The Memory of the Righteous

My wife's grandpa and grandma Denyes came as immigrants from Canada, both with very tough upbringings, and not much family support on either side.  Yet they have established such a wonderful heritage of godliness for their kids, grandkids (including my wife Michelle) and great-grandkids still to come.  I am so honored to be included in their family, legacy and story.

To enjoy their full story, you'll have to order G. Mark Denyes book, which we've just listed in the store section of our site.  For years we have traveled across the country and around the world and given away his book to Pastors and leaders, but for the first time we have decided to make it available on our site and in our services.

Pastor Denyes and his wife came as immigrants from Canada, left a good paying job to take what ended up being an unstable position at a college in Missouri in the United States.  He then began to pastor a local church in Chilicothe, Missouri, but after a few years of declined growth in the congregation - eventually closed and locked the doors of the church.  He is not the type to get emotional, but he can hardly share this memory without crying and stating "I never thought God could use someone like me."

Through a series of miraculous events, he itinerated and became the first pastor of Fridley Assembly of God near the Twin Cities, MN.  At that time, a group of families were still meeting in the basement of a home, and he became their first Pastor.  

Pastor and Mrs. Denyes served faithfully as Senior Pastors for nearly 45 years at the same church (the past several years he has been serving in the position of founding Pastor)!  Emmanuel Christian Center (as it is now known) has grown from a few families in the basement of a home to a thriving congregation in the thousands, with a goal of giving a million dollars a year to missions and the poor and needy around the world.  

We are so grateful and blessed to be a part of this incredible heritage they have established and we now enjoy.

The memory of the righteous is blessed! ... (Proverbs 10:7, NASB)