08/03/2022
Thankful for Marilyn!🙏
From Peggy Dickerson en route to Kentucky:
Dear Hope Church Friends and Family -
In 1968 a new denomination was born (or reborn as some historians have noted)! It would begin with congregations separating from the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Oregon, Washington, Montana, the Dakotas and Canada to avoid merger with the Methodist Episcopal Church of which I was a member before marrying Keith. The name of the newly formed church was The Evangelical Church of North America! In 1969, it would welcome the Holiness Methodist Church with the guidance of Rev. Robert Trosen. Rev. Trosen would later invite Keith and I to pastor a former Wesleyan Covenant Church congregation in Danville, Illinois (we followed Gordon and Niki Elliott as they were called to Bolivia). The Wesleyan Covenant Church had joined The Evangelical Church of N.A. in 1975.
In 1972, after hearing that the General Superintendent, V.A. Ballantyne, and Pacific Conference Superintendent, George K. Millen, were looking forward to the day that God would grow the church by birthing congregations and not just merging denominations, Rev. Folmer and Marilyn Strunk, who were pastoring a two-church charge in Swisshome and Mapleton, Oregon, sensed the Lord was placing a vision in their hearts to attempt something they had not done before. This vision was to launch the first church planting of the new denomination. They reached out to Dr. Millen, (who later presided over Keith's ordination) for approval. After being validated by the Board of Home Missions they moved with their sons, Todd and Eric, to Lake Oswego, Oregon and planted Hope Church of Lake Oswego.
A little over a week ago, on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, our sweet Marilyn passed away. As a pastor's wife, mother and former church planter with children I know what Marilyn and her family sacrificed and contributed to see God's beautiful work unfold in the lives of those touched by God's love and grace. Keith and I have spoken often during our 20 years at Hope Church of the Strunk family's vision and how we might build upon it. We are saddened by Marilyn's departure but gladdened that we will join her in heaven at God's appointed time. With permission we now give to you, Folmer's remembrance of Marilyn:
MARILYN FRIESEN STRUNK - A REMEMBRANCE BY HER HUSBAND
Though hampered for much of her life with physical disability and often severe pain, Marilyn lived many years in service to family and others who feel a great absence, as she departs her earthly journey to be welcomed into heaven by her Lord and those loved ones who have gone before.
Marilyn was born in Salem, Oregon June 23, 1940 to parents Ernest and Doris Friesen. She was the first of five siblings, who followed in order: Kathy, Roger, Charles, and James.
Her early years were in Salem as her father was a businessman, director of the Salem Singers Male Chorus and director of music for the Salem Evangelical Church. Marilyn developed the physical deformity of Scoliosis and was fitted with a brace that slowly brought her back up straight and her shoulders square. Due to this condition, she was limited from PE classes and athletic endeavors. Music was a major part of her life and she was taught Classical Piano, playing a composition by Frederic Chopin for her senior recital piece.
As Marilyn began her high school years, her father developed a small sawmill in Sweet Home, Oregon and moved the family to Lebanon. Erney, as her father was known, then was the musical director for the Albany Evangelical Church. Marilyn’s mother was the pianist and Marilyn sang a strong alto in the choir, duets and trios. It was then that another high schooler named Folmer began to notice and appreciate this quiet and reserved young woman. The relationship grew and they were married midway through their college careers on June 25,1960 at Salem Evangelical Church. They graduated together in 1963 from Seattle Pacific University. They settled in Salem, where Marilyn was employed as office manager for Friesen Lumber Co. and Folmer began graduate school at Western Evangelical Seminary and served as Youth Pastor for Salem Evangelical Church.
The summer of 1965 they spent in Haiti at the campus of One Mission Society, helping out the missionaries in whatever way seemed best. Returning to Salem in the fall, as Folmer continued seminary, they began to pastor the Evangelical Church in Jefferson, Oregon. Shifting from classical piano to hymns, Marilyn served as pianist, S.S teacher, etc. She gave birth to their first son Todd on January 18, 1966. They later moved to reside in the old parsonage of the church in Jefferson. Second son Eric was born on Dec. 21,1969.
In 1970 they were assigned a dual charge serving two churches in Mapleton and Swisshome in the Siuslaw Valley near Florence, Oregon. In 1972, moved to Lake Oswego to plant the first church of the newly organized Evangelical Church of North America. Hope Church of Lake Oswego held their first public worship service February 4, 1973. Again, Marilyn was pianist and along the way shifted from hymns to contemporary worship, adapting to different chords and rhythms. Third son Joel was born on January 27, 1976. It was shortly afterward that Marilyn began to develop symptoms of a condition known as Trigeminal Neuralgia. (In medical circles it is called “the su***de disease.”) It took 30 plus years before a difficult surgery brought significant relief.
After ten years in Lake Oswego, they were assigned for two years to the Evangelical Church of Corvallis, Oregon. Then there was a five year hiatus with a small business in Salem. Along with the business, Marilyn began to work for a doctor for nearly ten years. Folmer was music director for Salem Evangelical Church, then worship leader for a new church plant in South Salem with Marilyn as pianist. After this Marilyn served as pianist of the Middle Grove Evangelical Church while Folmer served as worship leader and taught for two years at Salem Academy.
They completed ten years there and in 2001 were accepted to serve as missionaries with One Mission Society. Initially they served the mission as regional directors for the northwest and Shepherds to church planting teams in Singapore and Indonesia with the division of the mission known today as Every Community for Christ. Marilyn travelled the northwest with Folmer and accompanied on flights to Singapore and Indonesia.
As ECC began to change church planting strategies to planting house churches led by lay pastors, the overseas trips increased, expanding the training to more countries across Asia and South Pacific (and Haiti).
In the fall of 2009, while in the Philippines, Marilyn contracted Dengue Fever. The doctor discouraged her from further trips to that region of the world. From then on she kept the office at home, helped Folmer plan trips, and enjoyed more time with her grandchildren.
By 2015, signs of Alzheimer’s began to cloud her horizon and complicate life. She was admitted to Brookdale Memory Care facility in South Salem February 23, 2019. She came to feel she was in a school of some kind with other residents being fellow students. She often slipped outside through doors that set off alarms, wanting to go home to be with her mother and siblings. However, the morning of July 26, 2022 she quietly slipped away. She shot right by “that home” to enter a far more glorious home and to dwell forever with her Lord and loved ones who have gone before.
She is waiting there for us to join her. Praise the Lord!
Marilyn’s beloved husband, Folmer StrunkFrom
