Tributes:
Grace Ann Fogarty
Ray & Anne Ortlund
Ronald Bates
Ruth Megill
Norah Chambers Freed
Grace Ann Fogarty
Born in Ambridge, Pennsylvania on Sep. 15, 1943
Died on Mar. 19, 2007 and resided in Garden Grove, CA
"Amazing Grace How Sweet the Sound…"
"Call unto Me and I will answer you and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know."
~Jeremiah 33:3 (Grace’s life Verse!)
My Mama was one who inspired me to pray as I do…She was dependent on Christ!
I love you mom…You are in Heaven…enjoy the Prince of peace (Rev 21-22) – Jennifer Hope Webster, President & CEO of ChatwithGod.org Ministries
Grace Ann Fogarty, 63, was born September 15, 1943 in Ambridge, Pennsylvania to Jason and Alda Paugh. She entered her eternal life in the Lord March 19, 2007 in Mission Viejo, California. A retired Administrative Assistant with the Garden Grove Unified School District, Grace is survived by her husband, Pete Fogarty, daughters, Christine Faith Hoffman and her husband, Gary; Jennifer Hope Webster and her husband, Brad Webster; Denise Von Bargen and her husband, Patrick; sons, Peter Michael Des Rochers, Jr.; Scott Fogarty and his wife, Beth; Curtis William Des Rochers and his wife, Julie Marie; brother, Bill Paugh; grandchildren, Crystal, Tony, Jeremy, Pete, Morgan, Randy, Austin, Hannah, Katie, Andrew, Gracie; great-grandchildren, Hope, Jonathan, Alysia, Celie, Caitlyn and Miranda
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Romans 8:35-39
Ray Ortlund, Prominent Pastor and Radio Broadcaster, Passes Away
Monday, July 23, 2007
By Mark Ellis
Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA (ANS) -- Ray Ortlund, a beloved pastor, author, and radio broadcaster -- who touched the lives of many through small-group discipleship, went to be with Jesus July 22. He was 84. Ortlund slipped away peacefully at 8:00 p.m. PST yesterday, surrounded by his wife Anne and their immediate family, at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach. He bravely endured the complications of pulmonary fibrosis, an insidious lung disease that also claimed the life of Campus Crusade Founder Bill Bright. He maintained lucidity until the day of his passing, and was able to speak and sing hymns with family members yesterday morning. His last words were, “Amen and amen.”
Ray and Anne founded Renewal Ministries after he led two of the most prominent churches in Southern California. Together they authored more than 25 books and traveled extensively throughout the world speaking on behalf of renewal and revival among God’s people. For 19 years Ray was the speaker for the “Haven of Rest” radio broadcast. In 1950 Ortlund graduated from Princeton Theological seminary, was ordained a Presbyterian minister, and accepted his first pastorate in the small town of Christiana, Pennsylvania. In his years at Princeton Seminary, he heard fervent debates about the veracity of the Bible as many sought to diminish the stature of God and the scriptures. “After going to Princeton, I made some very strong decisions for the Word of God,” Ray said in a 2005 interview. One of his mentors was Donald G. Barnhouse, because of his “huge view of God.”
