Staff and Leadership
Gary Cech – Lead Pastor
Pastor Gary grew up in Flint and was a 1972 graduate of Flint Southwestern High School. After nearly 20 years as a performer and having the opportunity to travel and entertain all over the world, God began to change his heart 1989 – a difficult change that would take another 3 years to complete. Having performed in numerous musicals, TV appearances and many years with Walt Disney Productions, it was his 10 years as the bass singer for The Diamonds (hits of “Little Darlin’”, “The Stroll”, etc) that he left his mark – but it came at a price.
A broken man through two divorces by 1989 was bad enough, but a head-on car crash in 1991 caused him to refocus his life.
The next year, God began to change a relationship with a close platonic friend from high school and later in 1992, Gary and Luanne were married.
God took Gary through a process of humbling before he was convinced that God could use a broken vessel for His glory. Gary returned to college to earn his BA in Management & Communications from Corban College in 1997 and then a Masters of Arts in Theological Studies from Moody Theological Seminary of Michigan in 1999.
Gary & Luanne served at Midland Christian Church in Midland MI from 1999 to 2005. In May 2005, God was making it clear that after 6 years, a more than triple sized growth and two successful building expansions – “It’s time to go.” Once again God was calling the Cech’s to “Walk by faith, not by sight.”
After almost a year of searching for God’s plan and seeing the spiritual need in Flint MI, the idea of GRACE was presented to Randy Penwell, then Director of New Churches of Christ Evangelism (NCCE) and the rest is an ever growing history of God’s blessing.
Between them, Gary & Luanne have four sons and three daughters-in-laws; Chris & Catherine, Jeff & Theresa, James & Jessica, and their fourth son Joshua is 22, plays drums and attends Mott Community College studying Media Arts. Gary and Luanne also are grandparents to 9 year old Cael (James & Jessica) and 6 year-old Anika (Jeff & Theresa).
Please feel free to contact Pastor Gary at GaryC@Grace247.org.
Clarence Campbell – Associate Pastor
Pastor Clarence grew up attending Beecher Public Schools in Mt. Morris Township. During his Jr. High school years, Clarence began to experiment with the drug culture of the 1970s. That experimentation proved problematic. There was definitely a benefit to drug use. With each drug use came a mind-altered escape from his troubled home life. There was also a downside. Clarence knew that if he continued down this path, drug addiction was imminent. Unbeknownst to him, God was about to answer his prayers in the most improbable way. Isn’t that just like God?
In the summer of 1975, Clarence’s best friend came home for summer vacation after a year of attending Oakdale Christian High School in Jackson, KY. His best friend had nothing but good things to say about this Christian boarding school tucked away in the foothills of Eastern Kentucky’s Cumberland Mountain range. Ironically, a singing group from Oakdale came to Clarence’s home church that same summer to promote the school. Now he found himself at a fork in the road. One way led down a road plagued with drug addiction and temporary mini-escapes while the other offered a clean break and the prospect of a drug free future.
Clarence decided to make a major change in his environment and asked the permission of his parents to attend Oakdale. With the consent of his parents, Clarence transferred out of Beecher High the second semester of his junior year. This turned out to be the best choice he could have made. It was at Oakdale where he met his future wife, Laura, to whom he was married forty-one years, before her untimely death at age sixty. It was at Oakdale that Clarence not only accepted Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior, but where he answered God’s call into pastoral ministry as well. That ministry began in 1983, after graduating from Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, MI.
His first “port of call” took him back to Oakdale where he served in multiple capacities including Campus Pastor, Public Relations Director, Teacher, Boy’s Dean, Athletic Director, as well as Boys Basketball Coach and Girls Softball Coach. In 1987 Clarence returned home to Michigan where he was the Lead Pastor at Free Methodist churches in Turner, Hale, Sanford, and Hockaday. While pastoring the Sanford church, he realized God was leading him out of the Lead Pastor role and into the role of Associate Pastor.
In 2010, Clarence and Laura started attending Grace where he and Laura served in multiple capacities. He loves telling the story of how God brought him back to Flint after a thirty plus year hiatus, and how God ultimately lead him and Laura to Grace Community Christian Fellowship where he currently serves as Associate Pastor.
After Laura’s death, Clarence soon realized that he did not want to live out the rest of his life alone. Embracing Genesis 2:18, where God said, “it isn’t good for man to be alone”, he began praying for and seeking out the companionship of a Godly woman. Once again, God was about to answer his prayers in the most improbable way.
On July 23, 2020, Clarence met Jody Newsome on the Facebook Dating App. On August 23rd they were engaged and were wed on 10-10-2020. Both knew they were right for each other immediately. Jody, after reading Clarence’s dating profile announced to her mother (Sue), “I’m going to marry a pastor.” During a phone conversation a couple weeks later, Jody invited Clarence to come over and play some Skip-Bo. Turns out it was Sue’s idea. It was love at first sight for Clarence when Jody came outside to meet him. She smiled when she saw him and his heart said, “She’s the one.” Once again proving that God moves in mysterious ways. Between them, Clarence and Jody have three sons, three daughters and sixteen grandchildren.
Please feel free to contact Pastor Clarence at Clarence@Grace247.org.
