C. Pat Lanyon

The initial stands for "Charles," but since I was never called by that name while growing up; I now use the initial. My real middle name is "Patrick," but, again, I was not consistently called that either.

I was born in Denver, CO in December, 1952, and grew up there until my third year of college. Beginning that year, 1973, I transferred from the University of Colorado to Bob Jones University, in Greenville, SC.

This was the result of a summer 1972 decision to be sure of my salvation by calling on the Lord to save me (Romans 10:13). It was also the result of spiritual growth following my decision on Easter Sunday, 1973, to be Scripturally baptized.

Following my three-and-one-half years at BJU, I decided to attend a semester of graduate school at Tennessee Temple, where my brother was a student in the University there. I spent some 6 years there getting an English Bible Bachelor of Divinity degree. There I met the man who is now my Pastor, Bim Rowley. As fellow students we came to know each other, and when he announced intentions to come to East Hartford for church planting, I was interested.

I was raised in an "independent, fundamental Baptist church," but as I grew up I observed all churches and religions change. As I studied the Bible about life I realized that it is a most amazing Book. Most amazing of all was the fact that although men retranslate it, the truths in it are literally unchanging! I have therefore decided to base what I believe about religion and spiritual knowledge on it alone.

When I moved to East Hartford on August 26, 1983, I came to serve the Living God first, and second, to attend and assist, in any way I could, Truth Baptist Church. While at school I worked part time doing janitorial work, something I had always loved to do. In Connecticut I was able to get a floor maintenance job at a Windsor nursing home. After about two years, I tried some other types of work, only to find out that my real vocational interest is in cleaning. At the same time I got a job at what was then Combustion Engineering. God strongly encouraged me through friends to try starting my own cleaning business part time.

Though I heard that most businesses do not last more than 2 or 3 years, the Lord helped me to stay in business. By October, 1987, I believed He would help me if I went full time. The day I did was marked by the Stock Market crash. I realized that God is able to help in any circumstances if a man's heart is humble toward Him.

Marriage in the Works!

About February the next year, God had been preparing a missionary friend I had known since 1977 to consider me seriously for marriage. In order for anything like this to happen, I would need the help of employees. I took the steps necessary to begin legally employing people, though I felt very inexperienced.

The next few months actually did develop into a courtship. Miss Christine Wise, a fifteen year veteran missionary school teacher in the Bahamas, and Turks & Caicos Islands, was willing to come to Connecticut. She arrived June 30, 1988, shivering from the cool air that day. It was a cool brought down from Canada that refreshes New Englander's already hot from June's summer heat. But inside she was very warm and beautiful to one who had hardly known her except through correspondence.

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