Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
21APRIL2015BODYOFCHRISTNEWSPastorMarvinLeonPaigewasbornMarch141942inBuncetonMissouritotheunionofthelateSuperintendentRubenandMissionaryKatieMayolaPaige.Hewasthefifthofsixchildren.Hereceivedhisfunda-mentaleducationinDenverColorado.ThefamilylaterrelocatedtoCaliforniaandMissouriwherehehelpedhisfatherbuildchurchesandrunreviv-als.PastorPaigecamefromalineageofpastors.Intheearly60shemarriedMs.JessieYoungandtothatunionsevenchildrenwereborn.In1974hemetMs.DeborahShoebootwhowastheloveofhislife.Theyunitedinmat-rimonyApril4m1980andtothisunionfivechildrenwereborn.PastorPaigewasamanfullofloveandcharmwhohadawayofmakingeveryonefeelwelcomeandlikefamily.Hewasalovinganddevotedhusbandfatherandgrandfather.HelovedhischildrenandraisedthemtoreverencetheLord.Hisgrandchildrenbelievethathewasthebestgrandfatherinthewholeworld.HehadaspecialloveforthechurchandwasaprayingmanwholovedtodanceandpraisetheLord.ItissaidthatevenbeforehisdaysofpraisingtheLordindancehewasasmoothdancerwithlotsofwitandcharm.HelovedtheWordofGodandwasreferredtoasagoodoldgospelpreacher.PastorPaigeservedfaithfullyatCommunityChurchofGodinChristundertheleadershipofPastorDariusSheltonShoutinShelton.HewasappointedAssistantPastorofthechurchandin2001afterthedemiseofPastorSheltonhebecametheSeniorPastor.Hewasdedicatedtohischurchanditsmembersandwasahumblemanwithaservantsheartwhosacrificedmuchtomakesuretheneedsofthechurchweremet.HealsoservedasChaplainfortheRockyMountainDistrictChurchofGodinChrist.ManywillrecalloneofhisfavoritesayingsNinety-Nineandahalfwontdo.Yougottamakeahundred.EvenashishealthbegantofailhisdesirewastomakeitouttotheHouseoftheLord.Hewasdeterminedtomakeahundred.EveryonewhoknewPastorPaigewillagreethatalthoughhehadagreatloveforhisfamilyandchurchhealsohadanotherlovehuntingfishingandovernightcampingwithhissons.Helookedforwardtothefalloftheyearwhenhecouldgohuntingforelkdeerandantelope.HewasprecededindeathbyhisparentsSuperintendentRubenandMissionaryKatieMayolaPaigetwochildrenCarmellaandMarvinLeonIIonegranddaughterTabaskaandherfourchildrenonegreat-granddaughterAkeemathreebrothersRichardJamesandCordaRayandonesisterAnn.Heleavestocherishhismemo-rieshisdevotedwifeof34yearsMissionaryDeborahPaigeonebroth-erRubenPaigeJr.elevenchildrenthirty-sixgrandchildrentwentygreat-grandchildrenCommunityChurchofGodinChristfamilydevotedfriendsandahostofniecesnephewsandotherfamily.OpheliaGrayEphriamJune11935March122015OpheliaGrayEphriamwasbornJune11935onthetribalcourtgroundsofKullitukloChoctawNationnearIdabelOklahoma.ShewasborntotheunionofJessieandDavieLeeGray.Thefamilyearnedalivingpick-ingcottonandothercrops.Bythetimeshewassixyearsoldshewasworkingalongsideherparentssiblingsandotherrelativesonafarmcrew.Herfam-ilyworkedinTexaspanhandletownssuchasDalhartPecosMemphisWichitaFallsAmarilloandBorgerTexas.ItwasinBorgerwhereshereceivedherprimaryeducationduringtheoffseasonsoffarmworkattend-ingthehistoricBookerT.WashingtonSchoolforColoredChildren.ShewasaffectionatelycalledbyherfamilySisterComingfromafamilyofstrongwomenwholookedtoGodastheonlysourceofalltheirneedsandanunclewhopasturedtheholinesschurchintown.SisterwassavedattheageoftwelveyearsoldservingontheUsherBoardsinginginthechoirtakingupofferingscleaningthechurchandleadingpraisesongs.In1951SistermetWilliamR.EphriamthemanshelatermarriedonJanuary131955.TheybegintheirmarriedlifeinPecosTexaswheresheledacrewoffarmhandsdrivingthemtoandfromthefieldseachdayanddirectingtheirworkwhileherhusbandWilliamworkedinthecity.AsthefamilygrewandprosperedsodidSisterEphriamssfaithinGod.Sheworkedtirelesslyinthechurchgain-inglifetimefriendsandutilizinghergiftsofMissionsandEvangelisminhercommunity.Duringthe60yearmar-riageofElderandSisterEphriamtwodaughterswerebornVelmaJeanandCynthiaaswellassevensonsWillieErvinAlvinJohnT.RolandJessieRonaldCharlesandJason.In1967theEphriamsmovedtoDenverColorado.SisterEphriamwentbacktoschoolandearnedanAssociatesDegreeinSocialWorkatDenverCommunityCollege.AsaSocialWorkerfortheCountyofDenvershewasassignedtohealthservicesmakinghomevisitstobothevaluatetheneedsofclientsandputthesys-temsinplacetomeetthoseneeds.SheearnedthehonorofSocialWorkeroftheYear.InDenverthefamilyfirstjoinedfellowshipatPrinceofPeaceChurchofGodinChrist.In1972thefamilymovedtoColoradoSpringswhereSisterEphriambecametheFirstLadyofProgressiveChurchofGodinChrist2.Forthepast42yearsMotherEphriamservedtheLordalongsidetheSuperintendentwithasteadfastandunmovabledeterminationtowinsoulstotheKingdomofGod.SheservedastheColoradoStateEvangelistfor25yearswhilealsoplayingasignificantroleintheprisonandjailministries.ShewasinvolvedwithTheHopeHomeforGirlsprovidingastableandsecurehomeformorethan600troubledgirlsmanythroughouttheUnitedStatesandtheOrientincludingJapanandKoreasharingtheGospelwithallthatshemet.Hergraceunderfirewinningpersonalityanduncompromisingdedi-cationtotheGospelofJesusChristmadeherarolemodelforcountlesswomenandmentorunonwithJesusnomatterthecost.MotherEphriamwasdeeplylovedbymanypeopleshetouchedmanyliveswithherwordsofencouragement.HerHomeGoingServicesomanypeoplecameoutuntilitwasstandingroomonlyatEmmanuelMissionaryBapt.ChurchHostPastorClevelandThompson.Manydignitarieswerepres-enceincludingbutnotlimitedtoChiefAdjunctJosiahEva.MartinaMartinElderJonahHastingsElderLawrenceDewberryElderEdwardAusborneSuperintendentW.H.McDonaldFirstLadyGwenKinchensFirstLadyOdieKennedyConitaSmithSupervisorBerthaWashingtonPastorSamuelMartinKansasCityMORev.JamesMcMearnAsst.Supt.JohnNorwoodBishopCliffordJacksonKansasCityMO.PastorTimothyMartinBostonMALamontGarrettSupt.CharlesScurlesBishopRooseveltDunnandtheEulogywasspokenbySupt.PatrickL.Demmer.Therewasmanymanymoredignitariespresencewesimplycouldntnamethemallinthisarticle.MotherEphriamwentfromlabortorewardMarch122015.HerlegacytoherfamilyandfriendswillalwaysremindandencouragethosewhoknewandlovedhertoservetoforgivetopraytopraiseandtodependontheWordofGod.Herabsencewillleaveavoidinthelivesofmanybutalsotheexampleofherhopeandconfidencethatifwelaborourlivingwontbeinvain.LefttotreasurehermemoryareherhusbandSuperintendentWilliamR.EphriamherchildrenWillieErvinRolandJessieCynthiaRonaldCharlesandJasonherspecialgrand-daughterShantelwasstucktoMotherEphriamssideatalltimes.Shealsoleavesbehindseveralothergrandchil-drenahostofgreat-grandchildrenniecesnephewsandchurchfamily.Shewasprecededindeathbyherpar-entssisterNoveliabrotherJohnnyandthreechildrenAlvinJohnT.andVelmaJean.MotherOpheliaEphraimwillbemissedbutneverforgotten.OBITUARIESPastorPaigeMarvinLeonPaigeMarch141942January282015OpheliaGraytodeterminewhensomeoneposesathreatwhetherornottheyvemadeathreatDoyouunderstandwhyweshouldavoidprofilingDoyourecog-nizethesignsofseriousmentalillnessandotherkindsofdistressDoyouknowhowtomanageathreatonceoneisidentifiedDoesyouremergencyresponseplanincludewhattodoinanactiveshooterincidentAreyoutakingtheappropriatestepstokeepyourchurchanditsmemberssafewhilestillprovidingcaringandeffec-tiveministryIfyouanswerednototheques-tionsabovewhereshouldyoustartWisdomistheprincipalthinggetunderstanding.Churchleaderscaneducatethemselvesmembersoftheircongregationandthelocalcommu-nityaboutviolencepreventionmentalhealththreatassessmentandsafety.Ifyouwouldliketolearnmoreaboutthesetopicspleasecontactmeatwww.DrPegOnline.comclassesSAFE...frompage6