Following twenty four years of parish ministry in Episcopal churches, Rev. John Rice left parish ministry in 2012 in response to God’s call to focus more of his time and energy on restoring and growing Jesus’ healing ministry. He describes his teaching ministry as a way “to encourage, equip, and empower God’s people for Jesus’ healing ministry” .
Since 2009, John has led four OSL ministry teams to bring Jesus’ healing ministry to the Diocese of Durgapur, located in northeastern India. During the last 20 years, he has taught and preached on healing prayer ministry in churches throughout the United States. John recently completed a DVD teaching series of five healing prayer workshops. This new educational resource, “Equipping the Saints for Jesus’ Healing Ministry” was created for use in churches, small groups, and OSL Chapters.
John and his wife, Debra, live in Burnsville, North Carolina. Helping create a healing ministry in a local prison and at a nearby mountainside retreat center (High Pastures) are new opportunities for ministry in his hometown area. Otherwise, family life, lots of gardening and a little fishing keep John well occupied when home.
Ditsie answered to the call to teaching in the mid 80’s and spent the next 32 years teaching elementary education. 25 of those years were teaching sixth graders, with a stint as principal thrown in. Most of her teaching was done in Christian schools where she delighted in sharing her faith and teaching her students to love Jesus. It was her desire to see her students reach their greatest potential and to know how much God loved them.
Five years ago, God called her out of teaching elementary education and into full time prayer ministry as well as teaching the basics of healing prayer. Her mission now is to set people free from the chains of their past, bring them to healing from their brokenness and help them move forward in a deeper walk with Jesus. She has been a member of OSL for 25 years and is presently serving as the OSL Region 3 Director and Convener of the Prince of Peace OSL Healing Community.
Ditsie and Bob, her husband of over 50 years, live in Merritt Island, Florida, but make frequent trips to North Carolina to visit their married daughters and granddaughters. They worship and serve at Prince of Peace Anglican Church in Melbourne, Florida.
Ed was born on the island of Puerto Rico where he lived for a total of 13 years. Enrolled in medical studies at the University of South Florida and later at Rutgers University, he began to work in the field of pathology in areas ranging from biomedical research, to histology, to working in a hospital morgue performing autopsies. Having an interest in technology, Ed later returned to school while in the medical field and single father, obtaining a degree in Network Engineering and Data communications.
Ed loves to share the hope he found in Christ through the Prayer Ministry. Some of the areas of service for the Lord include technology in the church and ministries, helping and housing the homeless, prison & prayer ministries, facilitating bible studies, and serving as Deacon. Through an inter-denominational & non-denominational road, the Lord continues to work in Ed’s life (together with his wife, Brenda) helping others bring wholeness to their lives at The Blessing Place of Western North Carolina, as Convener of the OSL - Mountain Healing Community (an ecumenical ministry of Christian healing), and serving at the Blue Ridge Walk to Emmaus (Spiritual Renewal Weekend Events). Finding joy in all of the above, Ed enjoys the outdoors, photography and hiking the mountains of western NC.
Kim Garland has spent the last 30+ years teaching children about Jesus. She currently serves as the Children's Ministry Director at a mid-size Methodist church in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. She and her husband have raised four wonderful boys into amazing young men and they are absolutely thrilled to have a granddaughter to spoil rotten. In addition to her first loves of Jesus, praying and teaching children, Kim loves to hike, travel and go camping.
Debbie joined The Blessing Place in December of 2018 as Worship Leader. Her spiritual journey began in a small town in New Jersey. Her family moved to North Carolina in the mid 70’s, but it wasn’t until 1998 that Debbie found a true relationship with her Lord and Savior, Jesus. She grew up singing in choirs and learning to play several instruments. God has blessed her with these gifts and she shares them with others through leading worship in her church, and having served many times as a weekend music director for The Walk to Emmaus.
Brenda was born in southern WV and at the age of 4 her family moved to PA where she was raised in a Christian home environment and confessed her faith in baptism at the age of 12 in a nondenominational church. She remained a faithful member and regularly attended the same church (different locations) for a large part of her life.
Brenda received her bachelor’s degree for Elementary Education and taught 2nd, 3rd, and 1st grade (in that order) for 18 years before retiring. She is married to the love of her life and soul mate, Ed Pagán. She has one son, a daughter-in-law and two grandsons who live in Texas.
Her different roles in church throughout the years have involved teaching children’s classes, heading a single’s ministry, leading a women’s group, helping with prison ministry, establishing and running a church library, and eventually getting involved in the technology room during the worship hour. Brenda and Ed’s passion for the mountains and serving God led them to Western North Carolina where they are involved in different ministries outside the church they now attend. Brenda is the registrar, a prayer minister, and serves on the board for The Blessing Place. She is an active member, prayer minister, and greeter of the OSL – Mountain Chapter Christian Healing Ministry in Asheville. She can also be caught volunteering behind the scenes or serving on teams at most every walk for the Blue Ridge Walk to Emmaus (Spiritual Renewal Retreat) where she is also the newsletter editor. In her spare time, she loves quilting, crocheting, scrapbooking, baking and playing the piano.
James is the son, grandson, great grandson, and great great grandson of many ordained Snook ministers. Raised in Assemblies of God and Non-Denominational churches, spanning Lansing, MI and Granite Falls, WA, James now calls Fairview, NC and Covenant Community UMC his home. God speaks to James in nature, art, music, study, human interaction, and exploration.
To state an overused cliche, James likes to think he's a "jack of all trades, master of none," with a willingness to pursue almost any adventure. Always in "sponge-mode," James is constantly absorbing information, looking to solve problems, seeking counseling and guidance from the Holy Spirit, tinkering, studying, practicing, and helping others.
Mr. Snook has been married to his wife, Amanda, for over 15 years and they share three daughters, ages 9, 13, and 14. He serves as Lay Leader, on the Board of Trustees, as Hospitality Director, Worship Committee member, and former Interim Youth Pastor at Covenant in Asheville, NC. James also volunteers in Missions, Children's, Car Care, and Prayer Team ministries. James is attending OSL meetings and considering membership as part of growing in his relationship with Jesus Christ and following God's direction into full time ministry.
