Chapter 3

Larry Tomczak
Larry Tomczak was born in 1949 to a wonderfully loving Catholic family in Cleveland,
Ohio.1Stanley Tomczak, his father, often worked several jobs to provide for the family. His
wife, Sophie, had difficulty walking (since she lacked a right hip socket) but was determined
to help support the family. She worked as a cleaning lady at Larrys school for several years.
For the most part, Larry had aregular childhood, but his parents social status would eventually
make him embarrassed such that by his seventh grade, he had mentally disowned both [his]
... parents.2
The Tomczak family was very a devoutly Catholic and active in their local parish. Larry and
his sister attended a local Catholic school, but by the age of thirteen, Larry was becoming
unsure of his faith. He relates how he had seen the famous line by Fredrick Nietzsche that
God is dead. He knew in his heart that there had to be a God in order to create the world;
nevertheless he was unable to feel the nearness of God. Eventually, he became legalistic in his
faith since he did not want to go to heaven without having done enough good things.3 He
would go to mass each week, but there was no real drive for why he was attending.
High school brought new desires and interests into Larrys life. Workingout was a major focus
as evidenced by the posters of workout routines in Larrys bedroom. He liked being
noticed, and he did whatever he needed to achieve popularity.4 One way he
soughtrecognition and popularity was becoming the president of his eighth-grade class.5 Body
building posters would be quickly replaced by music posters after watching the Beatles on
TheEd Sullivan Show. With a group of friends he formed a band known as the Lost Souls.
Larry was fond of playing drums and used his life savings, at that time $900, to purchase a
highly rated drum set.6 The band was Larrys life during his junior year of high school, and he
spent hours practicing. Needless to say, his parents were not excited about this possible future
for their son but they did little to persuade him otherwise. Over the next year, the band did
quite well and was able to achieve a few bookings and became part of the local musicians
union.7
Larry Tomczak, Clap Your Hands (Plainfield, New Jersey; Logos International, 1979), 2.
Larry Tomczaks story is well told in his autobiography, Clap your Hands.
2Tomczak, Clap Your Hands, 10.
3Tomczak, Clap Your Hands, 22.
4Tomczak, Clap Your Hands, 37.
5Tomczak, Clap Your Hands, 34.
6Tomczak, Clap Your Hands, 40
7 Deanna R. Adams, RocknRoll and the Cleveland Connection (Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 2002), 158-159.
1

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While Larry was doing well professionally, his faith was becoming less and less a part of his
life. His rock star lifestyle (long hair and all) was not well received by the administrators at his
Catholic school. Mass soon became a struggle to attend due to the number of comments he
and his fellow band members would get from the other congregants. As the band became
important, Larrys attendance at Mass would drop off. While the band tried to continue after
graduating high school, it would disband during his sophomore year in college with each
member, going their separate way.
Larry and he went to Cleveland State University (CSU), where he did very poorly as a freshman
as he struggled to get a hold on college life and structure.8 After the breakup of his band, Larry
had difficulty seeking a direction and purpose. It was during his junior year that things turned
around for Larry. After enrolling in a speed reading class and reading several self-help books,
Larry was on a new path to success. He joined the student government organization on
campus and a host of other clubs that was helping him gain popularity.9 Faith was mainly
unimportant for Larry since he knew there was a God out there, somewhere in the cosmos,
but just not present in his life. Life was good, and things were hectic but manageable. All of
this would change in December of 1969.
Just as the Jesus Movement was picking up steam in the West Coast, Larry was doing his own
thing in Cleveland unaware of how God was about to change his life. On one rainy day, Larrys
car broke down, and he was forced to try and hitchhike his way back to school. With the rain
pouring and car after car passing him by, Larry was able to hitch a ride with an elderly black
man. During this trip, the elderly gentleman asked Larry bluntly if he had accepted Jesus Christ
as his savior. Larry responded that he did know Jesus and that he went to church, but the older
man did not accept his answer and invited Larry to come to his church. That Sunday, Larry
walked into Grace Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ, an old building that was sorely in need
of paint and could have never compared to the more elegant Catholic buildings he was used
to. However, the message he heard inside that old building was potent. That message, along
with another encounter the next weekend, helped show him his need for the gospel and he
soon gave his life to Christ.
Over the next two years, Larry became passionate about Christ and the work that He had done
in Larrys life. He finished college and offered a job in Washington, D.C. working for the AFLCIO. When he arrived in D.C. in 1972, he soon joined a small group known as TAG. Larrys
gifting in teaching became very apparent, and along with CJ, TAG grew. When CJ approached
him in regards to planting a church, he readily agreed. He helped to lead GOB with CJ in
addition to their ministry at TAG and other Christian conferences. Larry was seen as the
8Tomczak,
9Tomczak,

Clap Your Hands, 54.

Clap Your Hands, 65.

