Alumni Updates

Volume 22 No 2 | Spring 2009

1944
John “Jack” Bergeson (C’38, S’44) died on January 19, 2009. Formerly of Seattle, he served 65 years in ministry for Converge Worldwide (BGC) as pastor, district executive minister, and professor. He is survived by his wife of 64 years Gladys (Peterson) ’38; brother Roger (C’53, S’54); children John ’67 (Diane Lundholm ’69), Jane Erickson ’69 (Robert), Ruth (Vernon) Lunzer, Peter ’73 (Gail Pilch ’72), and Daniel (Sandi); 11 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

1948
Howard T. Olson (C’42, S’48) died on January 30, 2009, at the age of 87. He was a Converge Worldwide (BGC) pastor in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Washington, and Illinois. He excelled in music and played the trombone and baritone right up to his last days. As a student, he served as the initial director of what would become the Bethel Band. He was preceded in death by his wife Mabel. He is survived by his son Richard (Kathleen), two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Elsie Mattson, 86, died February 13, 2009. She married Lloyd Mattson in November 1942, and they pastored Converge Worldwide (BGC) churches in Wisconsin, Michigan, Alaska, and Minnesota. They also served in 10 interim pastorates and at Lake Ellen Bible Camp, Crystal Falls, Mich. She managed Camping Guideposts for nine years and served on the editorial team for Wordshed Books. The Mattsons’ work with Christian Camping International (CCI) carried them across the U.S. and Canada, with international trips to Mexico, Austria, Japan, Hong Kong, and the U.K. In 1996 CCI honored the Mattsons with the Lee Kingsley Award for outstanding service to Christian camping. Elsie is survived by her husband, one brother, one daughter, four sons, 16 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren.

1952
Elizabeth L. Carlson (Hallgren), 86, died January 10, 2009. Born in Multnomah County, Ore., she married David H. Carlson in August 1951, and they pastored a Converge Worldwide (BGC) mission church in Vancouver, B.C., and Bethel Baptist Church, Minneapolis. David served as administrator for Oregon Baptist Retirement Home from June 1974 until his retirement in 1988. He died in June 2003. She is survived by two daughters and six grandchildren.

1953
Gilbert Forsline (C’49, S’53) died on November 29, 2008, at age 82, and his loving wife, Doris (Johnson) (C’45), died two weeks later on December 13 at age 82. Gil pastored South Isanti Baptist Church, Isanti, Minn., and started Northwest Baptist Church in Denver. He was also an elementary school teacher and principal, and after receiving an M.A. at Denver University he was an administrator in the Denver schools. He served as an Army Reserve chaplain in Denver for 16 years with the rank of Major. Gil and Doris are survived by their children Annette, Brian, and Cheryl.

1955
Lucius Albert Butler Jr. is retired and lives in Friends Homes West with his wife Donna. In 1955 he received an M.Ed. from the University of Minnesota. He and Donna served two five-year terms in Japan with Converge Worldwide (BGC). Following the completion of a Ph.D. in 1988 from the University of Minnesota, he taught 18 years at the University of Hawaii and worked for the U.S. Navy as a civilian educator. In 2002 after his retirement, the Butlers returned to Tokyo for eight years as Christian chaplains.

1958
Russell Voight (C’55, S’58) of Auburndale, Fla., died February 26, 2009, due to cancer, at the age of 82. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he pastored Converge Worldwide (BGC) churches in North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Montana, Washington, and Florida. He pastored Bethany Church (Cebu, Philippines), taught at Bible Colleges in Manila and Cebu, and served as corrections chaplain in Washington. Russell is survived by his wife of 57 years, Ann, and sons David (Sherry), Steven (Shari), Philip (Tamara), and two sisters and five brothers. He’s also survived by nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

1973
Morris F. Anderson retired from Lakeview Baptist Church, Battle Creek, Mich., bringing to a close nearly 40 years of professional ministry. He was a member of the General Board of American Baptist Churches USA, and also served on the denomination’s Board of International Ministries. He pastored churches in Pittsburgh; Green Bay, Wis.; Davenport, Iowa; and Pueblo, Colo. He and his wife Mary have been married 40 years and have two daughters and three granddaughters. They intend to spend their retirement years in Battle Creek.

