Rev. J. Ted Rathman

Pastor J. Ted Rathman began his pastoral ministry at Grace EC Church, Schuylkill Haven in July 2013. Ted is originally from Reamstown, located in Lancaster County, PA. His parents, Ken and Bonnie Rathman, reside there. Ted also has 3 siblings and 7 nieces and nephews.

Ted was commissioned from his home church, St. Paul’s EC Church, Reamstown, where he attended all his life and where his grandfather, John H. Bixler, pastored from 1954 to 1961. Ted and his wife, Jessica, and daughters, Lily and Leah Grace, reside in Schuylkill Haven, PA.

After graduating from Cocalico High School, Ted served in the US Navy for four years. His first duty station was in Norfolk, VA, on the USS Enterprise (CVN65), and upon completing Operation Specialist “A” School in Virginia Beach, VA, he served three years on the Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) in Mayport, FL. When Ted was honorably discharged in 2004, he returned to his hometown in Reamstown in order to attend Penn State Berks Campus as an International Studies major. It was at this point in his life that he felt a call to ministry. After graduating from Penn State with honors, Ted began his studies at Evangelical Seminary in Myerstown where he graduated from the Masters of Divinity program with honors in May 2012.

Ted has served on the Global Ministries Community as a board member since he entered the denomination as lead pastor at Grace EC Church. Ted’s first experience with missions was through his youth group at St. Paul’s, and it became an important and formative part of his life. Ted’s heart for missions continued through his time in the US Navy, his studies at Penn State and the opportunities to lead mission trips as a youth leader. In 2013 Ted traveled with a GMC delegation to Nepal to celebrate EC Church Nepal’s 10 year anniversary. Ted also served as the chair of the GMC taskforce which studied the future role, responsibilities and staffing of the Global Ministries Community as it transitioned from a Commission based structure into the new “Community” based model.

As travel restrictions have lightened, Ted most recently visited the EC Church in Mexico, and will travel to both India and Japan this year. Ted is excited and honored to lead the GMC to continue to encourage and inspire the EC Church USA to be engaged in God’s global vision and mission in reaching the ends of the earth with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

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