Rodney Grove, former president of the Oklahoma Conference, joined the Lake Union administrative officers as executive secretary just in time for our Hope for Our Day Lay Evangelism Training Convention in South Bend, Indiana. If his contribution to the convention is any indication of what to expect, we can praise the Lord for sending him to us.

Rodney spent the first 16 years of his ministry as pastor in the Chesapeake, Kentucky/Tennessee, and Oklahoma conferences. The Oklahoma Conference asked him to be a departmental director, and over a period of eight years he was responsible for church ministries, evangelism, ministerial, communication, stewardship, National Service Organization (NSO), youth, Pathfinders/Adventurers, summer camp programs, and Wewoka Woods camp.

Responding to a request by Parkview Academy in Oklahoma City, Rodney added the responsibility of being the school's business manager for five years. He was then elected to the position of conference secretary, which he held for one year before being elected conference president. He has held that position for the past nine years.

Rodney has been married to Rose Anne for 35 years. Leaving the hills of West Virginia, Rose Anne moved to Takoma Park, Maryland, to attend Columbia Union College and met Rodney working in the psych unit at the Washington Sanitarium and Hospital. Rose Anne enjoys telling people she met her husband in the psych unit. She affectionately says, "You have to be a little crazy to be married to Rodney."

Rose Anne was happy to learn that Rodney was studying theology, because she had long believed that God’s plan was for her be a partner in ministry. One ministry they enjoy together is serving on mission trips. As this issue goes to press, they will be joining other union secretary teams in Africa.

Rodney and Rose Anne have both enjoyed working together in the Oklahoma Conference and never believed they would leave before the Lord came. Although a number of calls came over the years, they never felt God was calling them away from Oklahoma until now. God had been blessing their work there, but every indication has been that God was leading them to join us in the Lake Union. Rodney says, "Jonah didn't have to get swallowed by a fish twice."

Since there is no better place to be than the center of God’s will, they look forward to serving us in the union where Adventism was born. They both indicated that serving the church is their life and greatest joy. They bring to our territory a variety of talents and experience.

The Groves have two adult children, Randy in Maryland, and Reneé in Oklahoma. They are delightful people, and we are happy to welcome Rodney and Rose Anne to the Lake Union family.

Gary Burns is the Lake Union communication director.