Stone, Canizález-Rugamas Named Distinguished Educators
Nashville, TN–The recipients of the 2016 Church of God Distinguished Educator of the Year Awards were announced during the International Educators Luncheon on Tuesday. The event is being held in conjunction with the 76th Church of God International General Assembly. Dr. Mary Ruth Stone, adjunct faculty instructor for the Lee University Division of Adult Learning, is the recipient of the 2016 Faculty Award. Carlos Napoleón Canizález-Rugamas, president of Seminario Bíblico Pentecostal Centroamericano (SEBIPCA), is the recipient of the 2016 Leadership Award.
Dr. Charles Paul Conn, president of Lee University, was the guest speaker for the sold-out event that attracted Church of God educators from around the world. While admitting that Church of God higher education faces diverse challenges and problems, Dr. Conn chose to emphasize two specific reasons the Church of God should care about education: first, education is the most powerful way for the church to penetrate our culture; and, second, education is the very best way to secure the future of both the church and our culture.
Before President Conn’s challenging message, the attendees were treated to an exciting rendition of “Amazing Grace” and “Salvation” by flautist José Ruíz, who will be joining the music faculty at Lee University this fall.
Faculty Award
Dr. Stone began her higher education journey when the Associate of Arts degree was the highest Liberal Arts degree offering at Lee College. From there, she received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, a Master of Science from Radford University, a Master of Christian Ministry from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Education from the University of Alabama. She did postdoctoral studies at the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Fresno, California.
Dr. Stone’s professional career began as a classroom teacher and reading specialist in public and private schools in grades 1-12. In higher education, she served as a college and university faculty member and administrator at the College of Saint Mary, University of Nebraska Omaha, Patten University, and Lee University. Since retiring as the director of Faculty Development at Lee and the on-campus classroom, she has continued to teach online in the Division of Adult Learning.
In addition to her professional career as an educator, Mary Ruth has served the Church of God in the following capacities: one year as the wife of an evangelist; seven years in pastoral ministry with her husband; State Girls Clubs coordinator in New Jersey, Arkansas, Virginia, and Alabama; State Women’s Ministries president in Iowa/Nebraska, the Pacific Northwest, and California/Nevada; and international coordinator of Women’s Ministries at the Church of God International Offices on three different occasions.
While serving as the international coordinator, she was privileged to give the first speech by a female member after the General Assembly was opened to women participants in 1992.
Dr. Stone is the author and coauthor of One Woman Before a King, The Lord’s Definition of Marriage, twelve manuals for the California/Nevada School of Leadership Development, several teachers manuals, and numerous articles for Unique, Church of God Evangel, Women’s Ministries website, and other publications for Christian education.
Of all her accomplishments in life, Mary Ruth is most proud of their four sons. The oldest son, Ken, presently serves as the vice president for Academic Affairs at the Chicago Theological Seminary; Tim is an OB/GYN physician at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama; Dave is the assistant principal at Cleveland High School; and Jon is the lead pastor at the Renovatus Church of God in Charlotte, North Carolina. Of course, that means she is also proud of her three daughters-in-law and nine grandchildren.
Leadership Award
Before his conversion at a Church of God evangelistic crusade in the city of Santa Tecla in 1980, Carlos Canizález began his educational studies in industrial electricity, advanced electronics, and controlled technology.
Feeling the call to ministry, he immediately enrolled in the Church of God Bible Institute in El Salvador. In 1988, he received his bachelor’s degree in Christian ministry at the Universidad Teológica del Caribe in Puerto Rico, with a concentration in scriptural interpretation. He was a summa cum laude graduate who also received the highest honor award.
His graduate studies included a master’s degree in theology at the Universidad José Simeón Cañas in El Salvador and the Master of Divinity degree at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary in Cleveland, Tennessee.
These studies helped him to develop a theory about the Latin American Pentecostal worldview that served as the foundation for creating a Latin American Pentecostal hermeneutic. Currently, he is working on his final studies for a Ph.D. in ecclesiology at the Latin American Doctoral Program in Costa Rica.
Bishop Canizález served the Church of God in El Salvador from 1981 to 2010—as the national youth evangelist (1982); local church pastor (1983–1985); national director of education for two terms (1988–1993 and 1996–2002); and national overseer (2002–2010).
Since 2010, he has served the Church of God in Central America as the president of Seminario Bíblico Pentecostal Centroamericano (SEBIPCA), where he also serves as the professor of hermeneutics and Pentecostal theology.
Out of his heart for pastoral ministry, Brother Canizález has designed practical tools to help local church pastors in developing disciples who follow the model that was set by Jesus. This practical tool is known in Central America as, “The Career of a Disciple.”
Carlos Canizález has been happily married to María for thirty-three years. They have been blessed with two sons and one daughter—Fares Isaac, Gerson Isaí, and Raquel Eunice. His wife has been a faithful partner in all of the missions endeavors where God has led, and their children have been one of their greatest sources of inspiration to serve both God and people.
Executive Director J. David Stephens said, “On behalf of the Church of God Division of Education, we extend heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Stone and President Canizález, to their families, and to the excellent educational ministries in which they presently are serving.”