Anne grew up on military posts, the daughter of a U.S. Army General. After graduating from the University of Redlands in California with a major in organ, she married Ray, who was drawn by her sense of purpose. After he led two smaller churches, Ray accepted his third call to the pastorate at Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena, California. Lake Avenue become their home for the next 20 years. During those years, Anne’s musical gifts flourished, and she became the organist for the “Old Fashioned Revival Hour” radio broadcast with Dr. Charles Fuller. But perhaps the most pivotal event to shape their future ministry was their involvement with the revival at Wheaton College in 1970. “Once you’ve seen that you will never be the same again,” Anne said. “We desired with all our hearts that God would make us instruments of renewal and revival around the world,” she said. “That became the passion of our hearts.” Ray referred to the years at Lake Avenue as “slow burn revival,” as clusters of their flock accepted Ray’s challenge: “Lord, make my life a miracle.” That was also the title of his first book, published in 1974, which explained his theology and statement of purpose for the church. “I never thought I’d write a book,” he said, as he asserted that Anne is the “real author” in the family. Indeed, her book “Disciplines of a Beautiful Woman” has sold more than a million copies. The Ortlunds’ ministry philosophy has always emphasized three simple priorities: First God, then other believers, and third—reaching the world for Christ. The other vital component of their ministry, which led to rapid growth at Lake Avenue, was small group discipleship. Beginning in 1970, Ray and Anne began leading their own small groups each year. Over 37 years, they’ve discipled and mentored hundreds of younger leaders and pastors, a practice that continued for Ray until his passing. “What we want most is to leave other footsteps along the way,” Ray said, as he recalled the man he met in the U.S. Navy who discipled him, which altered the course of his life. “I’ve preached to thousands, but I find this is the way lives can be changed,” he said. “That’s reaching into society on the inside.” -Mark Ellis
http://www.ortlund.org/ Renewal Ministries Web site....Message from the family
In lieu of flowers we hope you will simply continue your support of Mother’s wonderful service for Christ through Renewal Ministries. For Mother and with much love in Christ, Sherry and Walt Harrah, Margie and John McClure, Ray Jr. And Jani Ortlund, Nels and Heather Ortlund
P.S. Ray’s final words to us are a blessing for you, too:
“The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (Nu. 6.24-26).
… Amen and amen!”
..."Ray & Ann, I am one of your discipled lambs. I was trained to disciple, travel on missions, and be committed to God's word on a daily basis! I pray that ChatwithGod.org Ministries can continue the impact of the next generation through www.chatwithGod.org , its outreach team, and that we can continue to raise the prominent truth of the gospel through the Holy Bible and Prayer to the entire Globe. I love you so much and will never forget your investment into my life and that of my family on behalf of Jesus, our Lord."
-Jennifer Hope Webster, President & CEO of ChatwithGod.org Ministries
Ronald Bates-Missionary Romania
August 10th 1939 - July 31st 2007
This morning God reached down his merciful hand to Ron's bed of affliction and took him to his throne where he will awake for all his friends and loved ones, there is no more pain, tears or suffering, no disappointment, no death, only eternal bliss forever and ever and ever because God will reign forever and ever, hallelujah!
Ron's condition was caused by stress, heat stoke, dehydration and cerebral hemorrhage, he did not suffer, thank God. God was so gracious with him, as He is with all of us. When he went into a coma on Wednesday night he was never fully aware of what happened. Yesterday he worsened and at 08.10 this morning he awoke in the presence of the God of orphans and outcasts. I am sure God said 'Well done my good and faithful servant'. Ron was, as we are, imperfect, but he always wanted his love for his orphan girls, street kids, blind people and the gypsy believers to be perfect.
His greatest ministry was with the gypsies. Ron’s gift was preaching the gospel and expounding God's word, he loved God's word and always appreciated the hungry, open heart of the gypsy Christians. He frequented the village of Goloshei and because of his great love for them and their common love for the Lord Jesus he wants to be buried in that village, so Thursday we will celebrate his home going.
He loved his family very much. He is survived by his wife, Billie Sue (Edwards) born in Tyler, Texas, January 2nd 1943 and his children John Michael, August 7th 1962; Dana Matthew, August 30th 1967; Robert Jason, June 19th 1970; Ronald Barton, August 12th 1971. He is also thankful to have a beautiful daughter-in-law, Brandi and grand daughter, Briana.
Ron was born in Ft. Worth, Texas. He was saved when he was 16 and spent the rest of his life preaching God's word and learning more about the kind of God we really have. Our wonderful workers and I, Lord willing, will continue the work as Ron would desire. Perhaps someone will come here to work alongside us. Our missionary to India, Amy Carmichael, fell and was bed ridden for 14 years. I would like this to be my legacy, also to serve with the Romanian people for my remaining years.
Ron and I were married October 7th 1961. We have spent four years serving in Japan as missionaries and the past 17 years in Romania, privileged to have served the least of these, making our lives happy and fulfilled beyond imagination. For all of you who stood with us and beside us we thank God! Ron and I will meet you in the morning over there (my paternal grandmother’s favorite song),
Psalm 23 ....1: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Sue Bates, C.P. 53--55, Bucharest 4, Romania
Tel: 4021-313-5465 or 4021-351-3224
Web: www.inasmuch.ro
Email: inasmuch@clicknet.ro
Ruth Megill
Friday, August 17, 2007
Ruth Megill, active in Christian and Missionary Alliance college and National Religious Broadcasters, passes away after battle with cancer
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA (ANS) -- A Memorial Funeral Service for Ruth Armstrong Megill, 78, accomplished musician, college administrative assistant and pastor's wife, will be held at Grace Memorial Chapel, on the campus of Toccoa Falls College, Toccoa Falls, Georgia, on September 15, 2007.
