PANTHER LAKE COMMUNITY CHURCH
Gary Baits
Pastor
I am honored to serve Panther Lake Community Church. My journey has taken me from pastoral ministry in Oregon and Washington, to teaching and encouraging pastoral leaders in Costa Rica, to teaching high school Spanish, and now has me circling back to pastoral ministry.
I share life with my wife, Rev. Mylinda Baits. We have been partners in pastoral ministry and missionary service. We have two grown children, and will soon celebrate the arrival of grandchildren.
Marilyn
Secretary
Aside from her own career as a teacher, Marilyn handles the secretary duties for PLCC. In addition Marilyn serves as the Choir Director. She has been active in the life of the church for many years, serving on the Board of Deacons, pastoral search committees, helping with Vacation Bible School, among other duties.
Ken
Bookkeeper
I am the bookkeeper of PLCC, a job I enjoy doing in service to the church and the Lord. In addition I also sing in the choir (bass), am currently on the Board of Deacons and am a worship leader. I’ve served on pastoral search committees, and the constitution committee. I joined the church in 1998 and have had a wonderful spiritual life as well as a very enjoyable social one with the members of the church. This church has filled a void that I doubt any other church could.
Paul Aita
Minister to People of Burma
Since 2000, Gail and I have been to Myanmar (Burma) together eight times as volunteers with American Baptist International Ministries. For seven of those trips, our emphasis has been on teaching at the Myanmar Institute of Theology. The eighth trip combined visits to various missions and church organizations in southeast Asia with advocacy for the people of Myanmar, especially its Karen, Kachin, and Chin ethnic minorities.Our activities in Burma have connected with our desire to be of service to refugees from that country who have settled in the Greater Seattle area. We have ongoing relationships with Burmese-, Chin-, Kachin-, and Karen-speaking congregations and with individual members of these and other churches. My ministry with them includes preaching, administering baptism and the Lord’s Supper, youth work, leading Bible studies, consulting with pastors, and providing other services as requested. Gail and I are pleased to engage in this ministry on behalf of Panther Lake Community Church.
Education: D.Min, San Francisco Theological Seminary; M.A. (Mediterranean Studies) Brandeis University; M.Div., Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; B.S. (Humanities and Science) Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Hobbies: Walks with Gail along the beach, cooking, reading, spending time with my children and grandchildren.