THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES and CHURCHES OF CHRIST Christian Military Fellowship Fred Ragland, Director P.O. Box 2408 Oroville, CA 95965 (530) 532-0415

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Christian Military Fellowship is to help members of the Armed Forces find Christian fellowship wherever they are stationed around the world. Our ministry is based on the belief that fellowship is an absolutely essential ingredient in Christian life. When a young person joins the military, he or she must find a replacement for the home church's fellowship if Christian faith is to survive. Maintaining fellowship with the body of Christ is as vital to Christian faith as the apostles' doctrine, the breaking of bread or prayer (Acts. 2:42).

METHOD

The CMF maintains working relationships with more than 300 Christian Churches and Churches of Christ located near military bases or posts, more than 70 military chaplains and overseas missionaries, and more than 400 military members of the CMF. These churches and individuals contact servicemen and women at our request and offer them friendship and Christian fellowship.

HISTORY

The CMF was founded in 1968 by missionary (and retired Air Force chaplain) Guy Mayfield, MSgt Bill Shelton (the first CMF director), and a group of servicemen in Stuttgart, Germany. Brother Shelton retired from the Air Force in 1974 to enter the ministry. No longer able to continue the CMF work, Bill turned the ministry over to MAJ Fred Ragland in 1977. Fred has served as CMF director since that time.

DIRECTOR

CMF director Fred Ragland is retired from the Air Force, following a 20-year career as a public information officer. He served in Germany, Thailand, Greenland, Washington, Ohio and California. He has a B.A. from San Jose State and an M.A. from Ohio State, both in Journalism. He is also a ham radio operator (W6IIM). His wife, Georgia, is a registered nurse, and they have six children and eight grandchildren between them.

ORGANIZATION

The CMF is an authorized ministry of Foothill Blvd. Church of Christ, Oroville, CA, and is subject to the guidance of its elders. The CMF office is maintained in the home of Director Fred Ragland in Oroville, CA to keep ministry costs to a minimum. The mailing address is PO Box 2408, Oroville, CA 95965 and the phone is (530) 532-0415. Email address is: cmf@cncnet.com

FINANCES

There are no fees charged for CMF services. Our ministry is supported by contributions from 23 churches and more than 30 individuals each year. However, gifts for the work are always welcome since postage and printing costs continue to rise. Contributions should be made out to "Christian Military Fellowship" and sent to CMF, PO Box 2408, Oroville, CA 95965.

WEB SERVANT

CMF web servant Larry White works for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) in Indianapolis, Indiana. After 12 years in the Army as a finance officer specializing in computer information systems he became a federal civil servant at DFAS in 1992 and currently is an Oracle Database Administrator. Larry and his wife Marsha have two sons, Shane and Scott, and are members of Indian Creek Christian Church. The Whites met the Raglands in 1974 while stationed in Germany and attending Frankfurt Christian Church.