Ruth Armstrong Megill died August 14, 2007 in Huntington Beach, California at the home of her son, V. Glen Megill. Since 2004 she has battled cancer, a battle now lost.
Ruth Megill derived from a family of ministers, missionaries, teachers and Christian workers. She was the granddaughter of the Rev. B. F. Armstrong, a close associate of Dr. A. B. Simpson, the 1887 founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination, and daughter of the late Benjamin Leighton Armstrong, Sr., pastor and district executive of the Northeastern region of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
Ruth was born in Utica, New York, graduated from Johnson City High School in Johnson City, New York, and later attended Nyack College, Nyack, New York. Ruth’s grandfather, Rev. B.F. Armstrong, was instrumental in helping found the Missionary Training Institute, which later became Nyack College. Following her graduation from business school in Paterson, New Jersey, she was employed as a legal secretary.
Ruth Megill may be best remembered for her intense love of music. As an accomplished pianist and organist she displayed comprehensive versatility on the keyboard. In 1956 Ruth was asked to play the organ at the historic Gospel Tabernacle at Times Square, New York City. By the early 1970's Ruth was playing for audiences in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and composed music to accompany lyrics written by her mother, Margaret Armstrong Smith. The song "Are You Often Sad and Lonely?" was composed by Ruth. In recent years Ruth and Virgil were members of the Georgia chorale known as the "Singing Saints."
As a pastor's wife Ruth assisted in many musical responsibilities for United Methodist churches pastored by her husband in Paterson, New Jersey, New York City, and Pennsylvania towns of: Fairless Hills, Ephrata, Drexel Hill, and East Stroudsburg.
In 1974, Ruth became the executive secretary for National Religious Broadcasters in Morristown, New Jersey, and served on the NRB National Convention staff for over twenty years. Her brother, Dr. Ben Armstrong, serves as academic dean of Faith Theological Seminary, Baltimore, Maryland and is a former Executive Director of National Religious Broadcasters for 23 years.
In 1979, Virgil took a teaching position at Toccoa Falls College, in Toccoa Falls, Georgia, and Ruth played a key role in the college administration. For 18 years she served as Administrative Assistant to Toccoa Falls College President, Dr. Paul Alford.
Active in civic clubs, Ruth served as president the Optimists and graphic designer of civic club publications. Ruth and Virgil made a wonderful creative team with Virgil serving as editor of the Toccoa Lions Bulletin, and Ruth handling design and layout duties. Virgil and Ruth were honored by the newspaper "The Toccoa Record" with a full page tribute entitled "The Great Communicators." Ruth and Virgil received many awards for newsletters of the Lions Club, both local and regional editions. In 2001 Ruth was recognized as the founding webmaster of the Toccoa Lions Club website, www.ToccoaLions.org.
Survivors include her husband of 55 years, Rev. Virgil Glen Megill Jr, M Div DD, of Toccoa Falls, Georgia, a brother, Dr. Ben Armstrong, Sellersville, Pennsylvania, and a sister, Mary Armstrong Lake, Rochester, Minnesota.
Other survivors include a son, V. Glen Megill, III, Huntington Beach, California, Executive Vice President of the World Bible Society and President of ROCK of Africa Mission a ministry to Zambia and Zimbabwe, Africa; and two daughters, Mrs. Margaret Mull, Dillsburg, Pennsylvania a teacher, and Mrs. Caroline Newbern of Gainesville, Georgia a teacher and pastor's wife. Ruth has eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Further information is available by calling 714-378-1114.
ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: assistnews@aol.com
Norah Chambers Freed
Norah Chambers Freed, 101, Of Trans World Radio Dies September 22, 2007
She spent 32 years in Morocco and 44 years in Monaco as a missionary
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND (ANS) -- Norah Chambers Freed, 101, of Trans World Radio, passed away in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Saturday, September 22, 2007.
