The Ministry of Randy Freeland
December, 2007
In November 2005, the Red Mesa News reported on the work of Randy Freeland, who was serving as a lay preacher to the Toyee Chapel near Standing Rock, New Mexico. A lot has happened since then: Randy’s marriage to Debra, his ordination as “ministry associate” for the Toyee Chapel through Crownpoint CRC, the birth of his son, Malachi, and the beginning of his on-line master’s studies through Calvin Seminary.
Even with these major milestones in his life, Randy keeps a humble perspective of himself. He sees St. Francis of Assisi as a model who knew himself to be an imperfect person, unworthy of God’s love, who found his worth in his love for God. Randy says, “What makes me worthwhile is my faith in God.”
Randy is Navajo and Laguna, born to Christian parents, Johnny and Bernice Freeland. He was in the first group of children who went to the Crownpoint Christian Elementary School from Second grade through sixth grade. It was about this same time, when Randy was eight years old, that his father passed away. He finished up his education in 1990 at Rehoboth Christian School – about a 55 mile distance.
Randy became more involved in pastoral work in 2002 when Crownpoint’s missionary pastor, Bob Jipping, was preparing to retire. Pastor Jipping asked Randy to go to the Toyee Mission near Standing Rock New Mexico one Sunday and Randy has been going ever since. The people at Toyee have embraced Randy as their pastor and have great affection for him, his wife Debra and son Malachi. Randy also is a member/leader in the Crownpoint Church, serving alongside Pastor Norman Chee and his family.
Randy says he bring an “inside-outside” perspective to the ministry in his home community. He has a varied background of different educational and life experiences. He works as a teacher’s aide in the Crownpoint Elementary School. From 2000-2003 he served in the “Legacy of a Kid Brother of St. Frank,” an outgrowth of the ministry of musician Rich Mullins. Randy helped to organize art and music camps for children in various Navajo communities. His educational experiences includes going to automotive and diesel school in Houston, getting his culinary arts degree from the Crownpoint Institute of Technology, studying at Kuiper College (formerly Reformed Bible College) in 1992 and 1994 and finishing up his biblical studies with degrees from the Nazarene Indian Bible College, a Colorado Springs College that has a branch in Albuquerque.
Of his current walk with God in ministry Randy has this to say: “Each day I try to pray the prayers of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Patrick’s Breastplate. Alongside these prayers, I put the foundation of my Christian walk in the Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed… Now my goal in life is to live out my life to the fullest. I want to know that I fulfilled God’s calling upon my life: to be His light to this darkened world. I want to give of myself to the surrounding churches that have called me to preach and to those who have less then me. I’m not handsome, or built like a Greek god. I have all I need, a God fearing wife and a very awesome son. I think this describes my ministry, it all comes down to serve rather then be served. This quote from St. Francis describes my philosophy: Go into all the world and preach; use words if necessary.“