ECCAK Honors Margaret 'Maggie' Olson

EAGLE RIVER, AK (April 17, 2004) - Election of General Council members, recommendations for ministry licenses and ordination and presentation of an annual layperson ministry award were among highlights of the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska (ECCAK).

"We are excited about what God is doing through all of our churches in Alaska," said Rodney Sawyer, ECCAK field director, in welcoming delegates to the meeting that was chaired by Hugh Forbes, who also serves as chair of his local Covenant church in Bethel. (The accompanying photo shows Sawyer referencing an article in The Covenant Companion during an earlier session.)

Special guests included Don Meyer, executive minister of the Department of Communication of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), who shared a special greeting on behalf of ECC President Glenn Palmberg, and Gary Walter, executive minister of the Department of Church Growth and Evangelism.

The second annual Daniel Savetilik Sr. Lay Ministry Award was presented to Margaret T. "Maggie" Olson, who has served as a layperson for more than four decades in the Golovin Covenant Church in Golovin. Her name was placed into nomination by Nathan Toots, associate pastor of First Covenant Church in Anchorage and a long-time friend of Olson.

"Maggie is a woman of integrity and an ideal example of faithfulness to many who have had the privilege of serving with her," said Toots in introducing Olson. "The way she lives and conducts her personal, business and Christian life is a living testimony and witness for believers to model their faith by, and more importantly, to the world that desperately needs a Savior."

In accepting the award, Olson recalled various times of difficulty in her own life, observing, "Jesus leads us sometimes through deep waters. We must be faithful to him because of the hope he has given us, that some day this will pass." (For a complete text of the nomination including a brief history of Olson's contributions, see Maggie Olson)

New members were elected to the ECCAK General Council and a report was received from the ECCAK Ministerium including recommendations for 19 individuals to be given ministry licenses and one individual, Nathan Toots, to be recommended for ordination. Those recommended for Local Ministry Licenses include Byron Bruckner, John Hege, Mark Hill, Rick Hinkey, Curtis Iavanoff, Michael Jarrett, Mark Meredith, Brian Nanninga, Joel Oyoumick and T.J. Smith.

Recommended for Licenses for Pastoral Office are James Fryer, Darrick Gutting, Wayne Hill and Scott Pitsch. Lay Ministry License recommendations include Tyra Grouer, Steve Peterson, Marcus Reese, Jeff Siemers and Adam Wilson.

The recommendations will be forwarded to the Department of the Ordered Ministry in Chicago for consideration.

During the meeting, a certificate of appreciation was awarded to Fred Dewey of the Koyuk Covenant Church, where he serves as treasurer.

A new 2004 budget was approved and reports were received from Byron Bruckner, representing Covenant Youth of Alaska (CYAK); Dennis Weidler of KICY Radio; Keith Hamilton, president of Alaska Christian College; Chip Swanson, representing Covenant Bible Camp; the Chickaloon Retreat Center; and JoAnna Hill, representing Covenant Women's Ministry. Herb Ivanoff presented the 2003 treasurer's report.

Nathan Toots will serve part-time as associate field director for ECCAK – part of a new vision Sawyer outlined in his report to delegates. "There are many challenges before us," Sawyer noted. "The Lord has put much on our hearts. Therefore, I sought out Nathan for help. He is such a servant and has agreed to work alongside me." In a related move, pastor Dave Dahms, chair of the ECCAK Ministerium, will serve from three to six months as a special projects manager. "With both of these men's help, I believe we will be able to see headway on some of the following new initiatives," Sawyer added. They include:

• Work closely with Covenant Families of Alaska and pastor Harvey Fiskeaux in exploring ministry opportunities
• Consider development of a level one discipleship program in Alaska, following the model developed by Los Angeles-based CHET.
• Work closely with Jim and Evelyn Barefoot at the Chickaloon Retreat Center in the development of counseling, assessments and orientation ministries
• Consider a mission trip to Greenland
• Working closely with the Evangelical Covenant Church, consider revamping the Alaskan Covenant External Orientation Program
• Work with Christian Campus Fellowship and a Covenant Youth of Alaska house in Anchorage and Bethel
• Increase the emphasis on new church plants as the most effective means of evangelizing

Earlier in the week, the ECCAK Ministerium re-elected Dave Dahms to another three-year term as chair of the ministerium. Elected to the Committee on Ministerial Standing is Keith Bergstrom, associate pastor of Community Covenant in Eagle River, who will serve a three-year term. It was announced that the fall meeting of the Ministerium will be October 5-8 in at Lake Clark in Port Allsworth.

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