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Wednesday, September 01 2010 |
 Lester Pifer celebrated 70 years in ministry this year. The years following World War II brought an explosion of growth to the United States. Demand for housing and manufactured items kept the economy humming. The baby boom was in full swing, producing an abundance of little consumers.
The Grace Brethren church was experiencing its own “boom” during the late 1940s and 1950s. The newly-formed fellowship saw many young men enter the ministry. Missionaries were being sent out overseas, and new congregations were springing up at home.
The Brethren Home Missions Council had been in place for several years, led first by Rev. R. Paul Miller, and then by Dr. L. L. Grubb. The organization’s purpose was to assist, promote, and instruct in the planting of new Grace Brethren churches in the United States and Canada. Home Missions also played a key role in encouraging and supporting its pastors.
In 1953, in the midst of all this growth, a 33-year-old pastor named Lester Pifer joined the staff of Home Missions as the assistant to Dr. Grubb. He had already pastored three churches—in Tennessee; South Bend, Ind. (which he started); and Fremont, Ohio. His heart for evangelism and tireless energy for the ministry were becoming well-known across the Fellowship.
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Wednesday, September 01 2010 |
 Tom Hocking, the 2009-2010 moderator of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, encouraged conference attendees to find their own Springs of Life to share the gospel. Celebrate 2010, the annual conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, was nontraditional in format but still very much a traditional annual meeting in spirit. It was held July 16 to 20 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Nearly 500 people participated from around the U.S. and Canada.
 Grace Brethren military chaplains and their wives were recognized during the annual Chaplain’s Luncheon, hosted by the Grace Brethren Investment Foundation. Pictured are (left to right, front): John and Martha Schumacher, Jim and Ashley Murray, Bill and Robyn Graham, Jeff and Mie Wirick (with Hosanna and Vanessa), Pete and Monica Stone, Richard and Star Hurst, (back) John Jacobsen, Jesus Prado, Lou Urban, Jeff Mason, Mark and Robin Penfold. The conference kicked off on Friday, July 16, with the chaplain’s luncheon, a time when the military (and other) chaplains in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches are recognized. (This year, eight chaplains from the Army and Navy shared about their various ministries.) The rest of the day was set aside for the meetings of Women of Grace and the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers.
 Conference-goers joined in prayer on Friday evening. Friday night featured a Concert of Prayer, facilitated by Mac Pier, president of The New York City Leadership Center (NYCLC), a new independent non-profit organization, which was recently planted by Concerts of Prayer Greater New York. The conference delegates spent time praying for themselves, each other, the lost, and the world.
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Wednesday, September 01 2010 |
 David Nicodemus, left, youth pastor at the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus, Ohio; and Mark Artrip, pastor of high school ministries at Grace Church, Powell, Ohio, warm up the audience before an evening session at Momentum 2010. As expected, Momentum, the annual Grace Brethren youth conference hosted by CE National, was a high energy week filled with solid Bible teaching, classic ministry opportunities, and plenty of artistic and sports competitions in the form of NAC (Nurturing Abilities for Christ). More than 1,500 students and adults gathered on the campus of Cedarville University in Ohio for the event, which was held July 12-18, 2010.
 On Wednesday night, Jim Brown, pastor of Grace Community Church, a Grace Brethren church in Goshen, Ind., spoke about purity. He taped and re-taped a box to illustrate what happens each time an individual has a sexual relationship with someone. Focused on 2 Timothy 2:22, the week encouraged students to pursue God. Speakers included Jeff Bogue, Mark Cahill, Jim Brown, Brett Harris, Mike Yankoski, Greg Speck, Kondo Simfukwe, and Mark Batterson. Worship leaders were Brett Younker, Laura Story, Jeremy Byng, and Aaron Keyes. |
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