Keep up to date on the progess of our beloved Pastor Steve as he recovers from his accident.

Announcement made by Dr. Larry Caldwell last August 1, 2010 on the progress of Pastor Steve:

Good morning, UCM. I have a number of important announcements this morning. I had the privilege of spending three days recently with Pastor Steve and Michelle at the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. I say privilege because I was totally blessed by Pastor Steve and Michelle’s spirit of hope and strength in the Lord as they together battle against the tragedy of Pastor’s Steve’s accident.

As you are aware, Pastor Steve’s accident is a spinal cord injury and he is paralyzed from his upper chest downwards. Technically spinal cord injuries are ranked in severity on an impairment scale from levels A to E, with level A being complete loss of all motor and sensory functions and level E being normal. Pastor Steve’s spinal cord injury has been classified a level C injury, meaning that he has loss of more than 50% of his motor and sensory functions below his neck. However, as you have seen by the videos on Pastor Steve’s website, he is making remarkable progress in regaining motor and sensory functions, all due no doubt to the thousands of people around the world who, like yourselves, are praying for him. The medical people that I talked with are amazed at the remarkable progress that Steve has made and is continuing to make.

Though we continue to pray for a miracle, the medical people at Harborview Medical Center are preparing Pastor Steve to make the most of his new life as a quadriplegic. What this means is that Pastor Steve will most likely remain wheelchair bound for the remainder of his life, with significant changes in his life and lifestyle as a result. Pastor Steve and Michelle are up to this significant challenge in his life and are confident that God will continue to use Pastor Steve in effective future ministry.

To that end, Pastor Steve will continue on as Senior Pastor of Union Church of Manila. He will go on a one-year medical leave with plans to return to the Senior Pastor position at UCM in August of 2011. Pastor Steve will spend the next year in continuing rehabilitation. Pastor Steve has been in contact with other pastors who have his level of spinal cord injury, or worse, and who despite their injuries continue to be fully involved in pastoral ministry. We are expecting the same for Pastor Steve when he returns to Manila in one year.

In the meantime, the UCM Council has been and continues to make plans for the next year. Negotiations are currently underway for calling an interim Pastor who will serve UCM through preaching and doing pastor care until Pastor Steve returns. Council hopes to announce this interim person in the very near future. Under the guidance of new Executive Pastor Scott (who begins his new role as of today) the UCM ministry team is doing, and will continue to do, an excellent job of carrying on the many ministries of UCM.

On behalf of the entire Council I want to thank you for your incredible generosity to the Ruetschles through our special offerings in July. If you wish to donate further, information for how to do this is in the bulletin. Also, we look forward to the Council-sponsored October 25 benefit concert for Pastor Steve to be held at Onstage at Greenbelt 1. More details concerning this exciting fund-raising event will be coming soon.

God continues to do a marvelous thing among us here at UCM in light of Pastor Steve’s accident. This accident is uncharted territory for us all, and we are being blessed by a new spirit of unity that is evolving among us as we gather together in prayer and financial support for Pastor Steve and Michelle. I encourage you to continue praying for Pastor Steve as well as for the UCM Council and ministry team during this crucial time in the life of UCM.

To view the special video that Pastor Steve has made just for us here at UCM,  click here.

You may also visit http://www.steveruetschle.com to get more updates on Pastor Steve's progress.