Meet the Committee
Meet the Christian Emphasis Committee
Don Cooper |
Don was born & raised in Chicago, where he was a YMCA member & attended Camp Pinewood in Michigan. At age 12 he was born again through saving faith in Jesus Christ. He attended Dallas Seminary & graduated from The Theological Seminary of The University of Dubuque with a Master of Divinity degree, Magna Cum Laude, where he taught in-coming students in Hebrew. He served as a Plymouth Brethren, a Methodist, in a Bible Church, in a United Church of Christ, as a Presbyterian and ended up as a Baptist. He was ordained a Minister of the Gospel in the United Presbyterian Church, USA in May of 1965. He has served as a member or Chairman of the Christian Emphasis Committee of the Lansing YMCA since 1973. He was the founding President of the MSU Women's Gymnastics Perfect 10.0 Booster Club, and in 1996 he taught 1500 laity and evangelists in Vijayawada, Anhdra Pradesh, under the auspices of the Gospel Association of India. He is a member of South Church where he regularly teaches a class on Evangelism & Discipleship. He is active with The Christian Business Men's Connection (CBMC) where he shares The Gospel, is present at the birth of new believers, and does Discipleship training follow up. He has been married to his wife Albie since 1959. They have 4 grown children, 11 grandchildren, 5 grand dogs & 3 grand cats. It has been a good life serving my magnificient God and Savior, Jesus the Messiah. |
Connie Kranich |
Connie Farnsworth Kranich was raised in a pastor’s home. She was encouraged to give her heart to Jesus Christ at a young age, and she is so thankful the Lord reigns in her life today! Her family served in many churches as she grew up. Then her career took her to Columbus, Ohio, Grand Blanc, MI, The Department of Defense Schools in Pirmasens, Germany where she taught for the U.S. Army, and then moving to Lansing, MI where she was employed by Waverly Community Schools, teaching grades 2,3,4, & 5 plus study skills for adults in a nearby Christian college. Connie did her Masters degree+ work at MSU. She loves to teach!! She enjoys teaching Bible Studies. She taught Sunday School, and sang in choirs. Connie enjoys arts & crafts, gardening, traveling to see friends and God’s creation, stamping, tutoring and cooking. Her husband, Irving Kranich, has joined her in many of these endeavors. They were married in 2007. It is her honor to serve the YMCA on the Christian Emphasis Committee of Lansing, MI. |
Dale Hansen |
Dale is president of Hansen’s Photo, Inc., which provides services as Ektachrome processing, slide duplication and computer graphics. He is a member of South Church. Dale is a Michigan State graduate and also served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Dale taught Industrial Arts at Mason High School and Graphic Arts at Waverly High School where he retired in 1989. Dale has been married to his wife, Betty since 1957. |
Diane Dalton |
Diane has had many exciting life-experiences including working for Ringling Brothers Circus where she rode elephants and did aerial ballet. She was in a Karate movie: “The Four Force” and in 2009 was named “Woman Of The Year” by the Greater Lansing Women’s Magazine. Her early days began with much pain & suffering. Her Mother died when Diane was just 7, and her Father passed away on the day of her mother’s funeral. She, her two older sisters and brother were raised in a children’s home for 11 years where she was verbally and physically abused. Diane says forgiveness is one of the most important lessons she has learned in life. After being trained at the Mt. Hope Church Bible Training Institute on the west side of Lansing, she has been involved in a variety of thrilling and rewarding ministries including: Youth Pastor; A Marketplace Chaplain and “Into The Streets Ministry” serving over 200 homeless & drug & alcohol addicted people weekly. She is married to her husband Paul and they have 5 grown children and 6 grandchildren. She loves God and loves people. |
Abe Garcia |
Abe, along with his wife Abby, is the Director of Youth Ministeries at Maranatha Assembly of God Church. He has been involved in youth ministry for over ten years and is in the process of obtainig his ministerial credentials with the Assemblies of God. He has been married to his wife Abby since 2003. They are the proud parents of their two children, Josiah Abraham and Mariana. Some of his passions include basketball, volleyball, golf, audio/visual, music (drums) and engaging youth for an encounter with Jesus. |
Gordon Schleicher |
Gordon is a United Methodist Pastor, having served small rural congregations for 23 years until retirement in 2008. Prior to answering the call of God, he was a University Professor. He holds a Ph.D in Education from MSU and a Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. Gordon has been married to his wife Margie since 1970. Together they are volunteers in missions through University United Methodist Church, teaching mission studies and giving volunteer leadership to Kiwanis Service Clubs. Gordon is “Aktion Club” Administrator for Michigan, serving adults living with disabilities. He is also a member of the Oak Pak YMCA and serves on their Advisory Board. |
 Heather Kim |
In the early 90’s, Heather attended Michigan State University on a full ride gymnastics scholarship where she was a four time letter winner and captain of the team her junior and senior years. In 1996, she graduated with a degree in Communications and met her future husband, Walt. Heather and Walt have been married since 1999, and have a son Cooper and a daughter Karly. She and her family have attended South Church in Lansing since 2003 and are actively involved with assisting in their children’s classes and ministries. Heather works as the faith based sales manager for the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau (GLCVB). Heather and the services staff, help with securing facilities and hotels as well as providing many additional tools such as webpage design, custom maps, coupons and the GLCVB assistance and it is all free of charge! |
