Elder Candidates Spring 2022 | Calvary Bible Church

The CBC elders feel that the following men are qualified to serve as elders at Calvary Bible Church (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). God has given them a heart for Calvary and they love and want to serve our church family.

Our church constitution requires members to examine the potential candidates as to their worthiness to serve in this God-ordained office. If you have biblical reservations regarding the individuals listed below, you are asked to present your concerns in writing to the chairman of the Elder Board (Charlie Hansen) as soon as possible, click the button below or put a letter in one of the offering boxes before May 15 (addressed to Church Elders).

Please be aware that written concerns must also bear the signature of the person expressing the concern or they are deemed invalid. The elders will investigate these concerns & subsequently withdraw the name if the charges are accurate. If the charges are unfounded or if there are no reservation brought up against the candidate, they will then be affirmed for service as a Calvary Bible Church Elder.

Concerns for Elders

We will be voting on affirming these elders at the May 22 Church Lunch and Congregational Meeting. You must be present to vote.

Clyde Rasmussen

I was born and raised in Neenah as the oldest of five children whose parents were married for 54+ years. We attended St. Mark's Lutheran Church weekly, where I was placed in multiple leadership roles in the youth Luther League program. During my high school years, I participated in multiple sports and attended Boys Brigade.

Upon high school graduation, I attended Augsburg College in Minneapolis where I received a Bachelor's degree in sociology and social work. During these years a philosophy class lead me to believe that there was "head knowledge/reason" to support that God did exist or that God did not exist and it weakened my faith.

Upon college graduation, I returned to Neenah and began working at the YMCA where I met Linda Lea Gibson (a devout, born-again Christian), who attended Calvary Bible Church. During many dates that followed we debated/argued the authenticity of the Bible. When Linda returned to UW-Milwaukee, I visited her on 09/21/69 and Linda read from 2 Timothy 3:16-17. After reading it, she asked me if I believed those verses to be the TRUTH or not. I chose to believe that "All Scripture is God-breathed...." and we prayed for my salvation and I became a born-again believer.

We were married at Calvary and have attended CBC together until Our Father God called her to heaven in 2018. We were both baptized in the Neenah Recreation Pool by Pastor Lenox Palin and Linda lead each of our three boys to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I believe God has given me the spiritual gift of "acts of service". Over the past 53 years, I have served in the following ministries at Calvary Bible Church: C-Team, SWAT (Students With A Ministry), Europe-Asia Missions team, DivorceCare, and GriefShare.

John Hartenberger

I grew up in Sheboygan, WI in a catholic family. I was the fourth child out of five and our family regularly attended church together. Sports was my thing: baseball, football and basketball were favorite. Boy Scouts also played a role in my upbringing where I achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. I began working in a grocery store at 16 and followed the expectations of the day to attend college with a major in physical therapy.

After college I took a job as a physical therapist in Appleton and was married at 25. Neither my wife or I knew the Lord and, after four years, our marriage ended in divorce. Around this time I began to attend Calvary Bible Church because of the encouragement of friends. This was a welcoming community. A member of Calvary invited me to meet them and they shared the Gospel. I put my trust in Christ that day and began following Jesus. This new way of life involved serving in C-Team (youth ministry), adult Sunday school teaching, Evangelism Explosion, and other ministries to further Christ’s kingdom.

After years of serving I felt a call to professional ministry which led to 14 years as a pastor at Appleton Evangelical Free church. About 10 years ago, I moved back into the private sector as a physical therapist. This last year retired from that occupation. Presently, I serve in local evangelism leadership, spiritual disciple making and mentoring, and I continue to provide physical therapy service for those in need. My spiritual gifts are evangelism, encouragement, and teaching.

I have been married to my wife Kathy for 35 years and have two adult married daughters. One living in Denver and the other San Francisco. In November of 2021, we welcomed our first grandchild.