so many memorable moments with Marc that it’s hard to choose just one. We have laughed together, cried together, worked on challenging issues together. I can think of key decisions like adding the 9:30 worship service, the starting of New Life, Venues, the ongoing Master Plan, the adding or changing of staff that have all carried unique challenges but have kept us moving ahead in what we believe is God’s will. There are many more and perhaps too many to list.”
Pastor Marc concluded, “It’s not the buildings here. This isn’t the church.
“I want to see more people come to the Lord.”
