Pastor Ed Staton and his wife Sherrel love Hawaii so much they made a recent event honoring their 40 years of service Hawaiian-themed. Amber Bartle, shown here, reads Pastor Staton's life verse (Romans 12:1-2) from The Bible translated in Pidgin.
Congregation honors Pastor Ed Staton and his wife Sherrel for their 40 years of ministry at Landmark Church.
September marked a milestone in Battle Ground and in today's ministry profession. Pastor Ed Staton and his wife, Sherrel, were honored by their congregation and other area pastors for 40 years leading Landmark Church.
Although 40 years is not unheard of, Staton shared that the average length of stay in one church for a pastor is between two to five years. They conducted their first service on Sept. 20, 1977.
They accepted the calling to Battle Ground sight unseen and arrived with no guarantee of housing and a three-year old boy, Eddie, who would grow up to be the associate/youth pastor along with his wife, Stacey. Two years later their daughter, Sherina, was born and today she is the worship leader along with her husband, Jimmy.
At their Sept. 18 celebration, the couple shared that they have chosen to stay in Battle Ground all these years because they feel strongly called to the community and both of their childhoods involved extensive relocating. Staton did not attend the same school two years in a row until his sophomore year in high school.
Sherrel wanted a place to call home for herself, her husband and their children. That sincere mom’s desire became the tagline for Landmark and, more recently, they have both expressed genuine gratitude for the community that has embraced and supported their five (soon-to-be six) grandchildren, as well.
Kathy Goff, a church attendee, shared that her parents, Stephen and Marion Eldred, bought the original acreage that boasted a small house for the purposes of establishing Battle Ground Tabernacle and moved onto the grounds in 1964. In 1975, her father retired from over 50 years in ministry and her family began attending Landmark around 1997.
“He (Staton) won us over. He just really had a pastor’s heart so we decided when we were looking for a church this would be the one we’d try. We came and decided to stay,” Goff said.
Beyond his immediate responsibilities, Staton sits on the board of directors and is the Northwest district superintendent for Grace International, the parent organization that Landmark aligns with.
According to Pastor Arden Kinser of Cherry Grove Friends Church, Pastor Staton is a “much loved man.”
“He is affectionately known as ‘Father Ed’ for his role in welcoming new pastors to our community and for the caring oversight of the area pastor’s group. He has helped facilitate annual community-wide worship gatherings on Thanksgiving and Easter which also support our North County Food Bank,” Kinser said. “He brings a refreshing presence of integrity into our community with his steady, principled ways, and his passionate spirituality. Ed Staton is the kind of person I would be honored to have as my pastor.”
It is that integrity that drove Staton and his wife to erect the 10,050-square-foot, debt-free church that stands today on the corner of West Main Street and NW 15 Avenue. Through penny marches that began in 1979, the building was paid for in phases until its completion in 1993. Appropriately, the first event held in the church was the wedding of Eddie and Stacey on Sept. 11, 1993. It was not open for regular services until several months later due to a sewer moratorium.
Over the years the original three acres that Landmark sits on has had its share of giving as the city has grown. When the Statons arrived in 1977, they were in the county. Eventually, they were annexed and land has been sold for the Main Street project, to help increase affordable housing in the community, to support safe roads and sidewalks and, currently, the future of the small building is in question as the city continues to tackle safety and accessibility near the Fred Meyer shopping complex.
“We’ve always worked with them (the city) because we see these as positives to help people and families in Battle Ground (affordable housing, safe roads, good sidewalks),” Staton said. “This whole 40 years we’ve tried real desperately not to isolate ourselves but be a part of what we believe God wants us to be in our community.”
When the couple is traveling for Grace International, Landmark is left in capable hands. Administrative pastors, John and Sally Ovall, are close friends of the Statons and are ordained pastors and capable speakers.
Leaving the leading to their grown son and daughter when they are out of town is “a thrill.” Eddie and Sherina attest that ministry as a profession was a free will choice they both made. In addition to their pastoral duties, Eddie and Sherina have followed in their parents’ footsteps of community involvement with Eddie attending weekly pastor’s meetings and Sherina working with the mentoring program, Teach One to Lead One.
2017 also saw the 45th wedding anniversary of Pastor and Sherrel who met at a church in Coos Bay, Oregon and became high school sweethearts.
“We’ve never felt it was time to leave Battle Ground even during some hard times. Looking back now I can see why; how the Lord has put us in different spots to help people and churches,” Staton said.
