Marion Barnes installed as new pastor of Glad Tidings Christian Center
By LINDA HEIBERT Rev. Marion Barnes was installed Sunday, Jan. 15, as the pastor of Glad Tidings Christian Center by Rev. Stan Holder, district clerk and treasurer for the Assembly of God. Becoming pastor of Glad Tidings is a homecoming of sorts for Pastor Marion and his wife Cheryl. They began attending GTCC in 1988 and served as associate pastors there from 1991 to 1996 under founding pastor David Sturgeon. After leaving GTCC, the Barneses sold their Ekron home and moved to Louisville, where Pastor Marion assumed the pastorate of New Hope World Outreach Center in the Portland area of downtown Louisville. While in Portland, they helped organize and start an outreach to the homeless in the poverty-stricken inner city of Louisville, called the River City Love Squad. The “Love Squad” – approximately 80 people from 24 different churches – meets in a downtown Louisville parking lot every Monday night and ministers to the homeless people’s physical and spiritual needs with everything from a hot meal, to a warm coat, to a message of Jesus’ love for them. Pastor Marion is still the pastor/director of this outreach, and a group from Glad Tidings is part of the ministry team there every week. He is also very involved in other community work here in Brandenburg. He was recently elected as chairman of the Clothes Closet’s board of directors, operated by the Meade County Ministerial Association, and he plans to work closely with the board and with Clothes Closet director Linda Whelan to bring about improvements in productivity to better serve the community. Changes are in the works at Glad Tidings, too. Kings Kids Daycare is slated to open Jan. 30 with openings for 49 children, ages 6 weeks to 5 years old. The program will offer chapel, preschool, beginner’s sign language and Spanish. Hot, nutritious breakfasts, lunches and afternoon snacks will be provided. Pastor Barnes has also introduced fresh vision and goals for Glad Tidings. Key to his vision is the desire to demonstrate God’s love through ministry – to “Love People to Life.” He is not only gearing the local church toward growth in order to more effectively impact our city and the surrounding counties, but his vision also expands into the realm of education. In addition to the daycare, immediate plans are to reach and teach the children and youth in our area through a dynamic children’s church and youth ministry. Long-term, he envisions a K-12th-grade Christian school and a Bible institute. In an unusual twist, the Barneses were able to repurchase their home in Ekron when they gave up their church in Portland. At that time, their intent was to move back to Meade County to be closer to family here, and Pastor Marion intended to pursue full-time the Internet-based business he has worked in for several years. However, God has broadened those goals, and the Barneses are excited about the new challenges they face.
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Photo courtesy of Steve Heibert