Profile: Greg Sargent, Regional Pastor and Record Holder

Greg Sargent is regional pastor of the Central Region, Camp Pinecrest director and pastor of the Kansas City and Topeka, Kansas, and the Columbia and St. Joseph, Missouri, congregations. He is also a state record holder in various running events and has been ranked fifth in the world in the 400 meters.

Family

Greg Sargent was raised in Montana with two siblings and hardworking parents who promoted a can-do attitude. He graduated from Ambassador College in England in 1966 and married Marian Ecker, also an AC student. She was born in Maryland and grew up with two siblings in Pennsylvania, Kansas and California.

They are the parents of Dean and Elana and grandparents of five "wonderful grandchildren, ages 13 to 2½."

Mr. Sargent was ordained in 1967 and the family has had nine major moves serving 26 churches in all regions of the United States except the Southeast and Northwest.

Discovering the Truth

"My grandmother left a copy of The Plain Truth at our house when I was 15," Mr. Sargent said. "After two years of study, against parental wishes and later disowned, I was accepted for Ambassador College.

"We lived in a remote location where I was unable to hear the broadcast. When I arrived at AC in the fall of 1962 and ate my first meal in the dining hall, a strange voice came over the air. I asked the student at my side who that was. With astonishment she said, 'Why that's Mr. Armstrong. Haven't you ever heard him?'"

Mrs. Sargent was raised in the Dunkard Brethren church and once told her mother, who became a member of God's Church, that Ambassador College would be the last college she went to—a prophecy that she fulfilled!

Biggest Influences

"Besides God's Spirit," Mr. Sargent says his wife is his biggest influence. She "is truly my foremost counselor and help.

"The apostasy in the Church left an indelible stamp, having impressed on me the absolute need to remain faithful to God and to be careful how I judge others."

Passions and Hobbies

Apart from the ministry itself and doctrinal research, which Mr. Sargent calls his passions, he enjoys building and running.

"I enjoy competing against my own personal records," he says, but he has also set state records in Illinois, Missouri and Kansas in the 50 through 800 meters in his age group in the senior division and has been ranked fifth in the world in the 400 meters. Last year he placed first in the half marathon (13.1 miles) in Kansas City in the 60-64 age group.

"That being said, Marian's times in practice with me would place her first in sprinting events for senior women if I could just convince her to compete. I would suggest that Marian's good cooking and our quest to stay healthy contribute to the blessing of health God has given us."

Mr. Sargent encourages brethren to "contend earnestly for the faith delivered to the saints. Beware of signs and emotions that would keep you from obeying God's law—love the truth." UN

If you would like to recommend a member to be featured in the "Profiles" section, send an e-mail to mike_bennett@ucg.org.