Nora Freed
This news comes from Dr. Ben Armstrong, former Executive Director of National Religious Broadcasters, who told ANS, "From 1964-1995 Norah Freed was the host of the Woman to Woman TWR international radio program and served for 76 years in several mission areas: hospital nurse, midwife, translator, author and radio broadcaster."
Pastor Brock of the Great Victoria Street Baptist Church, Belfast, Northern Ireland will officiate at the Memorial/Funeral, at the Lakeside Home, Belfast, on September 28, 2007.
"Born in Woking, Surrey, England on March 23, 1906, Norah Chambers was the second of 8 children," continued Dr. Armstrong. "At the age of 16 she moved to Belfast where she attended evangelistic meetings of W.P. Nicholson and was converted to Christ. She attended the Great Victoria Street Baptist Church, Belfast where she has remained as member and church missionary, the longest standing congregational member.
"It was in 1906 that San Francisco suffered the terrible earthquake that leveled the city and killed over 1,000 people. Theodore Roosevelt was the US president, Edward VII was king of England. Pius X was the Pope in Rome, France and Spain gained control of much of Morocco and it was the year that Norah Freed was born.
"Norah attended the Emmanuel Bible School in Birkenhead, England and completed a course in midwifery. In 1928 she sailed for Morocco, North Africa as a missionary nurse where she served in Larache and in Tangier. Beginning in 1946 she served for 14 years at the Tulloch Memorial Hospital, Tangier operated by the North Africa Mission (NAM). As a midwife, Norah sometimes traveled by bicycle up to 45 miles daily to minister to North African women.
"An expert in the Arabic language she learned on the field, and soon Norah became an accomplished Arabic scholar. She translated an entire Christian hymnbook into Arabic."
In March 1960 she was married to the General Director of Trans World Radio, Dr. Ralph Freed on Gibraltar after the death of his first wife. Dr. Ralph Freed was the father of Dr. Paul E. Freed, founder of Trans World Radio.
TWR began broadcasting from Monte Carlo, Monaco transferring from North Africa on October 16, 1960, the Freeds moved to Cap Ferrat, France and soon after to the Principality of Monaco.
"Who would have thought that the world famous gambling capital of Monaco under the rule of Prince and Princess Rainier would become the site of the newly constituted Voice of Tangier missionary radio ministry?" said Dr. Armstrong.
"No one except visionary, Dr Paul E. Freed, TWR founder, of Cary, North Carolina, USA, who performed the sensitive negotiations with Radio Monte Carlo for a long term lease of powerful medium and shortwave transmitters.
"Under the leadership of the Freed family TWR came of age and eventually became the world's leading missionary radio ministry with over 1,000 on staff."
Stepdaughter Ruth Freed Armstrong and her husband, Ben, moved to Monte Carlo with their family of three children, Bob, Bonnie and Debbie. Norah now had a new extended family around her including Dr. Ben Armstrong, director of radio, who later was named executive director of National Religious Broadcasters.
Instead of nursing Norah, now became a broadcaster serving as host/speaker of a new program, Woman to Woman, produced in the TWR studios in Monaco. Listeners around the world responded to the 1,682 broadcasts of Woman to Woman, 1964-1995. Norah Freed answered personally every listener letter received in 31 years before retiring for the move back to her hometown of Belfast in 2003.
During the time Norah was engaged in the broadcast ministry she found time to author three books: 1) Bible Calling, 2) Singing Pines and 3) Cupped Hands published by Lutterworth Press in London.
Tom Streeter, director of TWR's Southern Europe Ministry, Amsterdam, Holland, organized the One Hundredth birthday celebration for Norah Freed on March 23, 2006. It was held at the Lakeside Residential Home, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Over one hundred persons from many countries attended including the Lord Mayor of Belfast, members of the Northern Ireland Parliament and family members from the USA.
A congratulatory message was sent to Norah Freed by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. The greeting said: "Very few persons in the United Kingdom reach the age of 100. On the occasion of your One Hundredth birthday I want to congratulate you on your achievement."
Family survivors for Norah Freed include: Ruth Freed Armstrong, stepdaughter, Sellersville, Pa. USA and Betty Jane Freed, widow of the late Dr. Paul E. Freed, stepdaughter in law, Orlando, Florida, USA.
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