“It’s one thing to plant a church. It’s a different level to multiply leaders who can multiply churches.” Clancy Cruise, pastor at Marysville Grace Church in Marysville, Ohio, said this upon receiving the Ed Jackson Church Multiplication Award. Clancy is the second recipient of this award, presented by Assist Church Expansion at their ministry-sponsored meal at Charis Fellowship Conference.
In the early 1960s Ed Jackson was part of the original group who started Grace Polaris Church, the first Charis Fellowship church in Central Ohio. In the 1990s Grace Polaris planted Grace Powell Church, where Ed went on to serve as a missions pastor. In 2002 Grace Powell Church hired Clancy Cruise to plant a church in Marysville, Ohio. Since then Marysville Grace has planted several churches that have gone on to plant churches, including Bellefontaine Grace in 2016 who recently planted Lake Campus in 2024.
Clancy said, “It’s quite an honor to be recognized for two decades of training and church planting. I’m proud to be part of our Fellowship and I know we have a lot of churches that are committed to multiplying.”
This award seeks to honor Ed Jackson’s legacy. While his impact was significant in Central Ohio, it stretches far beyond one region. He pioneered church planting efforts in Alaska, served at churches in Alaska and Florida, and was involved in global missions. The goal of the award is to recognize individuals who, like Ed, show a strong commitment to church expansion in the Charis Fellowship, and to also inspire an ongoing church expansion culture across our movement of churches.
“The award was a recognition not only of the efforts of our church, but the churches and leaders we’ve planted,” Clancy said. “I’m confident going forward that the churches we planted will also plant. I’m very thankful, humbled, and encouraged by the recognition for our churches and our guys.”
Read more about Ed Jackson’s ministry and the Church Multiplication Award, including a short video of Clancy receiving the award, on Assist’s website here.