BY ALEX CANTATORE
Turlock lost a local legend on March 26 when Gordon Rasmussen, founder of Monte Vista Chapel, succumbed to long-term illness at age 86.
“He’s part of the history of Turlock, that’s for sure,” said eldest son Jack Rasmussen.
Even before arriving in Turlock Rasmussen lived an extraordinary life during his time on earth, traveling to Japan, Argentina, and Africa.
Recruited to the Federal Bureau of Investigations at age 18, Rasmussen rounded up suspected Japanese spies in the days after Pearl Harbor. In early 1943, he traveled to Argentina as part of a Secret Intelligence Service program to hunt down Nazi spies.
In 1944, Rasmussen joined the Marines and was placed in an intensive Japanese language course, just one of the seven languages Rasmussen would eventually learn. After a trip to Kyushu, after the bombs were dropped, Rasmussen completed his military service and returned to the FBI, where he worked with the Communist Squad for three years.
Long a devout Christian, the pull of missionary work became too much for Rasmussen to bear after marrying June Edman, an army nurse from Bristol, Conn. A chance meeting with Glenn Wagner of the Pocket Testament League led the couple on a two and a half year journey to Japan in 1949, during which Rasmussen distributed 10 million Bibles and converted Mitsuo Fuchida, the Japanese captain that led the Pearl Harbor attack, to Christianity.
Dedicated to his mission work, Rasmussen enrolled at the Dallas Seminary and, upon completion of his schooling, accepted his first position as an assistant pastor in Seattle. Traveling to Chicago in 1957, to attend North Park Seminary with the aim of becoming a Covenant pastor, Rasmussen then became pastor at Cuyler Covenant Church.
Still in Chicago, Rasmussen fathered his fourth child - and first daughter - before the entire family traveled six months later to distribute 5,000 Bibles in Jos, Nigeria, on the Queen Mary.
“And that was before Pampers,” Jack Rasmussen said, recalling his mother washing diapers and hanging them to dry on the ship.
The two and a half years the Rasmussens spent in Nigeria was among the most difficult time of their lives, battling not only constant disease but also the challenges of living with a father who was away two months out of three for his missionary work. The lack of infrastructure made communication with Rasmussen almost impossible as he traveled the African continent, eventually giving his 5,000th Bible to the President of Dahomey.
In 1962, Rasmussen moved to Everett, Wash., to pastor at Mission Covenant Church and pursue a better life for his family. It was in 1965, that Rasmussen received a call asking him to serve as pastor of what was then the fourth largest covenant church in the country, Beulah Covenant Church in Turlock.
While the decision to leave Washington was difficult, Rasmussen felt the decision was made for him when he opened a book of hymns to one titled, “Sweet Beulah Land.” Trusting in a sign from God, the Rasmussens moved to Turlock, a place that he would call home longer than anywhere else in his life.
Upon arriving in Turlock, Rasmussen instantly knew he had made the right choice, according to his son. The town was full of palm trees, one of his favorite things, and the warm weather was a dream come true for his family.
After just a year at Beulah Covenant Church, Rasmussen made the decision to strike it out on his own and open a non-denominational church that would become Monte Vista Chapel. When 250 showed up for the first meeting - held in an empty alfalfa field - local Warner Johnson was led to donate five acres of land to the fledgling church in May of 1966.
For the first year services were held in the Assyrian American Civic Club hall. By the date of Rasmussen’s departure from the post of Senior Pastor at Monte Vista Chapel 15 years later, by which time the church claimed almost 1,200 members and a 20 acre campus.
“I think Gordon (Rasmussen) had a very clear vision that it was going to be a significantly large church, I think he had a big vision for the church,” said Monte Vista Chapel Senior Pastor Ken Van Vliet. “He was always very encouraging, always very supportive. He was a good man.”
Rasmussen went on to serve as the President of Shasta Bible College in Redding for four years before becoming Associate Pastor of Church Ministries at the Neighborhood Church in Redding, where he worked for seven years.
In 1992, Rasmussen returned to Turlock, where he has lived ever since.
“Obviously, there’s sadness in his lost and yet there’s rejoicing in the fact that he’s with Jesus, who he served all his life,” Vliet said. “We, as the church, owe him a great debt of gratitude for his vision and what he wanted to do in Turlock.”
A memorial service for Gordon Rasmussen will be held at 2 p.m. today at Monte Vista Chapel. All are welcome.
To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.
Originally published in the Turlock Journal 4/4/2009.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.