OUR JOURNEY OF FAITH…

Brad

Brad has been blessed with a rich spiritual heritage, including a family lineage of active church leaders, pastors and missionaries that go back at least 3 generations.  His grandfather pastored a church in Spokane, WA back in the early 1930’s, where Brad’s father was born. Brad was raised in a Christian home with parents who were always very active in the local church and Christian service.  As a result, he cannot remember a time when the Lord was not a very real part of his life.  It was in a Sunday school class at 10 years of age that he raised his hand in response to the teacher's invitation to personally receive Jesus Christ by faith into his heart and life.  From that point on he began to grow in his relationship with God and in the knowledge of His Word. As a junior higher he was even taking notes in his Bible during sermons.  He was elected a leader in his youth group, enthusiastically attending all the various church youth camps, retreats and special events. He remembers on one occasion, as people were leaving the church at the end of a service, sneaking up and standing behind the big pulpit, picturing himself preaching to the large congregation. God had obviously given him a passion early in life to know, love and serve Him and His people.

One Spring evening at the end of his freshmen year in college, Brad attended a Christian concert and listened with heart-felt conviction to the challenge made by a pastor, who talked about the importance of committing ourselves to Christ’s lordship, or right to rule, in every area of our lives, including our vocation.  Brad responded that night by re-committing his life to Christ, soon thereafter being baptized and dedicating his life to serving Him.  Sensing the Lord's leading toward full-time ministry, he transferred half-way through his junior year at California State University Fullerton to attend Biola College in La Mirada, CA.  As he began to serve in leadership, teaching and discipleship, God confirmed His leading both through inward spiritual conviction and blessing, along with the outward testimony of others who both affirmed his gifts and supported his calling.  After graduating from Bible college, Brad attended seminary where he earned both a Master of Arts degree in Christian Education and a Master of Divinity degree in Biblical Theology.  His love, knowledge and commitment to the Lord only deepened over the years, and he is passionate in his love and service for Him because of the grace, forgiveness and love demonstrated so powerfully through Christ's life and death on the cross.

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Margie

Margie was born in Honduras to missionary parents on the field, who retired after serving Mission Aviation Fellowship for over 35 years.  Led by her parents, Margie accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior at the age of four, and at eight years old she was baptized.  She also lived in the Philippines and Laos, before her family relocated to the MAF headquarters in Fullerton, CA. 

In elementary school the highlight of her week was going to Sunday school and attending the midweek Pioneer Girls Club.  She loved being with friends, having fun together and learning the stories of the Bible.  In her teenage years Margie continued to stay involved in church youth group programs and weekly discipleship, always looked forward to winter and summer camps, and also enjoyed serving in community outreach. She is committed to making disciples, along with building meaningful relationships that point people toward knowing, loving and serving Jesus.

Brad first met Margie when they were in high school, and it was her adventurous, spontaneous and contagious enthusiasm for living life to its fullest that made him want to get up close and personal to somehow catch that same contagion!   It turned out to be Jesus in her, and her passion for Christ and deep love for people has made her an exceptional servant and wonderful partner in ministry.  It is their foundational conviction that God primarily works in our hearts and lives through committed relationships, which is essentially what the church family is all about.

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Brad and Margie Fogal have actively and joyfully served the church family together now in pastoral ministry for over 40 years, mostly in the Southern California area and now in Washington State. They have been richly blessed with 4 adult children, 1 son-in-law, 2 daughter-in-laws and will soon welcome their 9th grandchild. They love to travel - especially to visit those grandkids, who are now spread out from Southern California to New York City.