MERLE CHRISTENSENS LIFE
Merle E. Christensen was born August 26, 1922 and went to be with the Lord on August 12, 2006 in San Jose, California.

Merle was born to Waldie and Myrtle Christensen in Thief River Falls, MN. At the age of three, his mother Myrtle passed away. That event turned his fathers heart back to the Lord. Because of that Merles brother and future siblings, grandchildren and great-grandchildren received the privilege of growing up with a Christian heritage.

When Merle was four, his father married Milda Shefveland. His growing up years were spent working on his fathers farm in Thief River Falls. When Merle was eleven years old he accepted Christ as his personal Savior. In high school, he delivered milk for his fathers creamery, which later became known as City Dairy.

Merle graduated from Thief River Falls High School in 1939. After graduating from high school, he continued to work on his fathers farm. In 1943, he married Violet Solmonson. Merle and Violet had two sons. Lorne Merle was born in 1946 and Daniel Keith in 1948.

In 1948, Merle purchased his own farm and started farming for himself. Interestingly enough, in 1948 his flax crop was so good and the price so high that he paid off his farm in one year.

Merle received the call from the Lord to enter the full-time ministry in 1949. He wrestled with the Lord for two years, unwilling to give up farming, which he really loved. He believed he was inadequate for the role of being a missionary or pastor. He continuously told the Lord that his two brothers would be much better suited than he for the ministry. Merle experienced many trials during those two years, one being that his oldest son almost died of pneumonia. Another trial was the loss of his farming crop to hail. One day he went to the mailbox, opened the mail and inside there was a magazine called The Overcomer from Prairie Bible Institute. On the front cover were the bold words, How Shall They Hear Without a Preacher? At that moment, he softened his heart and obeyed Gods call, not knowing what the future would hold.

In the fall of 1950, Merle, his wife and two sons packed their belongings and set out for Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta, Canada. Merle returned to Thief River Falls the next spring and planted another crop on his farm. He then sold his farm in 1951. In the fall of 1951, he purchased a 25 foot travel trailer, pulled it with a 1941 six-cylinder Chevrolet and the family traveled over the mountains back to Canada. The family lived in this trailer for two winters in Alberta.

Merle graduated from Prairie Bible Institute in 1953. In May of 1953, Merle and family moved to Windom, MN where he became a rural missionary in southwestern Minnesota with the American Sunday School Union. Merle was ordained with the Evangelical Free Church of America in 1956. The family moved to Rochester, MN in 1959. During this time, Merle started Sunday Schools and Vacation Bible Schools in communities that had no established evangelical churches. He also ran summer camps and spent many weeks as a camp speaker and counseled the youth that attended.

In the fall of 1961, he accepted a call to pastor the Brooklyn Center Evangelical Free Church in Brooklyn Center, MN where he served for 13 years. During this time he took pastoral courses at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, MN. In 1974, he accepted a call to the Bethel Evangelical Free Church in Fargo, ND. He ministered there for almost 8 years.
While serving in Fargo in 1982, Merles wife Violet fought a courageous battle with cancer. Due to her illness, Merle resigned from Bethel Church in order to care for his wife. She passed away on September 5, 1982.

After Violets death, Merle returned to Minneapolis to live near his oldest son. During this time, he experienced extreme loneliness and grief. Merle held on to the promise found in Psalm 71:20-21. Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. Merle claimed this verse as a promise that God would restore him back again into the ministry.

In the spring of 1983, Merle accepted the call to plant an Evangelical Free Church in Williston, ND. The people in Williston were very kind to him, but Merle still experienced many moments of loneliness. While in Williston, he pursued a lifelong dream of learning how to fly. He received his pilots license in 1984.

Shortly thereafter, he accepted the call to pastor the Evangelical Free Church in Morris, MN. While pastoring at Morris, Merle still suffered with loneliness but had no desire to remarry, although his family encouraged him to consider the possibility. In 1985, he met Laura Ross from Kingsburg, CA and fell in love. Laura was a widow with two grown sons from her first marriage, Brian and Ron. Merle and Laura were married on March 23, 1986. Following their marriage Merle moved to CA where he resided the rest of his life.

Merle worked for a short time in the Mission Covenant Church in Kingsburg, CA as the pastor to senior adults. He then received a call from the Evangelical Free Church in Fresno, CA to be their pastor to senior adults. He was in this position from 1988 until his death. Gods promise to Merle from the Psalms was fulfilled during his last years of ministry.

Merles first wife, Violet and second wife, Laura, brothers and sisters, children and their spouses, stepchildren and their spouses, all his grandchildren, nieces and nephews were extremely proud of Merle ministry.

Merles desire was to die with dignity and leave his family good memories. The Lord granted him his desire. In his ministry, Merle touched many lives and led many to the Lord Jesus Christ. Merle was known as a people-loving pastor. He had a true pastors heart with the ability to unite people to work together to accomplish much for the Lord.

With love and gratitude
Merles family