Members' Stories
We invite our website visitors to get to know “Bethel.” Each month on this page we will spotlight different members and share a portion of their story. We are real people doing real life -- just like you!
 Pastor Jon and Bonnie Bell
Jon Bell was born in Massillon, Ohio, and lived there until he went away to college at Ohio State University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work. Jon lived in Lutheran housing while attending classes and participated in a food co-op at the Lutheran Student Center. Students there were divided into teams and took turns preparing meals for the group. Jon teamed up with a pretty female Home Economics major whose mother worked at the Student Center. Her name was Bonnie MacDonald.
Bonnie was a native to Columbus. In addition to her involvement at the Center, she also worked in the Cancer Unit at OSU Hospital. Jon and Bonnie became good friends for about a year and then they finally went on their first date - a movie. It was a pleasant evening until Jon took Bonnie home and she discovered that she was locked out of her apartment. He helped her get a ladder up to her second-floor window in hopes that she could climb in. However, in fear of the neighborhood, her roommates had nailed the window shut. So, Bonnie spent that night at the Student Center. After graduation, Jon and Bonnie were married.
Jon applied and was accepted to the Evangelical Theological Seminary so the newlyweds moved to Bexley, Ohio. His third year of seminary, they lived in Miles City, Montana, where he served his internship. Pastor Jon received his Master of Divinity degree in 1970 and got his first call from Peace Lutheran Church in Ashland, Ohio.
By this time, the Bells had two daughters, Heidi and Heather, and they longed for a son. They adopted Joshua from Vietnam in 1971. A few years later, the happy family of five moved to Saginaw, Michigan, to serve at Faith Lutheran Church. They were only there for a short while, however, when the ALC asked them to go on a mission trip to Brazil. They accepted! For nearly five years, the Bell family lived in a parsonage in Rio DeJaneiro. They were part of an "inner-church cooperation" mission which means that they were not bringing the church to the people -- the church was already there. Their job was to keep it going. This was a challenge because, in South America, at that time, much of the Lutheran worship services were still spoken in German. Therefore, an important part of their mission was to integrate the local language (Portuguese) into the services. Another challenge was that the church sat in an area where a voodoo-type of witchcraft was common. From time to time, the Bells witnessed the locals practicing superstitious rituals or found items offered to the spirits in their garden. Once, the Bell children came home frightened that they had a curse upon them for removing some sacrificial items that had been placed on their property. This was a place where one had to respect the beliefs of others which made it all the more joyous when someone would convert to Christianity. Another part of their mission was to preach at three home churches. The Bells would load up their VW bus with worship materials and drive 3 to 4 hours to those locations. They ventured out despite the lack of basic travel necessities such as windshield wipers and tires. Items such as these would not hold up for very long and would either be replaced with used ones or ones repaired over and over again. Probably one of the biggest challenges, however, was the giant brown hairy spiders that invaded their home and jumped at them! Josh discovered that the best way to tell if a spider was lurking in his bedroom was to keep it tidy and know the exact location of everything so that he'd be able to quickly recognize if "something" didn't belong there. Movies were a favorite family pasttime as they were all in English and every Sunday the family went out to dinner. Their first meal in a Brazilian restaurant was a learning experience. They hadn't mastered the Portuguese language yet and nobody there spoke English so the children flapped their arms like a chicken to convey that they wanted to order chicken meals. Furthermore, in this culture, all meals are ordered and served family style -- not individually. Luckily for them, when they mistakenly ordered five family meals, the waiter understood that they couldn't possibly eat that much food and brought them just the right amount. At the end of their term in Brazil, the Bells decided it would be best for the children to finish school in the United States. Pastor Jon answered a call to serve at St. John's Lutheran Church, in Oak Harbor, Ohio, where he served for 14 years. It was during that time that Bonnie, while attending a women's retreat, saw an opportunity to start her own homemade cookie business. Armed with some of her mother's best cookie recipes, she placed an ad in the newspaper and the orders started coming in. What began as a way of earning a little extra money for their kids' college tuition, ended up becoming a full-time job -- especially around the holidays when she would work around the clock to get all of her orders filled. In 1981, Pastor Jon and Bonnie attended a weekend retreat called Lutheran Marriage Encounter. Led by volunteers, the purpose of this retreat is to help couples restore communication, renew