Bruce Otto (C’70, S’73) is the executive director of Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly (H.O.M.E.) in Chicago. H.O.M.E. provides much-needed services for low-income elderly, offering three intergenerational housing developments, the only free citywide moving and furniture donation program, shopping transportation services, and an upkeep and repair service for elderly homeowners.

Brenda and Joseph Ziska are church-planting missionaries in Vienna, Austria. They planted the Kagran Church in 2002, and a church in Klosterneuburg in 2006. Joe is chairman of the board and head of the curriculum committee with Biblical Education on Location (BAO), a church-based training program. He and Brenda teach BAO-classic courses (Bible-school level) and BAO-light courses (the discipleship part of the BAO training program) throughout the country. Another area of Joe’s responsibility is to further develop a network of churches using BAO courses in Germany. He also chairs the Alliance for Church Based Training, comprising the Center for Church Based Training (CCBT) in Dallas, Church Based Training in New Zealand (CBT-NZ) and BAO in Austria (including Switzerland and Germany). Joe helped found the Evangelikale Akademie (EVAK) in Austria. Now EVAK has nearly 50 students in two centers (with a third center being developed).

1975
Marian and Paul Keidel are missionaries to France with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Last summer, Paul taught two classes at Geneva Bible Institute, Switzerland. The Limoges church plant is growing, and a work team from the U.S. assisted them in enlarging their worship center in Poitiers to accommodate more than 100 worshippers.

1983
Paul Goddard (C’76, S’83) received an M.Ed. in College and Continuing Education from Western Washington University in December. He is a contract technical writer and instructional designer at Boeing in Everett, Wash. He’s married to Ruth (King) (C’72, S’83) who is worship director at Haller Lake Baptist Church in Seattle and owner of Joy of Music, Co.

1987
Sara Hewitt is a missionary in Sofia, Bulgaria, with OC International. Sara trains people for church planting and evangelism.

1991
David Houvenagle received his Ph.D. in Urban and Public Affairs from the University of Louisville. His dissertation, Advancing the Knowledge of Local Healthcare Policy: the Growth Machine Thesis, demonstrates a theory explaining the nature of local political structure and activity in healthcare decision making. He is employed with Jewish Hospital and St. Mary’s Healthcare in Louisville.

1992
In August 2008 Janice and Steve Rasmussen (C’85, S’92) and their four children relocated to Nairobi, Kenya, where Steve has accepted a professorship teaching missions at the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (NEGST). This provides him an opportunity to have an even greater influence on the training of Africa’s top leaders and missionaries. Steve and Jan will also continue to provide significant oversight for Lake Victoria Christian College in Mwanza, Tanzania, and the many other dimensions of the expanding T.E.A.M. ministry, including the June launch of the East African School of Missions. The photo pictures the Rasmussens with Dolores and Chester White, professor emeritus of NEGST.

1996
Jennifer and Jon Dahlager are serving with AG World Missions in Costa Rica working with pastors’ kids and training youth pastors. They began 2009 with both a kids’ camp and a major shakedown, with the area suffering the most devastating earthquake in 18 years, measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale. AG World Missions stepped in with relief funds, and local AG churches are serving as shelters for homeless families. 

2003
This spring Leadership Organizational Development Journal will publish Jeanine Parolini’s article, “Distinguishing Transformational and Servant Leadership.” Jeanine recently returned from Northern India where she trained pastors/church leaders on peacemaking and reconciliation at a six-day conference; mediated a couple of conflicts within the ministry; preached at a church on reconciliation/peacemaking and unity within the church; and spent several full days coaching key leaders in how to apply the principles to their ministry settings. She is also an adjunct professor at Bethel Seminary St. Paul.

2005
Jackie and Emily Francis announce the adoption of Noah Whitaker. Adopted in 2007, Noah became a U.S. citizen in November 2008. He joins brother Conner Davis.

2006
Richard Moore and his wife Mimi are the proud first-time grandparents of quadruplets. Born to their son Aaron and his wife Tina on January 20, 2009, were Jack Robert, Joseph John, Grace Janice-Elayne, and Noah Michael. All are doing well and will be living in Omaha, Neb., where Aaron is an RN for the VA Hospital. Richard is the pastor of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Sloan, Iowa.