 Art Thomas |
Art was born in Monrovia Liberia, West Africa in 1955. He moved to the United States in 1969 to attend school in New York. He relocated to Lansing, Michigan where he met his wife Delinda. They have one son Rasha and daughter-in-law Vontresse. They have been blessed with two beautiful grand children Jaida and Javon. He was born again in January 1978 and baptized with the Holy Spirit in 1979. Also in the same year, Art was called by God to the ministry of Jesus Christ and was licensed at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church. Art later became a member of Living Word Outreach Church where he was ordained. While there he served as a minister in the prison ministry for eight years. He was a prayer counselor, which included ministering salvation, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He preached and taught Sunday morning and Wednesday night services for over twenty four years. Art was head of the Men’s Prayer Fellowship, and taught Christian growth and development classes at the church on a variety of topics such as faith, righteousness, and Love being the authority of the believer. He founded “One” With God Ministries and has been called to travel, build up, and encourage the body of Christ by teaching “WE” as believers are “One” with God in Christian fellowship. |
Chris Rollins |
Christopher was born and raised in Clarksdale, MS and now has lived in Lansing for twenty years. He is married to Hope and they have three beautiful children. He currently serves as the youth minister for Union Missionary Baptist Church. His area of special interest and experience includes working with youth and young adults. He also has experience that includes working with individuals, families, couples, high risk youth and their families. He is currently employed with the Lansing School District providing counseling and support services to the students and their families. He has a Master’s in counseling from Michigan State University and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Jackson State University. |
Boyd Meyers |
Boyd is a native of Ida, Michigan. He graduated from MSU in 1992, where he played football from 1986 to 1989. He married Sara (Worthington) who also graduated from MSU in 1992. They have three daughters, Ashley, Hannah, and Abigail. Boyd has worked for the Michigan Department of Corrections since 1993 and is currently a Probation Officer for the MDOC in Ingham County. He is also the founder and president of the Christian Football League of Michigan, which is an independent high school tackle football league. The goal of the CFL-Mi is to train up servant/leaders to evangelize through sports and offshoot ministries. Boyd has a passion for spreading the gospel both through his professional and ministry experiences. |
Rev. Yolanda Mendoza |
Yolanda is an Ordained Minister of the Assemblies of God. She has served as Women’s Ministries Director for Midwest Latin American District for 19 years. She resides in Lansing, Michigan, where she has co-pastored for 31 years with her husband, Rev. Jesus Mendoza, at Maranatha A/G Church. They have two daughters and one son, Moses, who is District Youth Director for the same district. Moses and his wife Julie ministered at Maranatha as Youth Directors for 10 years before he was called to teach at North Central University Assemblies of God in Minneapolis. Daughter Melinda also serves in the ministry and is the church administrator at Maranatha after serving 13 years as director of the Rancho Los Amigos children’s home ministry in Juarez, Mexico. Pastor Yolanda considers herself blessed to have 7 grandchildren, the latest of which is a girl, just a year old. Yolanda has been a special speaker at many events at a district, sectional and community level. As women’s director for a district that encompasses 8 states and over 100 churches, Yolanda has ministered to a huge number of women. Yolanda is gifted in the teaching and preaching of the Word of God. She has a joy and a passion in ministering to the needs of women. She challenges women to go to the next level in their Christian walk. Yolanda is a dynamic minister of faith, healing and deliverance. |
Coye Bouyer |
Pastor Coye L. Bouyer was born on Christmas day in Battle Creek, Michigan. He was a kind, thoughtful, mature child with a somewhat quirky sense of humor. He grew up on the south side of Lansing and graduated from Sexton High School. He received a full-ride track scholarship from Western Michigan University. After graduating in 2001 with his Bachelors in Social Work, he attended Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas where he graduated with his Master's of Theology degree in 2005. Knowing that the Lord was calling him to ministry back in Lansing, after three years of teaching and being a youth pastor, he decided to plant Kingdom Life Church in December of 2008, and the Lord has blessed them with significant growth. Coye was led to saving faith in Jesus Christ through his Pastor Lester Stone, (now gone to be with The Lord) at Friendship Baptist Church in Lansing. Coye was married to his childhood friend, confidant and classmate, the former Keturah Sudduth on December 18, 1999 at Friendship Baptist. He and Keturah are the proud parents of Sierra, Seth, Cayla and little Coye Jr. who arrived in June of 2011. |
