Independent Assemblies

connection Independent Assemblies

uniting ministries worldwide

Outreach

lindsey’s song

Her Defiant Faith

May/June 2009 | Volume 1 Issue 1

calendar May

Two Man Golf Scramble is set for May 7 & 8 at Purcell, OK Municipal Golf Course.

To register, contact Ken Anderson at kda@valornet.com Interstate Fellowship Meeting Monday, May 11, 2009 Calvary Temple Edmond, OK Rev. Dale Drain (405) 348-2334 North Central Texas Fellowship Meeting Monday, May 18, 2009 Malachi Ministries 507 North I-35E Waxahachie, TX Rev. Diana & Phillip Downs (972) 923-9203

June

SE Texas Regional Minister’s Meeting Friday, June 5, 2009 6:30 PM Trinity Assembly 1008 E. Lobit Ave. Baytown, TX Rev. Herb Hawthorne (281) 723-2278 Interstate Fellowship Meeting Monday, June 8, 2009 First Grace Church Glenpool, OK Rev. Ronnie Spoon (918) 744-4717

North Central Texas Fellowship Meeting Monday, June 15, 2009 Victory Temple Church 2101 Acosta St Grand Prairie, TX 75051 Rev. Leland Hall (972) 642-9008

July

National Conference July 13, 14, 15, 2009 Bricktown Hotel 2001 E. Reno Oklahoma City, OK 73117 (405) 235-1647

August

Interstate Fellowship Meeting Monday, August 10, 2009 Faith Community Church Whitefield, OK Rev. Bill Fitzer (918) 967-2554 North Central Texas Fellowship Meeting Monday, August 17, 2009 New Life Ministries 101 S. Main Street Red Oak, TX Rev. Mark Lowery (972) 617-1135 For more monthly meeting/event details, please visit our website at www.independentassemblies.org.

www.independentassemblies.org 2 • connection

connection

From the

President

May/June 2009

This month marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new one!

Contents 2

Calendar

4

Lindsey's Song

6

National Conference 2009

8

Member Focus

9

Rescue Missions Outreach

10

Board Member: Ken Anderson

11

Board Members

Independent Assemblies PO Box 1546 Ada, OK 74821 (580) 310-0222 Produced by Layers Media, Inc. www.layersmedia.com

Pastor Ken Anderson, the Independent Assemblies Secretary-Treasurer, has produced the monthly newsletter for the last 13 years. Those of us who read the newsletter know what a great job he has done in keeping us informed and inspired, as well as tickling the funny bone with jokes each month! While he remains actively involved in the fellowship, he will be stepping down as the newsletter editor/ producer. Thanks Pastor Kenny, for your efforts over the years!

We hope you enjoy the new look and content of this month’s “IA Connection”.

This magazine will be coming to your home and church bi-monthly, and will also be accessible in digital format on our web site. Our desire is to produce an `official voice of the fellowship’ which reflects excellence in ministry, and brings honor to the work of the Lord.

Your input is greatly appreciated. Feel free to send meeting changes, articles, and updates to me at mickey.keith@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1546, Ada, OK. 74821.

Faithfully,

connection • 3

Lindsey’s by: Mindy Wood

“I just pray that by His stripes we’re healed and by the Word of God that begins to work in her life and in all aspects that it continues to manifest in her life”

W

endy and Ronnie Spoon are the proud parents of a young girl who models the kind of faith that many of us hope to realize in our own lives. Lindsey Spoon is nine years old and has cerebral palsy, but her defiance, hope and courage have lifted her above those limitations.

A little girl whom doctors doomed to mental retardation recently wrote a worship song complete with verse, chorus and melody. Lindsey told her mother she wanted to go to her room and be alone because she wanted to write a song. “It’s kind of funny because she’s always written little songs but this was different,” said her mother, Wendy Spoon. “Everything flowed and went together and rhymed and before her songs were what you would expect from a nine year old.”

Ronnie and Wendy Spoon pastor First Grace Church of Glenpool, Oklahoma where Ronnie had recently encouraged his congregation to write songs for their worship services. Lindsey’s song entitled, “You Are” expresses the devotion of a

4 • connection

saint’s heart toward God who encompasses everything believers need.

