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MEET
THE PASTORS
Georgie &
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Georgie was born and raised on a sheep farm near Wanganui, New Zealand. After graduating from St. Mary’s High School in Stratford, NZ in 1964, she attended art school in Wellington before becoming an airline stewardess in Australia.
Ted and Georgie met in Jan. of 1969 in Sydney, Australia and married on her father’s sheep farm in New Zealand 11 months later and lived in Darwin, Australia until July 1970 before moving to Houston, TX. While living in Houston Ted worked for an engineering consulting firm and they had three sons; twins Angus & Marcus and Jonathon. In 1975 they moved to Wausau, WI where Ted was the sales manager of a manufacturing company. In 1979 Ted opened up a branch office for a manufacturer’s rep. firm in Wausau and worked for them until Dec. 31, 2004.
In 1984, Georgie started attending a home bible study and reading her bible, which became an irritation to her husband Ted. In April, 1985, Georgie decided to take a 36 hr. video bible study course. Ted was pressured (tricked) to take the course with her. He would say he took it so that he could protect his wife from any “weird stuff”. Even though not wanting to be there, he became “born again” (saved), because he came to believe that Jesus was his Savior.
During the next year, all three of their sons accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior. In 1986, they started attending a small charismatic church and were introduced to real praise & worship. However, they left there after 3 or 4 months to attend an Assembly of God church because they had a vibrant youth group for their sons.
In 1989, their sons, Angus & Marcus graduated from high school and went off to Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, OK . The following year Ted and Georgie enrolled at Rhema. After receiving certificates in Biblical Studies from Rhema, Ted & Georgie returned to their church in Wausau and his old job.. After approx. four years of hosting home bible studies, teaching adult Sunday school, ushering, nursery, heading up building committees, being a chapter president of Full Gospel Businessmen, Ted and Georgie left that church looking for God’s direction.
After 4-5 months of searching, they felt like God was leading them to start a new work in Wausau. Not another work, a new and difference work. In Nov. 1996, Big Church Alive (BCA) had it’s first meeting with 11 people in a small hotel conference room. Ted did the teaching, but didn’t think that he was called to be the pastor. The group prayed for God to supply a pastor. In Jan. 1997, Ted, Georgie and two of their sons, flew to New Zealand for a wedding & family reunion. Ted spoke at a church in N.Z. and said something happened while he was there. He came back to Big Church Alive to tell them that he believed God had told him that he & Georgie were to pastor BCA. This wasn’t totally accepted by the group at first, but as time passed, the confirmation came.
In June 1998, Ted & Georgie attended a conference in Louisville, KY and had three different people, who knew nothing about them, prophecy over them, confirming them as pastors, confirming many things that were going on in their lives and many things God had put on their hearts. One of those things was a downtown youth center.
In August 1998, BCA leased the location at 101 Scott St. and started remodeling the building for a youth center. For the next 19 mos. the congregation of BCA built what came to be known as RockWater Cyber Café. When RockWater (RW) was ready to open on a fulltime basis, in March 2000, BCA moved out and cut RW loose on it’s own.
During the 2001/2002 school year Ted & Georgie received their diploma from Oral Roberts University in Charismatic Ministry and certificates in Healing Evangelism & Apostolic Leadership.
Over the next 3-1/2 years BCA was in four different rented locations. Each location had it’s own story. The church body would grow and shrink in numbers with each move. However, at the same time God was building a very strong core of leadership.
In June 2003, at a Faith Ministries Int’l. Network world conference in Denver, CO., Pastor Ted felt that God had spoken to him, “If it’s not enough to meet your need, maybe it’s your seed”, over the next few months BCA gave away all their bldg. fund savings to other ministries.
In Oct. 2003, the board of RockWater voted to give RW back to BCA in lieu of dissolving it after approx. 1-1/2 years of looking for a new building and financial backing. RW had been evicted from the Scott St. location when the building had been sold to the city of Wausau to build a five story parking & retail structure. Pastor Ted was voted in as the new president of RW.
Also, in Oct. 2003, BCA started looking for a space for BCA & RW to co-occupy. They found a 5 yr. old, 25,000 sq. ft. bldg. at 4307 W. Stewart Ave., on the west side of Wausau. After a battle with the city over zoning, BCA purchased the bldg. in Jan. 2004 and started remodeling.
On Jan.4, 2008 RockWater re-opened at the BCA facility with 4 bands and over 300 young people in attendance. The vision of RW was to have safe, wholesome activities available Friday & Saturday evenings for young adults in the form of concerts, movies, LAN parties, open mic nights, etc. Also, to make the facility available to the community for other activities on a regular or one time basis. Nov. 7, 2009, RW closed for the second time for lack of funds. We still have a vision for RW. The third time in the future will be the winner.
Ted & Georgie have three sons, three daughter-in-laws and eight grandchildren. Son, Marcus and Emily live in San Francisco with their two children, Olivia & Stewart. Son, Jonathan and Sarah live in Wausau also with their three children, Daniel, Carissa and Charlie. Son, Angus and Samantha live in Huntsville, AL with their two daughters Sydney & Scarlett and son Duncan.
To be continued . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .Nelson Family Chistmas 2007 (+ 3 grandkids that hadn't arrived yet)