Gail Sampson celebrated her 99th birthday July 30 at her longtime home in Pullman, Wash. Though no longer able to attend church, she keeps up with what is going on, prays for church and community members, and freely gives her opinion on church and community matters.
The Pullman Church opened its doors in 1997. Sampson was instrumental in both getting the church started and keeping it going. Prior to this, she was active in outreach to the Pullman community, including workign with Adventist Christian Fellowship (a student led campus outreach) and Studio 7, a vegetarian restaurant on the Washington State University campus.
She remembers well the old Adventist church building in Pullman, which closed down sometime in the mid-1970s. She was persistent in reminding the remaining Moscow (Idaho) Church members of the promise to build a church in Pullman. This came together in 1996 with the help of pastors John McGhee and Ron Gladden, both full-time church planters at the time; Ray Roth, pastor of the Moscow Church; and Doug Venn, a trained church planter.
Sampson's fellow church members thank God for her hard work, prayers and influence over the years.
Robert Spady, Pullman Church head elder
Gail Sampson celebrates her 99th birthday.