commitment, and rekindle romance. The Bells were so impressed with the presentation that they became the next presenters! They have been volunteering at Marriage Encounters for the last thirty plus years. In 1993, Pastor Jon moved the family to Toledo, Ohio, and served at Providence Lutheran Church for 11 years. He was anticipating retirement when he learned that Bethel was looking for a 2/3-time pastor and decided the Lord must not be finished with him yet. Well, we know the rest of the story. The Bells have 7 grandchildren including two sets of twins! Besides spending time with the kids and grandkids, Pastor Jon enjoys reading, movies, music and his two dogs and Bonnie likes gardening and teaching (witnessing). Although, technically, Bethel has a 2/3-time pastor, we love the Bells 100% of the time! - TK
 SueSue was born and raised in South Toledo. She graduated from Libbey High School and always wanted to be a nurse. She read every book she could find on nursing. Meanwhile, she got married and had two children - a daughter, Rebecca, and a son, Craig. After passing her nursing test, she was put on a waiting list for Mercy Hospital but it wasn't long before someone dropped out and Sue got a call. When asked what shift she wanted, she told them the dayshift because of her family. She was told that nobody starts out on the dayshift but ended up getting that shift anyway. Sue believes that it was God's hand that made it all possible for her. She stayed with Mercy Hospital for 20 years before retiring. Along the way, she attended part-time classes at Owens Community College for five years to become an RN (the same time her daughter was in college). Mercy Hospital helped with the tuition costs -- another blessing from the Lord. She has also worked at the U.T. Medical Center and a private practice nephrology office. She is a State Certified Ombudsman (patient advocate) through A.B.L.E. and is assigned to Concord Nursing Home, on Glanzman. She also belongs to the Mercy College Auxiliary and gets together each month with other retired nurses.
For 39 years, Sue lived in a home off of Heatherdowns Blvd. She now has an apartment on Broadway along the Maumee River. She says it's a beautiful place to live with the sunsets and wildlife. Her son still lives in South Toledo but her daughter is in Georgia now. Sue has four grandchildren between her two children. She enjoys reading and sports, particularly college football (Ohio State) and baseball (Detroit Tigers).
Sue was confirmed at Faith Lutheran Church, in 1950, and served on various committees and church council. She later attended Bethel while her daughter was involved with the youth group led by Donna Jean Ganss. Since she's transferred to Bethel, she has dedicated her time to Home Ministry (for shut-ins), funeral dinners, WELCA projects, and anywhere else she is needed. It was Sue who began the "Getting To Know You" newsletter articles. Finally, she wants everyone to know what a giving congregation Bethel has and that there are so many generous and selfless things that go on behind the scenes that many don't know about. We are so blessed to have Sue back at Bethel! - TK
 Pam
Pam grew up in Toledo's west end with one brother and five step-sisters. She is a Whitmer High School graduate. Although she hates the cold, she doesn't see herself ever living anywhere else. She has raised 4 children here and has 9 grandchildren from her first marriage. After marrying Ralph, she gained 3 more children, 2 grandchildren and has 1 grandchild on the way!
For twenty-one years, Pam was employed at Kmart on Central Avenue (now closed). Sixteen of those years, she worked as a pharmacy tech. She is now a teacher's aid for Sylvania Schools. She has been there for ten years and works with handicapped children. In her free time, Pam enjoys gardening.
Pam was attending Faith Bible Baptist Church, on McCord Road, when she met her husband, Ralph. For their first date, Ralph pulled up on his motorcycle and took her to an event at Cedar Creek Church. She was reluctant to get on the bike, at first, but now she loves riding it. Bethel is the first Lutheran church she has ever been to. For a while, she and Ralph attended two worship services every Sunday -- one at Faith Bible Baptist and one at Bethel. She is now a fully-converted Lutheran!
Besdies lending a helping hand, whenever needed, for the Praise Service, Pam also serves on the church council as Co-Deacon with Ralph. You just might be the next person on her list to be called upon to greet, usher or read the scripture leassons. If you don't hear from Pam, however, don't be shy -- there is a sign-up sheet hanging on the board in the narthex. Volunteers are always appreciated just as much as we appreciate Pam! -TK
 Dean and Sharon
Dean and Sharon transferred their church memberships to Bethel in 2006. Sometimes they attend the contemporary service and sometimes it's the traditional service. You may see them worshipping together or you might just see Sharon (when Dean is away on a business trip) and, sometimes, they bring a shut-in member to church with them. Currently, both Dean and Sharon serve on our church council. Dean is on the Finance/Stewardship and Property Committees while Sharon heads the Congregational Life Committee. They enjoy serving the Lord and have found many friends at Bethel who are always willing to help with whatever is needed.