The Spoon family has come to expect the miraculous. Born almost four months premature, Lindsey and Wendy both should have died because of complications in labor, but right from the start Lindsey was a fighter. Doctors put her on a ventilator but she fought to breathe on her own so much that she was hurting herself. Five days later, much sooner than expected, they took her off the machine. Wendy and Ronnie brought their newborn baby home four weeks earlier than doctors expected. “It’s still a surprise to everyone,” said Wendy.

At eighteen months she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. “They told us she would be unable to walk, that she would have mental retardation and she would never be the kind of child who would go to school,” Wendy remembered. “It was something you don’t expect for your child,” said Ronnie. “Nobody on either side of the family has a handicap so it was a big shock. I just refused to accept it.”

“I never accepted the mental retarda-

tion or not walking. Even at that age Lindsey began to show us, ‘if you tell me I can’t do it, I’m going to try harder,’” said Wendy. Recognizing her determination as a gift from God they carefully responded to their daughter’s actions. “It was really hard because we didn’t want to say, ‘Lindsey you have a disability’ or ‘you can’t do that’ and we never said that to her. We would say, ‘You need to be careful’ or ‘Ask for help if you’re going to do that.’”

At four years old Lindsey started school. “One day she got up and said, ‘Mom I’m not going to let you take me in my wheelchair to school today.’ I said, ‘Okay, how do you plan on getting there?’ She said, ‘Well, I’m going to walk. That’s what my friends do and that’s what I’m going to do.’ We took her walker to school and it took her twenty minutes. She only got half way to her classroom but she did what she was going to do. Everybody was just shocked. I got her in her classroom and I managed to get to my car before I just lost it.”

Lindsey received an award for her determination. She recently took dance lessons, rides horses in a physical therapy program called Bit By Bit, and enjoys picking a guitar when she gets the chance. Her faith and determination have touched her parents. “The one thing I’ve learned,” said Wendy, “is not to limit what Lindsey can do and not to limit what God can do because they’ve both proved me wrong!”

“I just pray that by His stripes we’re healed and by the Word of God that begins to work in her life and in all aspects that it continues to manifest in her life,” said Ronnie Spoon. “That’s what I pray, that the kingdom of God come to her life.”

Lindsey plans to write more songs and you can listen to “You Are” when you visit www.fgcglenpool.com

Lindsey’s Song You are, You are my everything You are, You are my destiny You are, You are my every reason in life You are, You are my love song You mean everything to me (2 x’s then chorus) This is for You Lord So come on, come on This is for You Lord So come on, come on Come on down Right here on earth (return to chorus)

connection • 5

10th Annual Independent Assemblies

Ministers

Conference

Mike Hayes is the founding and Senior Pastor of Covenant Church in Carrollton, Texas. Mike committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ and the call of ministry at an early age. After completing college, he established a wide-spread evangelistic ministry that took him across the United States as well as several foreign countries.

Keynote Speaker - Mike Hayes 6 • connection

In 1973, Mike married Kathy Parker, who at that time was part of a very popular music ministry with her family, “The Singing Parkers”. In 1976, after the birth of their first child, Mike and Kathy moved to the Dallas, Texas, area to establish Covenant Church. Beginning with only a vision, Covenant Church and Covenant Church’s Spanish-language congregation, Mundo de Fe, have grown to over 15,000 members across 12 locations in the North Texas area.

oklahoma city, ok

Bricktown Hotel

2009 July13-15

connection For more information visit www.independentassemblies.org or call (580) 527-6030• 7

MemberFocus Roger and Dawn Layne

Randy and Kay Ethridge

Pastors Roger and Dawn Layne of Promise Church are acquainted with sorrow and grief. They had no idea the tragedy they would face would play a crucial role in their ministry. Within hours of making the commitment to start their church, their two daughters were travelling on their way home from a Billy Graham youth service in Oklahoma City when a semi-truck hit their car, causing them to careen into oncoming traffic and hit a van. Their oldest daughter Alicia died.

Out of that experience, their passion deepened for hurting people. Dawn says that their ministry is vast but simple. “Promise Church has been a place of hope and refuge for those who need a place to heal and mend. We want to be effective to those who are broken and distraught, those who have faced tragedy and don’t know how to go on.”

Roger’s passion is to see people heal, rebuild their lives and realize their God given potential. “I want to see people become passionate about the work of the Kingdom. As a Pastor, if I can live out my dreams through someone else then I feel I am loving my neighbor as myself. If they will take that same passion and give it to someone else then the Church will become as strong as the gates of a castle.”

