Alma Temple--A Pillar of Fire Ministry--Denver, Colorado
Dr. Donald J. Wolfram [1919-2003] [obituary]
Dr. Wolfram's SermonsBishop
Donald J. Wolfram, Ed.D. [photo], was
called to the ministry and ordained a Pillar of Fire minister in 1935 at
the age of sixteen. Thereafter he was always active in a wide variety of
ministry activities, from manual labor on church farms to radio broadcasting,
teaching in high school and college subjects ranging from history to mathematics
to New Testament Greek, preaching the Gospel, attending to foreign missions,
writing, and serving as a home missionary. In this latter work he traveled
widely, ministering to the spiritual needs of business people across the
country and accepting their financial support for the work of Pillar of
Fire schools, radio stations, and other ministries.
Photo of
Rev. Gertrude Metlen Wolfram (1888-1959), Dr. Wolfram's mother
Until he stepped down in the summer of 2000, he had served for sixteen years as General Superintendent of Pillar of Fire International. His continuing responsibilities thereafter as trustee and bishop entailed considerable travel, both in the United States and in numerous foreign countries where missions have been established. He had a daily missions radio program, "Go and Tell," on the three Pillar of Fire radio stations, KPOF (Denver), WAWZ (greater New York), and WAKW (Cincinnati). He continued to record his missions program until a few days before his death.
On November 13, 1999, friends and relatives gathered at Alma Temple from near and far to celebrate Dr. Wolfram's eightieth birthday.
On February 25, 2001, a celebration of Dr. Wolfram's life and ministry was held at Belleview College. During this celebration, a surprise to Dr. Wolfram, he was presented with a portrait, also a surprise, which had been painted by artist Judee Dickinson.
Dr. Wolfram left this life on August 25, 2003, after a brief struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was laid to rest at Belleview Cemetery at 84th Avenue and Irving Street in Westminster, Colorado. obituary
Dr. Wolfram's late wife, Phyllis Hoffman Wolfram (1921-1985), was also an ordained minister, radio broadcaster, and teacher. She is fondly remembered at Alma Temple for her dynamic and powerful holiness preaching. Rev. Phyllis Wolfram's sermons
Dr. Wolfram was survived by five grown children, of whom the four who live locally are active in ministry at Alma Temple, and fourteen grandchildren. Photo of the oldest and youngest of the grandchildren as of 2000
- The
Wolfram-Larue Family
- Rev. Suzanne
Wolfram is regularly found in the Alma Temple pulpit on the third
Sunday evening of each month. She plays piano, sings, teaches Sunday School,
and conducts Bible studies. She has many years' experience as a mathematics,
English, and Bible and religion teacher at Belleview College and Preparatory
School. She is currently dean of Belleview College.
Her husband, David M. Larue, Ph.D., a systems analyst for the Colorado School of Mines, maintains numerous computers for the Pillar of Fire. He is regularly found in the sound system/broadcast control booth during services at Alma Temple.
They have two children: Justin, a computer specialist living in Las Vegas, and Jennifer, who loves horses and is attending college in Colorado Springs.
- Rev. Phillip
J. Wolfram, Sr., is regularly found in the Alma Temple pulpit on
the first Sunday evening of each month. He is frequently the worship leader
for other services. A graduate of the University of Denver School of Law,
he is kept busy as the house attorney of the Pillar of Fire in Denver;
he also does some freelance work in such areas as wills. He has taught
numerous courses in Bible and religion at Belleview College.
His wife, Rev. Neta Miller Wolfram, is a graduate of God's Bible School in Cincinnati and is also a registered nurse. An experienced pianist, she took up organ several years ago when a spin-off of a church-planting group left the Temple without an organist. She serves two main functions at the Temple: the music ministry (including planning service music and arranging for special music), and Director of Children's Ministry. She runs several weekly student chapels at Belleview Christian Elementary School.
Rev. and Mrs. Wolfram both teach at Belleview Christian College from time to time.
The Wolframs have four sons--Phillip Jr., Albert, Preston, and Edward-- ranging from elementary school age to college. The two middle boys maintain a long-standing family tradition that there be a redhead in each generation.
- Charlene
(Wolfram) Maines formerly directed the children's
music program at Alma Temple. Under her guidance, the children have presented
full-length programs at Christmas plus shorter presentations throughout
the year.
Her husband, Keith Maines, graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a former Air Force officer, is a pilot for United Air Lines. He teaches an adult Sunday School class and is a frequent keyboardist for church services.
An experienced teacher and guidance counselor, Mrs. Maines is now a homeschooling mother to the two Maines children, Anastasia and Matthew.
- Donna
(Wolfram) Reiner is a regular soloist in worship
services at Alma Temple. She and her husband, Ron,
Mrs. Reiner was for many years a biology and psychology teacher at Belleview Christian Schools. She is presently a stay-at-home mother for their daughters, Brittany, Katherine, and Christine . Ron Reiner is a computer programmer.
- Dr. Wolfram's
youngest daughter, Lorraine (Wolfram) Lepley,
lives in Maryland where her husband, Major
(ret.) Bruce Lepley, works after retiring
from a long career in the United States Air Force. She homeschools their
three children, Amanda, Thomas, and James.
(Dr.
and Mrs. Robert Dallenbach)
(Rev.
and Mrs. Keith and Cheryl Snyder)
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