Dean was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and graduated from Beloit College, in Wisconsin, with a degree in Economics and Biology. He was very active in sports including football, wrestling and track. He likes to travel which is why he thoroughly enjoys his job as a Consultant for Intex Corporation; a manufacturing company which is headquartered in China. Dean's work takes him out of the country for at least 9 months out of the year. He is also a board member of the Greenridge Condominium Association and Dearfield Forest Home Owners' Association.
Sharon's hometown is Ashland, Ohio. She was raised a Lutheran but has also attended Presbyterian and Methodist churches. It was Sharon's influence that converted Dean (who admits to singing in a Baptist choir) to Lutheranism. Sharon currently works part-time at a dental office. She enjoys working out and loves spending time with family.
Dean and Sharon have been married for 33 years. Together, they have three children from previous marriages along with six grandchildren with ages ranging from 7 to 18 years old. They also have four dogs and two cats! I think anyone who knows them will agree that they make a great pair and we're very blessed to have them in our Bethel family! -TK
 Jean
Jean is our new pianist/organist at Bethel. Jean was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, but grew up in Celina, Ohio. She has four sisters. Her family was always Lutheran and one of her sisters is currently a Lutheran pastor. It wasn't until a recession hit in the '70's and her dad had to find a new job that she came to Toledo. She finished the last couple of classes needed for graduation at Bowsher High School before going on to college at UT.
Although Jean has played piano since the 4th grade and the organ since Jr. High, she has held a variety of other jobs. She worked for the Toledo Library for about a year. Next, she worked for the Civil Service in Detroit where she was a budget analyst for the Army. After the big storm of January '78, she transferred to San Francisco to work in U.S. Customs and then moved on to work in the private financial sector. She started remodeling her house in the mid-80's and, as a result, volunteered for 12 years as a women's crew leader for Habitat For Humanity. Jean lived in California for 20 years and calls it her home.
She played piano and organ for several churches along the way including playing with praise teams. Jean made the decision to come back to Ohio when she was needed by her family. First, she lived with her sister in Monroeville, Ohio, where she played organ/piano for both Zion Lutheran and the UCC in downtown Sandusky. She then came to Toledo to care for her parents.
Jean enjoys walking, reading, history, and doing crafty things like sewing and knitting. She's a self-taught electrician/remodeler and particularly enjoys designing kitchens. Most recently, she worked for Home Depot in the Kitchen Design Department.
When Jean discovered that Bethel was looking for a piano/organ player, it was a "sign" that she should get back to playing music. Bethel's front yard sign! Using her musical talents to enhance worship is how Jean serves the Lord. She expresses her faith through her music. Her wish is to transmit the blessings that she feels from songs and instruments onto others. We are so thankful to have Jean worshipping with us. -TK
Don and Janet
Don and Janet were both born in Toledo, grew up in the South end and graduated from Libbey High School. Regardless, their paths didn't cross until they were adults. They met at Bethel Lutheran Church on Thanksgiving Eve, in 1978. Don read the scripture lessons that evening and Janet sang in the choir. After the worship service, they went out for coffee. They were married in May of 1979. Altogether, Don and Janet have six children from previous marriages: Karen, Kevin, Kris, Kim, Cary and Rick and five grandchildren: Kelly, Cole, Melissa, James and Alex. They also have a little dog named Cha Cha that they adopted from a local animal rescue organization. She is a Terrier/Papillon mix. Cha Cha has large long silky ears which resemble a butterfly (Papillon means butterfly in French) and the attitude of a Terrier. Don graduated from UT with a degree in Elementary Education and then continued his Biblical studies at Concordia College in Illinois. This led to a teaching position at St. Johns Lutheran Church in LaPorte, IN. While in LaPorte, he also worked at the local radio station as News Director. Upon returning to Toledo, Don taught school in the Northwood School system and ended up holding a variety of duties at radio station WCWA. Currently, Don serves as Lay Associate and worship assistant at Bethel. He is also licensed by the State of Ohio to perform wedding ceremonies. Janet is retired after working thirty-two years for the Lucas County Probate Court as a Deputy Clerk. She assisted three judges during her tenure there and can recall how technology has assisted with the paperwork in our court system. For example, all marriage licenses used to be