As far as I know, I never met Pastor Earl and Mabel Cruzan. Yet, my life has been changed through their faithful lives as disciple makers. And I am not alone in that.
Pastor Earl and Mabel Cruzan impacted many lives through their service at a number of Seventh Day Baptist Churches: Waterford, CT; Boulder, CO; Dodge Center, MN; Adams Center, NY; Westerly, RI; and Milton, WI. Pastor Earl also served as the SDB North Central Association extension pastor in addition to pastoring a branch church in Milwaukee, WI. Their ministry was not simply within the four walls of a building in the community, though—they invested in the lives of others.
Pastor Earl Cruzan was known as an avid gardener who generously gave away the fruitful abundance of his efforts. Pastor Earl and Mabel continue to be well remembered as gracious hosts who extended hospitality to many in their home. In addition to local responsibilities, Pastor Earl also served a number of roles in the SDB Conference. He served on the Missionary Board, American Sabbath Tract Society, Council on Ministry, and also served as Conference President (Sanford, Don. 2008. A History of the Milton Seventh Day Baptist Church. New York: iUniverse, Inc. 70-71). Pastor Earl and Mabel were deeply rooted in their community, the SDB church that they served, and the SDB General Conference. They faithfully discipled those that God directed them to through ongoing fellowship and life together.
Connecting the Dots
While I did not directly cross paths with Pastor Earl and Mabel, I have felt the impact of their ministry. Their bio-logical family has had a profound impact on my life, both in my home church of Berlin, NY, as well as my current church in Milton, WI. Their spiritual offspring spread across the country have likewise impacted my life in ways that reflect the values and examples of Pastor Earl and Mabel. The decades-long investment in disciple making by Pastor Earl and Mabel has reverberated across the decades.
One thing done well has a lasting, expanding impact. This is true in our individual lives, in the local church, and in the SDB Conference as a whole. As we increasingly focus on our collective call to disciple making in this ministry season, the story of Pastor Earl and Mabel Cruzan is especially relevant.
In addition to discipleship through life-on-life experiences, Pastor Earl was not a stranger to education and formal training. He was equipped for disciple making as a life-long learner through intentional investment. Pastor Earl graduated from Salem College in 1938 and undertook further schooling at Alfred University School of Theology as well as Yale Divinity School (Sanford 2008, 70.)
Today, the SDB General Conference seeks to provide opportunities for emerging SDB leaders to flourish in their disciple-making calling. This involves providing opportunities for lessons to be caught through lived experience, and taught through education opportunities. I think that our focus on disciple making is reflective of the example of Pastor Earl and Mabel. Let me tell you about that.
Excellence Not Opulence (An instructive phrase shared by Rev. Dr. John Stumbo, President of the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination, during a tour of their headquarters.)
Twenty-one people participated in the SDB Vital Preaching Retreat hosted at the SDB Center in Janesville, WI, from September 13-15, 2024. This dynamic group includes SDB young adults who are refining their gifts and skills as faith communicators. By the time this article is in print, the SDB Center will have hosted the second annual Emerging Leaders gathering in which over 20 SDB young adults descended upon Janesville for a weekend full of fellowship and equipping.
We are intentionally leveraging the SDB Center as a training hub for Emerging Leaders, pastors, ministry leaders, and guests. We are hosting SDB meetings and providing work space for our Conference Team.
The increased use of the Center has challenged us to provide an excellent physical setting that reflects the value of our people. When we invite SDB disciple makers to come to Janesville for equipping and collaborating, it is imperative that we show the respect of hosting them in a building that reflects a Conference that is alive and zealously pursuing its mission.
Restoring Excellence
We are not looking to create an opulent building that is luxuriously overbuilt. We will, however, restore excellence of the physical space to better serve the needs of 21st century training and equipping.
In the first phase of work, we plan to replace the flooring in the main areas of the building. This has not been done since the Conference purchased the building over 40 years ago. It is time.
During this phase we will also restore the upstairs board room where we conduct a number of trainings and hold meetings. The original carpeting on the walls installed in the 1970s is still in place. In the 1970s, not many people brought their laptops to meetings. We will be upgrading the room to accommodate the use of personal electronic devices, allow for media presentations, and to also intentionally provide digital meeting access for those who cannot attend onsite.
Excellence Has a Cost
Restoring excellence comes with a price tag. We are looking to raise $80,000 for this phase of work—and we have some key partners to help us reach that goal. Your participation matters!
One of these key partners involves the legacy of Pastor Earl and Mabel. Financial gifts have been given in honor of Pastor Earl and Mabel Cruzan over recent years, and these funds have been made available for the restoration of the SDB Center. This is an amazing blessing that resonates with their example of rootedness in the lives of individuals, their local church, and the SDB General Conference. We hope to carry on their legacy of disciple making through this restoration initiative!
Perhaps the Cruzans had an impact on your life directly. Or, maybe they shaped your life across the generations similar to my story. Some of us did not know Pastor Earl and Mabel, but share their heart for disciple making and investment in a next generation of SDB leadership. Whichever strand of this story you share, here is an opportunity to consider participating in SDB excellence that builds upon a deep legacy.
If you would like to contribute, you can send a check to the SDB Center (PO Box 1678, Janesville, WI 53547) with “matching campaign” in the memo line. You can also give online by going to seventhdaybaptist.org/fall2024.
