Our office is saddened to share the news of Daniel Fortney’s passing on January 24, 2026. Given that Dan spent a portion of his life working for the Churches of God, General Conference, as both a missionary, and as a staff person in this office, we wanted to take this time to remember him well and share about his contributions. Dan’s obituary can be found below, along with the time and date of Dan’s Celebration of Life Service.
Dan Fortney’s Obituary: Daniel Fortney Obituary
A Celebration of Daniel's Life will be held on March 14, 2026, at 1:00 PM, located at the Community Church of God, 306 Fifth Avenue SE, Glen Burnie, MD 21061.
Dan Fortney began to work in the CGGC office in September of 1985. He was selected as the “Associate in Ministry” for Cross-Cultural Ministries, now called Global Reach. Dan’s connection to the CGGC predated his time in our office though, as Dan and his wife Marlene were members of Anthony Wayne Church of God, having both grown up in Indiana. Significantly, Dan and Marlene, along with their two children, Pierre and Heather, left the United States in 1980 to go and serve as missionaries to our South Central Asia field where Dan worked as the treasurer and administrator of the local hospital, schools, and mission there.
The family spent 4 years serving the mission. Marlene educated Pierre and Heather in their house, since there were few local schools, and none for English speakers. All the while, relationships between local people and Christians were fraught, ensuring that many Christians concealed their worship and religious practices for fear of persecution.
During a furlough to the United States in 1984, Dan and Marlene, said, “We all like living there. God wants us to be there and has made it possible for us to be there, so we will definitely go back, it is our home.”
Dan served in the United States Air Force before his mission work, having been deployed to West Pakistan in the late 1960s, just before the liberation war which rocked the region. There he grew to appreciate the people, especially the poor and marginalized. After this experience, Dan and his family would follow God’s call back to the region.
By 1985, Dan and his family were serving the CGGC from Findlay, Ohio. As the Associate in Ministry for CCM, Dan facilitated the international work, often visiting fields like Haiti, South Asia, and South Central Asia, where Christ’s impact continued to multiply.
In one issue of The Church Advocate (The Global Advocate now) from 1986, Dan said that,
“Over 3,000 boys and girls are educated each year at schools sponsored by the Churches of God. Many of these boys and girls would not have an opportunity to attend school if it weren’t for these facilities. We are helping children learn to read and write and survive in their own environments. Many of the teachers have been brought up in our schools and have received training as a direct result of grants made possible because concerned Christians have cared. Schools are built, maintained, and operated in the name of Jesus.”
Now, 40 years later, we can say that this beautiful tradition in places like South Central Asia have continued to blossom. Because of faithful workers like Dan, those who came before him, and those who have come after, we continue to see amazing fruit, and new growth in places where ministry work is even still dangerous and sometimes fraught. The environment hasn’t changed, but God continues to bless the work of faithful workers like Dan.
One CGGC co-worker said of Dan that, “He brought a breath of fresh air to our office… He was genuine, caring, forgiving, unselfish and just an amazing man. He loved the Lord and all people.”
After his work at our office, Dan and Marlene both moved to Saudi Arabia to teach English, which his son Pierre also ended up doing later in life. Even after his stint in mission and with the CGGC, it’s apparent that Jesus and the Church were always important to Dan. His obituary states that he was on a preaching rotation, and was happy to fill in when needed.
“He always left me with the impression that he wanted to do 'more' for the Lord and the people that God had called him to serve,” a past co-worker said. “A servant heart was at the very root of his everyday life.”
One piece by Dan feels especially clairvoyant reading it four decades later. In a challenge to readers of 1986, Dan says, “Exciting days are ahead for the Churches of God. Evangelizing, discipling, and equipping communities of Christian nationals for effective witness and meaningful service within their own cultures has been the aim of the Churches of God. Your prayers, encouragement, and support are critical. Let’s get on with the task!”
Through the inspiration of Dan’s life, we can say indeed, exciting days are ahead. And indeed, let us get on with the task!
CGGC eNews—Vol. 20, No. 9
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