handwritten and, to look one up, you would have to search several books as well as decipher various people's handwriting. Eventually, the licenses were typed on a typewriter and finally evolved to computers. Don's Christian walk began as he was growing up in a family "that was always Lutheran" and attended Trinity Lutheran School of the Missiouri Synod. He has an uncle and four cousins who are all Lutheran pastors and another uncle who is a Lutheran school teacher. It must be genetic! Don has served on the church council as President, Elder and Religious Education Chairperson and edits the material for our contemporary services. Also, he has served as Bethel's lay representative on the board of the Toledo Coalition and, for a period of time, traveled to the NW Ohio Synod, in Findlay, to be on the TV communication board. Janet was born into Bethel as her grandparents and parents were all very involved in the church's activities. In the fourth grade, she played piano at the original Bethel church on Toronto. Later, her father (who was the Junior Choir Director and Sunday School Teacher simultaneously) brought the children to Bethel while it was being constructed. The kids sat on sawhorses and got a grand tour of the church. Janet began teaching Sunday School when she was a Freshman in high school. Janet was the Superintendent of Primary Education for 25 years. She and her grandfather were both recipients of the Esther E. Klingselmith award. She currently sings in the choir, works on the Funeral Dinner Committee, leads the Praise team, and edits the material for our contemporary services. In their free time, Don enjoys reading books on religion, history and mystery novels and watching sports. Janet likes music and Genealogy (she has traced both her and Don's family lineages back 8 generations to 1823!) We are so blessed to have them at Bethel! - TK
 Mandy
Mandy is the great-granddaughter and great niece of Lois and Marsha and she currently resides with them. She was born in Oregon, Ohio, and graduated from Clay High School in 2006. Mandy was 21 on April 30th. During high school, she took classes in auto mechanics -- the only female in the class. Working on family cars is the most she wants to do with that skill -- it wasn't intended to be a career option. Mandy is the granddaughter of Lois's eldest daughter, Kendra. In the future, Mandy would like to enter college and become a specialized teacher. She enjoys school and learning. She had more credits than she needed to graduate from high school. Marsha and Mandy attended a play group for Puggle dogs. A Puggle is part Pug and part Beagle. Their dog, Macy, has a Pug body, tail, ears, and web feet and a Beagle nose. While attending this play group, Mandy met a woman who was wearing a Special Olympics shirt. She became acquainted with her and then Mandy volunteered to be a basketball coach for a Special Olympics team consisting of women -- many older than Mandy. It was a learning experience as she had to meet the needs of each person, which included using sign language for one deaf person. They will restart in November. She has many interests including scrap booking, country and rock music, and a love of animals and the outdoors. Growing up, she had guinea pigs, hamsters, an iguana, dogs and cats. She loves children and babysits for family members. Her family is involved in motorcycle racing. One Sunday, while attending Sunday School, they talked about baptism. She expressed a desire to be baptized and Pastor Bell included her baptism during the Sunday School hour as a learning experience for all who attended. She has a close relationship with her great grandmother and remembers spending weekends with her when she was growing up and attending Vacation Bible School at Bethel. Currently, she is devoted to Lois, helping her recover from surgery and meeting her needs. They have a special bond. She likes the interaction of the Bethel members. -SL
 Deby and Jesse
Deby was born in Magruder Hospital, in Port Clinton, Ohio, but the family moved to Toledo when she was six months old. She states that her father was a wanderer and they moved to many places. She attended schools in Swanton, Maplewood, and East Side Central and quit school while attending Waite High School. She married at an early age and had three children. After her divorce, she obtained her GED and graduated from The Univeristy of Toledo. She did substitute teaching for Toledo Public Schools. She later worked for RuBridge, a small HMO company, doing marketing to enroll people in their program. Later, the company was bought by Family Health Plan where she worked for eight years. She returned to UT and received her Masters Degree in Education. She last worked teaching at the Islamic School before she became ill. She has ten grandchildren and has raised two of them, Jessica and Anthony, who continue to live with her and Jesse. Jesse grew up in East Toledo and went to Oak Elementary School and graduated from Waite High School. He was an only child and lived in his family home until he was married