belong

In the first post of this series, I promised I would share a little bit about my story in the Church of God. My Church of God story actually begins in the United Methodist Church. My family has very deep roots in the UMC, both of my parents being raised in the UMC and their families’ involvement going back generations to the Methodist denominations that united to become the United Methodsit church. After my family moved to the Cleveland area when I was 7 years old, we began attending Strongsville United Methodist Church. Throughout my years growing up there, my family was deeply involved in the community. Most of all I loved my time singing in the Sanctuary Choir in high school. I also grew to treasure the seasons of the church and the liturgical year, and some of the most powerful worship experiences I had came during traditional Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter services. Continue reading →

Do I belong to the Church of God because I believe, or do I believe because I belong to the Church of God?  I have always been in the Church of God.  Steeped in it actually.  My parents are both ordained Church of God pastors.  My Grandfather is a retired Church of God pastor.  My two brothers and I are all pastors in Church of God congregations.  I even went so far as to marry the daughter of a Church of God pastor, and her brother is also serving and working on his ordination in the Church of God (and he also married a Church of God PK).  All of my immediate family members, and their spouses, are all graduates of Anderson University/College/etc.  Family of God, indeed.

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