DETROIT, MI (June 29, 2013) – The Evangelical Covenant Church honored clergy with “Lifetime Service Recognition” awards during the denomination’s 128th Annual Meeting today.

With so many ministers and missionaries continuing to serve rather than retiring from ministry, the Department of the Ordered Ministry honors clergy when they reach age 65. Plaques were presented to those clergy who were in attendance.

Clergy are honored at the conference level, but the department also gives recognition at the denominational level because many ministers retire from conferences in which they did not spend the majority of their ministry years.

“Because the denomination calls, credentials and sends individuals into ministry, we feel that it is most appropriate that very community of pastors and congregations join together at each Covenant Annual Meeting to honor a group of those clergy who have offered lifetimes of faithful service and godly obedience,” the citation reads.

Those honored are as follows:

• John Jyung-Nam Ahn, Los Angeles, California
• Timothy K. Anderson, Red Wing, Minnesota
• Bruce M. Baehr, Liverpool, New York
• Martha F. Berg, Tokyo, Japan
• Javier M. Cardenas, Chicago, Illinois
• Yacid C. Cardenas, Chicago, Illinois
• Terry G. Cathcart, Ishpeming, Michigan
• Dennis A. Choate, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand
• Duane R. Cross, Chandler, Arizona
• Ronald C. Gelaude, Dexter, Michigan
• Thomas C. Glossi, Fort Collins, Colorado
• William A. Goodwin, Sumner, Washington
• Ellen L. Haworth, Kuki-Shi, Japan
• Lyle A. Heinitz, Whitewater, Wisconsin
• Tristan E. J. Hohler, Vero Beach, Florida
• Nancy Jo Hoover, McMinnville, Oregon
• Rudy E. King, New Richmond, Wisconsin
• Anne M. Krekelberg, Bartlett, Tennessee
• Mark E. Larson, McMinnville, Oregon
• Carol J. Lawson, Chicago, Illinois
• J. Shan Martin, Richland Michigan
• Dwight A. Nelson, Libertyville, Illinois
• Eric N. Newberg, Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Monty R. Newton, Arvada, Colorado
• John M. Norland, Granite Falls, Minnesota
• Ida-Regina L. Oliver, Chicago, Illinois
• Mark S. Olson, Chicago, Illinois
• Anna Marie Peterson, Coppell, Texas
• Judy B. Peterson, Excelsior, Minnesota
• Philip M. Rohler, Shaker Heights, Ohio
• John H. Satterberg, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Bennie Simmons Jr., Gary, Indiana
• Douglas T. Stevens, Pleasant Hill, California
• Kenneth R. Wilson, Santa Ana, California