Meet Edward “Ted” and Marjorie Cline

Marjorie and Ted moved into Apartment 108 in the Highlands in July, 2019, from Waynesboro, VA. But their journey to Sunnyside took many twists and turns!!

Both were born and grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Ted was born on Christmas day but says he never minded sharing his birthday celebration with Jesus even though it meant receiving only one set of gifts! High school sweethearts, they married in 1957 after Marjorie completed her RN and Ted had graduated from college. But the interesting part of their story is where they’ve lived during the past 63+ years!

Early in their lives both Marjorie and Ted felt drawn by God into serving Him full time so it wasn’t surprising that 4 months after their wedding Ted became Assistant Pastor in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, (one of Canada’s Western Provinces for those of you geographically challenged!) while Marjorie went back to college in Regina for further biblical studies. Here they were, as newlyweds, separated by about 50 miles during the week (Remember? 50 miles was farther in 1957!). However (where there’s a will there’s a way!) they overcame that challenge most days. Weekends were busy for them in Moose Jaw with youth group and church responsibilities but Monday was Ted’s day off so he drove Marjorie back to campus where he hung out in their “married students’” room while she attended classes (17 credits a semester). He drove back to Moose Jaw early Tuesday mornings, returned Wednesday evenings to Regina after leading choir practice (Ted was an accomplished violinist), and back to Moose Jaw again Thursday morning. After classes Friday, Marjorie either caught a bus or hitched a ride with another student to return “home” to Moose Jaw to a very busy weekend. (What we can do when we are young!).

After a year, their denomination, the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA), suggested they enter a newly-developed preparation program in Pontiac MI for those planning to serve overseas and as part of that program they served in the local C&MA church. They also learned skills to help them master a foreign language and to live successfully in another culture. While they were in Pontiac their first child, Mark, was born.

The C&MA promotes missionary work all over the world. In 1959 the Clines were appointed to work in Viet Nam so, with 8 ½ month old Mark, they moved to Danang, Viet Nam (traveling for 7 weeks on a freighter!) and into full-time Vietnamese language study, preparing to pass proficiency exams. Ted was appointed Director of Bible Society work for Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos so, in 1961 a few months after their daughter Robin was born, they moved to Saigon, the capital city of VN (now called Ho Chi Minh City). It was also in Saigon that their daughter Janice was born.

Bible Societies around the world, along with other groups, provide translations of the Bible into thousands of languages, and print and distribute these scriptures to native speakers. In 1969 Ted was appointed the first Regional Director for the newly created Asia/Pacific region of the United Bible Societies (UBS). Since the war was raging in Viet Nam (and had been from the early 1960’s), the team of specialists whose work Ted coordinated could not work out of Saigon, so the Clines moved to Singapore where Ted set up the Regional Office. During the next 5 years he traveled extensively across the region from Lebanon to Fiji and north to Japan and Korea visiting several dozen UBS member societies of the United Bible Societies.

In 1975 Ted was invited to work with the American Bible Society at their headquarters in New York City and the family left Asia, not without regrets, and moved to White Plains NY. That work with churches all over the USA also included a great deal of travel and Ted met many of the refugees coming from countries he had served in Asia. That served him well when, in 1982 the C&MA invited Ted to “come home” again and become Director of their newly-created InterCultural Ministries (ICM)—a great “fit” for him!

In 1989 the C&MA moved their headquarters to Colorado Springs and the Clines moved with them. After 15 years as Director of ICM, Ted was elected Superintendent of the Central Pacific District of the C&MA, (encompassing Utah, Nevada, Central and Northern California and Hawaii)—another posting that included a much travel. They lived in CA until they retired in 2002 and not long afterward moved east to Waynesboro, being lured to VA by the presence of the families of two of their children, Mark, who lives near Roanoke and Robin in Elkton. Daughter Janice and her husband work with the C&MA in Guinea, West Africa and Robin is Director of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care at SRMHospital in Harrisonburg.

Say “Hi” to Marjorie and Ted at 8650 or email Marjorie at <8mjc35@comcast.net>