First Award

During the first day of SPROUT meetings, Ron Gladden, right, North Pacific Union Conference church planting director, presented Max Torkelsen II, Upper Columbia Conference president, with the first-ever “Courageous Administrator Award.”

Torkelsen, Conference president since 1997, has led the Conference’s recent push to include church planting in its strategic plan for project fundraising development.

“Max continues to be a careful, yet unmistakable force, who has encouraged his team of workers to support the principles of church planting,” says Gladden. “We are encouraged by his leadership and privileged to give him the first such award.” •

Featured in: November 2002

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