to Deby in 1987. They met through his cousin and were friends first. They dated for seven years before they married at East Christian Church. He worked in several factories. Currently, he is employed by Lucas County Board of Mental Retardation involved in transportation where he has been for 21 years. They have a wall covered with plaques he received for special recognition. He said that he enjoys his job and the smiles and greetings he receives from the people he serves. In 2003, he received the highest award given. He has been involved in jogging and weight lifting since 1971. When he was younger, he participated in "muscle cars" and drag racing. Deby enjoys gardening, barbecuing in the back yard, crocheting, reading, and crossword puzzles. When her grandchildren were young, they visited every zoo in Ohio and took many trips with adventures for the grandchildren. They moved to their current home in South Toledo in 2000. Deby was introduced to Bethel Lutheran Church when her sister, Vicki, was baptized. Deby loves soups and Vicki told her that she needed to come to the soup suppers at Bethel during Lent. Deby enjoys the friendliness and greetings of the members at church. -SL
 ShirleyShirley was born in Lima, Ohio, and moved to Toledo when her mother remarried. She was an only child but gained a step-brother and step-sister. She went, for a short time, to Arlington Elementary School and was then at Bowsher High School the first year it opened -- the first graduating class to attend for four years.
The principal at Bowsher knew she was not going to attend college and thought she might be a candidate for computer programming. She was given an aptitude test by a representative from Honeywell and they hired her. She was taught computer programming on the job. She lived in Detroit and boarded with the salesman's family. Her parents would pick her up on Fridays and take her home for the weekend. This continued for six months until she had her own car. She became a customer representative traveling in Southern Michigan.
In 1967, she was hired as a programmer for Toledo Hospital. During this time, she enjoyed traveling with destinations of Hawaii, Montreal, and on a cruise. She was a skier and went on a trip with the Ski Club to Switzerland.
She was married at Bethel, to Dan, in 1972. He was a former member of Bethel. Daughter, Brooke, was born in 1977 and son, Brett, was born in 1981. She left the hospital, after ten years, and went to work at Owens Corning for five years. After her divorce, she returned to Toledo Hospital where she is currently employed. She is in charge of Customer Service Analysis supporting nursing units with computers, phones, FAX machines and printers. She sometimes works long hours in this demanding position.
When Shirley was young (from ages 5-13), she took dance lessons. Four years ago, she resumed dance lessons. She continues with lessons two to three times a week for 1 1/2 hours. She performs with the Manhattan Dance Company, a group of 28 women over 55. One woman in the group is their inspiration. She is 80. Shirley has visions of dancing until she is 80. The group performs at many functions every year including Music Under the Stars, German gatherings, functions of the Area Office on Aging, in a theatre in Hicksville, Ohio, and many others. They will be in competition in two weeks and again this summer. Some years ago, the dance company was in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Shirley's mother died last year but, before she died, she taught her grandchildren how to cook their favorite foods. Dressing, macaroni and cheese, potato soup, and Texas sheet cake were a few of her recipes. Shirley doesn't like to cook and enjoys eating out. Brooke had Thanksgiving dinner. She teaches special education at Stranahan School, in Sylvania, and Brett teaches math at Sylvania Southview. Shirley has a Granddog, named Brady.
For twenty-five years, she has been meeting once a month with a group of high school friends. She attended Highland Park Teen Town when she was young and said that she has always liked to dance and has gone to their reunions. To quote Shirley, "I am happy with my life." For twenty years, she did the Cradle Roll at Bethel which was started by Pastor Flatt. It was discontinued after determining it wasn't producing the results the church had anticipated.
She said that Pastor Wilson will always hold a special place in her heart and she believes the Lord sent Pastor Bell to Bethel in a time of need. She very much enjoys his ministry and Bethel will always be her church. -SL
 Tom and Phyllis
Tom and Phyllis both grew up in the same North Toledo neighborhood. Tom went to Riverside Elementary School, Woodward High School, for one year, and Macomber Vocational School where he majored in Mechanical Drafting. He played basketball at Macomber and, when he enlisted in the Navy in the fall of 1942, the coach obtained a deferment for him and he graduated in May of 1943 and entered the Navy. The coach needed him for the team and wanted to see him graduate.
