Geneva M. (Noren) Christensen was born on the family farm near Oberlin, Kansas to David Theodore and Esther Amanda (Carlson) Noren on October 6, 1925. She passed away peacefully at home in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on April 27, 2019, at the age of 93.
Geneva attended a one-room school house near her family farm for grades 1-8. She then “batched” in town on a weekly basis for all four of her high school years. She graduated with highest honors from Decatur County High School in 1943. In Geneva’s own words: “I was born and raised in a Christian home and always loved Jesus but never committed my life to Him until I was 12 years old. A great burden was lifted from my soul at that time. The Lord has patiently led and guided me through the years. Praise His name!”
Since she wasn’t old enough to go directly into a nurses’ training program upon graduating from high school, and since she was not financially able to go to college, she worked in Denver, CO for one year. In the fall of 1944, she was accepted to enter the Swedish Covenant Hospital Nursing Program. It was war time, and when the Cadet Nursing Program was offered through the Swedish Covenant Hospital, Geneva signed up and graduated as an RN with highest honors in 1947. She then entered North Park Junior College and Bible Institute.
When great need arose on the Congo mission field, she quickly accepted the call to go after only one year at North Park. In August 1949, she sailed for the Belgian Congo. Gordon Christensen followed a year later, and they were married on September 2, 1950 in Leopoldville, the capital of the Belgian Congo. Geneva and Gordon served together on the Covenant Field in Congo until their retirement in 1990. Most of their time was spent at the Bible Institute where pastors and their wives were trained. Geneva served as a nurse as well as taught at the Bible Institute.
Probably Geneva’s greatest contribution to the pastor’s wives was to teach them that they were people of worth. She taught them that God made them, and He doesn’t make useless or second-grade things. Geneva received a medal from the Congolese government for long service to the Congo. Geneva said she had a graduate degree: “MOM”. In Lingala, she was called “Mama” and “Koko” meaning “Mom” and “Grandmother.”
Geneva’s root gifts were those of counseling, teaching, and mentoring. During her retirement years, these gifts were in use regularly. Both Geneva and Gordon were prolific writers, producing helpful booklets for the Christian life for the Congolese. No doubt, the greatest gift to the African church was and is the three volume New Testament commentary, “Mai Na Bomoi” (“Living Water”) that Gordon wrote with Geneva’s assistance. These volumes have been used as textbooks in many Congolese Bible Schools. After their retirement, both Geneva and Gordon served in interim pastor capacities in several places and were involved in Schools of Prayer and Evangelism, and Spiritual Intervention.
Geneva is survived by her three children and their spouses: Susan and Dale Lovercheck (Media, PA), Michael and Angela Christensen (Hampton, VA), and Mary Lynn and Dennis Carlson (Farmington Hills, MI). She is also survived by her five grandchildren: James Lovercheck, Timothy Carlson (Kathryn), Kristin Bransford (Scott), Nathan Christensen and Katelin Christensen. Geneva was preceded in death by her husband, Gordon Christensen; grandson, Phillip Christensen; sister, Evelyn Noren; brother, Edwin Noren and brother, Willard Noren.
Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM Friday, May 3, 2019 at the Herndon Covenant Church. Burial will follow at Herndon Covenant Cemetery. Visitation will be 10:00 – 11:00 AM. Memorial contributions may be made to the Herndon Covenant Church or Paul Carlson Partnership – Congo Clinic Initiative (Chicago, IL). Condolences may be left at www.paulsfh.com