Meet the founders of Grief Care Fellowship


Doug and Joan Wyrtzen BaggDoug-and-Joan-Wyrtzen-Bagg

Grief Care Fellowship was founded out of personal grief and a broken heart when Doug’s wife died of cancer. Doug, with the help of his new wife, Joan Wyrtzen Bagg, a widow, and writers Francis and Patricia Welch, developed Journey in Grief Care.

Doug was on the staff of Word of Life Fellowship for 43 years. He was the Founder of the Word of Life Super-Bowl, attended by over one million young people to date, with over 100,000 making decisions to receive Jesus Christ as Savior. Doug was awarded the Director’s Award, the highest award given by Word of Life Local Church Ministries and was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award for assistance to law enforcement by the Fraternal Order of Police of Pasco County, Florida.

Meet the author and instructor of Journey in Grief Care


Francis and Patricia WelchFrancis-and-Patricia-Welch

Fran is the author/teacher of Journey in Grief Care and the curriculum consultant for Grief Care Fellowship. He has a degree in Biblical Counseling and has been the Minister of Care at a large Baptist church for over 10 years. He has helped thousands of grieving people and held over 250 funerals. He is an instructor of grief teams and grief seminars. Pat, his wife, helps to edit the grief material and is an author and writer of ladies Bible studies.

Fran has authored this curriculum in consultation with Dr. Dennis Cox, Professor of Counseling at Trinity Bible College and Director of Trinity Counseling Center in New Port Richey, Florida, and Greg Trammel, Director of Wellspring Counseling Center in Spring Hill, Florida.

Board of Directors

Rich Andrews
Joan Wyrtzen Bagg
Bob Brown
Rev. Paul Bubar
Mike Bush
Dr. Wendell Calder
Dr. Jimmy DeYoung
Rev. Gary Holden
Clarence Cramer
Lonnie Miller
Dr. Stu Page
Rev. Tom Phillips
Carl Putzer
Nancy Self
Rev.  Sonny Stimson
Ernie Witschi

Consultants

Mr. John and Cathy Armstrong
Dr. Tony and Joan Beckett
Mr. Roger and Shirley Burdick
Dr. Harry and Millie Bollback
Pastor John and Sherry Bouquet
Mr. Mike and Amy Bush
Rev. Mike and Betsi Calhoun
Dr. Dennis Cox
Dr. Jimmy and Judy DeYoung
Mr. Ron and Stephanie Fisher
Rev. Ric and Ellen Garland
Pastor Jay and Terry Henderson
Dr. Don and Joy Hubbard
Dr Rob and Tami Jackson
Rev. John and Joanne Koppenaal
Rev. Wayne and Ruthann Lewis
Rev. Don and Darla Lough Jr.
Dr. Erwin and Rebecca Lutzer

Mr. John and Elizabeth Nelson
Dr. Dean and Terry Ortner
Mr. Jerry and Pam Pemberton
Mr. Charles and Michelle Pratt
Dr. Ray and Marlene Pritchard
Mr. Carl and Diana Putzer
Mrs. Patricia Rupprecht
Mr. John and Carol Shelford
Mr. Darwin and Iva Snyder
Mr. Ron Stansbury
Mrs. Joan Theis
Mr. Bill and Jo Thomson
Dr. Stan and Maxine Toussaint
Mr. Greg Trammel
Pastor Darwin and Janet Vail
Pastor Francis and Pat Welch
Pastor Ken and Ginny Whitten

The names listed above are wonderful friends who have been available to help establish Grief Care Fellowship. There are a number who have gone on to Heaven. We leave their names on the list because of the many wonderful memories and the blessed hope of meeting again in Heaven.