The Laynes started a missions scholarship fund in Alicia’s honor, who longed for mission work. They have sent kids to Mexico, ventured to Cambodia and Vietnam and support Kent and Candy Christmas’ Bridge Ministry of Nashville, Tennessee.

Roger and Dawn are expanding their work to local teenagers and nursing homes. The Laynes are ordained through the IA and Roger will graduate in May from Covenant Treasure School of Ministry. Their three children Laura Tyler 21 and son in law Kenny, Michaela 15, and Ethan 10 actively work with their parents in ministry. Alicia would be 25 this year.

Randy Ethridge, accountant turned pastor, found himself among sheep without a shepherd when he answered the call to pastor a small church in Stroud Oklahoma. Despite a beginning so small they were meeting in a park, today their church stands on 18 acres where the famous May 3rd tornado swept away the popular strip mall. Since 2002, their work blossomed to reach unwed mothers, to men just out of prison and the youth culture.

Maranatha Outreach Center is headed by Kay Ethridge and house mother, Terry Parker, whose efforts to sustain these women in careers or find homes for children go a long way to prevent abortions. “Every young lady is required to work and further their education. Our goal is independent living. I’ve seen them come in with a Wal-mart sack and leave driving away in their own car, with the education and skills to support their children.”

Local builder, Tom Wright partnered with the church to establish the Love Foundation, a home for men released from prison. Wright houses the men and teaches them a skill while shepherding their hearts.

Randy also talked about their passion for the next generation. “All my life I’ve seen programs built around adults but our programs are built around our youth. They don’t have the resources like adults do and if we can save the youth then we can avoid so many problems in life. They are teachable, moldable and they have a passion for God.” Youth leaders, Dan and Ellen Murdoch know the cost of losing teens too well; he’s an OKC police officer and she’s a detective. Randy says they make excellent youth pastors.

Randy manages People’s Electric Cooperative in Ada, Oklahoma in addition to pastoring Maranatha Christian Center with his wife Kay. They have four children, Justin 33, Alison 25, Kyle 19 and Cameron 16.

8 • connection

OUTREACH

M

by: Mindy Wood

ike Anderson has a passion to see ministry leaders trained and equipped all over the world and he admits that he comes by it honestly.

Mike spent most of his childhood on the mission field with his parents, Charles and Lorell Anderson, where the deep impression of mission work would shape the rest of his life.

“In the United States it is estimated that we have 1 trained leader for every 300 people, that’s not church people but the population,” said Anderson. “In other countries there’s an estimated 1 trained leader for 50,000 people. That number is actually skewed because if you go into India, there’s 1 trained leader for every 200,000 people.” That need was always apparent to Mike and his parents.

India is especially close to his heart since he was born in Bombay where his parents worked as resident missionaries in the fifties and sixties. The Andersons returned to Tyler, Texas in the seventies where they started a church. Though they

spent twenty years there as pastors, they did not forget India. They started Rescue Missions Outreach to raise funds to establish pastors, bible colleges, and orphanages.

Although Mike knew at sixteen God placed the same call on his life he was hesitant to answer it. Ten years later, the Lord reminded him. “I was interested in going into the ministry but I thought I’d done my time in missions. The Lord dealt strongly with me. I told him I would go and I thought I would be gone a few months but I ended up in Ghana for five years.”

Anderson hasn’t looked back since. It was there he met his wife, Pam in 1981 and by 1982 they were married and starting a bible school. The trouble ahead in Ghana tested them but they didn’t give up. “The U.S. declared Ghana the number one hardship country in the world.

Our pickup once sat in the gas line fifteen days to get gas. The electricity was on every other day and we went through a connection • 9

serious dirty and bloody military coop.

There were a lot of people who pulled out and told us we needed to leave but to us it was never an option. The Lord took care of us and in the midst of those difficulties we ended up seeing 27 churches established.”

Determination and patience were virtues he learned from his parents.

“They had this incredible refusal to quit regardless of how tough things would get. They just held on and had this determination and strong belief that God would somehow work it out, no matter how bad it was. I observed that growing up and I didn’t realize how much it affected me.”