Tom was on a Merchant Marine ship that had been converted to a Troop Transporter, the John Land, in the South Pacific. They invaded six islands and landed troops of marines. They transported General MacArthur back to the states. While he was on a 30-day leave, Phyllis and Tom had their firt date on VE Day. He returned to California and was later discharged in 1945. Tom’s father died when he was 12 years old. He had two older brothers.
When he was discharged, he attended Bowling Green State University on the GI Bill. One day he saw a girl walk by their home and he asked his mother who she was. It was Phyllis. They began dating but didn’t plan to marry until he finished college. All that changed when his mother died. He only came home on weekends but didn’t want the house to sit empty. Phyllis and Tom discussed the situation and they decided to marry. They each spent $25 on the wedding at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, at Bush and Ontario Streets. He commuted back and forth every day to Bowling Green. Phyllis worked as a manager at Balduf’s Bakery and they managed. They have been married for 59 years.
Phyllis’s mother died when she was six years old. She and her two brothers were raised by an Aunt. She also attended Riverside and Woodward schools. She has always been a Lutheran. Her grandfather was from a family of ten and they all attended Trinity Lutheran Church and School at the old location in the Lenk’s Hill area. They continued to live in North Toledo until the neighborhood started to deteriorate. They built their home in Crossgates, one of the first homes in the area. The streets weren’t paved yet and they couldn’t drive to their home.
Tom graduated from BGSU in 1950 with a degree in education and taught at Scott High School for five years. He then went to work at Junior Achievement and became the president. Phyllis related that he won every award available and was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Phyllis said that they chose Bethel Lutheran Church because she had relatives who belonged there in 1961. Tom served as an usher for 30 years. Phyllis taught Sunday School and catechism. She visited shut-ins and hospitalized members and was in charge of funeral lunches for 16 years. She loved flower arranging and belonged to the Heatherdowns Garden Club and won may local and state awards. Tom said that she had a whole drawer full of ribbons. She is a “prolific reader” according to Tom.
He belonged to Heatherdowns Country Club for 33 years as a golf lover. He doesn’t play as much anymore. His position at JA required him to travel all over the country for conferences. Phyllis and Tom have been to all the states except Oklahoma. They have been to Europe four times, South America, Panama and on a Mediterranean cruise. Tom’s next service reunion is in Oklahoma. Maybe they will visit their 50th state.
Tom and Phyllis have two sons in the area and three grandchildren in Colorado. Phyllis said that she loves Bethel and said that you don’t get to know people by just coming to church on Sunday. You need to join groups and become active in the works of the church. She said that she never held an important position but I think the work she did was the most important part of the church – especially teaching. – SL
 Mark and Maddi
Mark was born and raised in South Toledo, the son of Barbara and Dwight. He attended Beverly Elementary School and Bowsher High School (1981) before attending Ohio University from 1981-85. At Ohio U., Mark, 43, majored in journalism with a minor in political science.
In 1985, Mark became a sports writer and later sports editor of the Daily Advocate newspaper in Greenville, Ohio. He worked there from 1985-89. In Greenville, Mark met his future wife, Kim, who was a secretary at the newspaper. Mark and Kim were wed in 1987 and had a daughter, Samantha, in October 1987. Mark and Kim later had another daughter, Maddison, in February 1996. Samantha, a nursing student at Bowling Green-Firelands and a part-time nurse’s aid at Firelands South Hospital in Sandusky, will turn 20 this October. Maddison, 11, often attends church with her proud father and will begin sixth grade this fall.
Mark and Kim divorced after 14 years but still remain friends. Samantha now lives in Port Clinton and Maddi lives with her mother in Clyde, Ohio.
Mark and his brother, Greg, and sister, Tracy, grew up in First English Lutheran Church on Broadway Avenue before moving to Bethel. Greg now lives in West Toledo and Tracy lives in San Diego. Mark recently visited his sister in California in July. It was his fifth trip to San Diego since 2000.
Since 1989, Mark has lived in Port Clinton, Oak Harbor, Oregon and Sylvania. He moved from Sylvania back to Oregon a little less than two years ago.
Since 2004, Mark has been the editor of the Sylvania Herald and West Toledo Herald newspapers, located on Monroe Street in Sylvania.
He returned to Bethel on a regular basis a few years ago and credits the wonderful congregation at Bethel for helping transition back into the church. – MG
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