Although his father died of a heart attack in 1986, his mother went back to India. Several years later, Lorell married Albert Wickware who gladly joined her on the mission field.

Amazingly, she continued to travel every year to India until she was 85. Not even a double knee replacement surgery or doctors orders could stop Lorell from her work.

She would minister for 65 years before finally retiring in 2006.

Today Mike and Pam carry on the work in India, have extended their work to the Caribbean, and oversee three bible colleges in three different countries.

They both travel all over the world.

They have two grown children, Toby and Jeana, who both plan to be in full time ministry.

Both Mike and Pam are graduates of SAGU in Waxahachie, Texas and taught at CFNI in Dallas, Texas. Rescue Missions Outreach is based in Tyler, Texas where they focus on leadership training in several countries.

10 • connection

Meet the Board:

Ken Anderson I was born in 1943 in Carnegie, Oklahoma, the home town of at least three generations of my family. Researching both sides of my family history has left me a very interesting and proud heritage.

I was saved at the age of 9 in a Free Will Baptist Church in Sulphur, OK. During high school, I attended Southwestern Bible College in Bethany Oklahoma. There I studied the Bible under Dr. R.O. Corvin and Dr. W. R. Corvin. In my senior year, I answered the call to the preach. My ministry began with jail services and street ministry in downtown Oklahoma City.

Shortly after graduation in 1961, I began to work for a weekly newspaper in Oklahoma City where I was trained in the printing and advertising field, and have been involved in printing and publishing in various forms since then. In 1962, I met Patsy Wade, who became my lovely wife and lifelong companion in October, 1963. After working as a draftsman for a major oil company, I established my own advertising company in Purcell, OK., After five years of prison ministry, I was hired in 1973 as a chaplain in the Lexington prison. We remained active in prison ministry until recently.

I enjoy playing both guitar and pedal steel guitar, and have written 15 country gospel songs.

My hobbies include golf, fishing, and collectibles.

I have been a minister with Independent Assemblies since it’s inception in 1967. The five founding leaders of our fellowship have been my mentors. Since 1995, I have served on the board of directors, and became secretary/treasurer in 1997.

It has been my privilege to produce our monthly newsletter for the past 13 years. I would like to say “thank you” for the articles, anecdotes, and bits of humor that you have sent through the years. I will continue to serve this fellowship in any way possible.

Pastor Ken and Patsy Anderson have served as founding pastors of Liberty Gospel Tabernacle, Lexington, OK. since 1978. They have two children, Kenny and Sonya, and six grandchildren ranging in age from 4 to 25.

Executive Board Mickey Keith

President PO Box 1546 Ada, OK 74821 (580) 310-0222 mickey.keith@gmail.com www.life623.com

Dr. Ted Estes

Vice President PO Box 2248 Claremore, OK 74018 pastorted@lifechangerchurch.com www.lifechangerchurch.com

Ken Anderson

Secretary/Treasurer PO Box 1120 Lexington, OK 73051 (405) 527-6030 Fax: (405) 527-1074 kda@valornet.com

Robert Johnson

Director of World Missions PO Box 978 Blackwell, OK 74631 (580) 363-2734 roj@clarionmissions.org www.clarionmissions.org

Jerry Edmon

Board Member PO Box 862 Elgin, TX 78621 (512) 281-5316 Jedmon1234@aol.com www.fwcelgin.com

Regional Representatives Southeast Oklahoma District Rev. Billy Hunter Antlers, OK (580) 298-2740 Southwest Oklahoma District Rev. Donnie Miller Cyril, OK (580) 464-2224 (580) 512-3657 Northeast Oklahoma District Rev. Mac Blackwell Locust Grove, OK (918) 479-6057 North Central Texas District Rev. Daniel Sue Kemp, TX (903) 498-4704 Southeast Texas District Rev. Herb Hawthorne Baytown, TX (281) 723-2278 South Central Texas District Rev. Jerry Edmon Elgin, TX (512) 281-5316 Midwest Regional District Rev. Mark Maynard Granite City, IL (618) 931-4106 Arkansas District Rev. Charles Kendrick Alexander, AR (501) 303-0831

connection • 11

World Harvest Sunday september13th

Independent Assemblies P.O. Box 1546 Ada, OK 74821

Address Correction Requested

PPDM

PAID

PRESORTED NON-PROFIT MAIL US POSTAGE