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primary leader but shared his role with CJ. Many of those around them saw the two of them
as being complementary in their roles.
Sensing the call to plant a church in his hometown of Cleveland, Larry, and a few others
packed their bags and headed north.10Larry would work with CJ on the leadership team of
PDI, known as the Apostolic Team, and with several other churches as he traveled from
church to church helping to build additional expressions of the body of Christ. Over time, he
would provide support to many of the churches within PDI through his position as part of
the Apostolic Team.11

Charles Joseph Mahaney

Growing up in a Catholic family in Montgomery County, MD, CJ enjoyed playing sports and
being the funny guy in class. He relates a story in which he was kicked out of speech class
because he was a distraction.12 CJ turned away from the Catholic Church at the age of 12 when
he announced to his family that he would not be attending mass with everyone else.13 During
his high school years, he turned to a life of drugs and was very active in the sub-culture. Drugs
became his life, and he pursued it in many forms. He even took the SATs on an LSD high
(though he was on the latter portions of that trip), and that resulted in such a low score that
prevented him from being admitted to the University of Maryland.14
Many that knew CJ as a young boy remember him as being a leader, and this was evident in
the way that he helped to lead local sporting games. When CJ turned to drugs, he helped to
influence others to join him in his open rebellion. One such friend was Bob Talbath. Bob
moved to Florida in the early 70s, and it was there that he became a Christian. In a desire to
share the good news with all his friends, he went back to Maryland.
CJ met Bob on a June evening in 1972 with the expectation of a good drug-inducedhigh but
was surprised to hear Bob turn down the hash.15 As Bob shared the gospel, CJ was deeply
affected by it and gave his life to Christ that evening. CJs conversion was very radical, and he
quickly went about pursuing more understanding of Jesus and Christianity. He was just 18
when the gospel radically changed his life.
Bob had to go back to Florida, but CJ made a trip to join him soon after that. On one Sunday,
CJ and Bob went to a Baptist church, which had an alter call at the end of the service. CJ went
forward though he was secure in his salvation since there were other people going forward.
See page 43.
Read more about the Apostolic Teams on page 51.
12Mahaney, A Testimony, 25:00.
13 Friday Night, 50:00.
14Mahaney, A Testimony, 15:00.
15 Friday Night, 51:02
10
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While he was there at the front, another individual came up and tried to give him some counsel.
The other gentleman, being a Marine, commented, most folks who repent around here get a
haircut.16
It was during this trip to Fort Lauderdale that CJ felt the call to ministry. 17 CJs early doctrinal
diet was not something that he would have recommended to others. He started reading a King
James Version of the Bible and Hal Lindseys Late Great Planet Earth.18 Later, he was able to
get a job at a Christian bookstore and his passion for reading led to him filling his room with
Christian books, where beer cans and marijuana had once been just a year before. 19
CJs introduction to TAG was in 1971 when he was walking down a street in D.C., and he
noticed a newspaper in the gutter that had the word Jesus on it. Within its pages, he found
an ad for a nearby meeting called. TAG at that time was very small and numbered between
75-100 people.20 CJ was soon asked to give a message on the topic of joy that would be his
very first sermon. He picked Nehemiah 8:1021 as the basis for his message, after thumbing
through the concordance in the back of his Bible.22 CJ was perplexed as to why they had
chosen him - the guy who got kicked out of speech class - but the message was well-received,
and soon after that he was one of the main speakers. Through TAG, CJ was introduced to
many other Christian leaders, and that resulted in him being invited to speak at large events
across the nation. Robin Boisvert, who was present the first time CJ spoke at TAG, related
how it was very evident that CJ was anointed and had a passion for the Word of God, even
going so far as to just reading different parts of scripture for one sermon without any
commentary.23
CJ would often crisscross the country speaking at major Jesus Festivals boldly proclaiming the
amazing grace that had changed his life. Because of his limited public speaking education, CJ
was not the most eloquent of speakers but he was genuine in his faith. With this national
attention, TAGs attendance grew exponentially under the teaching gifts of Larry and CJ.
When it came to marriage, CJ met Carolyn Laymen (sister of Grant Laymen) at a church retreat
center in Sarasota Florida. She was wary of this ex-hippie preacher since she was not looking
to become a preachers wife herself.24 However, CJ was relentless and was able to win her over
by convincing her to take a walk with him. During that walk, he shared his passion for the
16Mahaney,

A Testimony, 19:00.
A Testimony, 22:30.
18 See page 39.
19 Friday Night, 52:29.
20Mahaney, A Testimony, 27:00.
21 For the joy of the Lord is your strength, KJV
22Mahaney, A Testimony, 28:00 (Same with Friday Night, 53:06)
23 Friday Night, 53:30
24 Carolyn Mahaney, Family Meeting, Covenant Life Church, November 16, 2003, 24:00.
17Mahaney,

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gospel and this was unexpected for Carolyn, who had expected CJ to use the time to talk about
himself.25 CJ relates a story regarding his engagement to his wife Carolyn where her dad had
reservations about CJ because he was not part of a local church.26 They got married in 1975
and hadfour children.27
In leading GOB, CJ was a loud leader. He was someone who cared about the members of the
church and sought to express to those around him the joy of the Lord. Over the years as CJ
has grown in his theological underpinnings, it is clear that he has shifted away from some of
his earlier beliefs, but this is not to say that he has moved away from the gospel.Yes, CLC has
moved from some of the practices of the early days, but the focus of the church has been and
continued to be in the Gospel. In leading CLC, CJ sought to strengthen members
relationships with Christ by pointing them towards the cross. This very point could easily be
the central theme to CJ's ministry over the last forty years. Some have argued that his focus
on the cross has overshadowed the grace that comes from the cross, but as CJ has said, Our
effectiveness in seeing the kingdom expand is critically dependent upon our enjoyment of the
reality of Gods grace in our lives.28
CJs boisterous spirits is evident in the way he lives his life and connects with others. In the
church office, he has been heard singing at the top of voice. When not studying the word, he
can be found throwing a ball around or dunking some basketballs. His athleticism has been
the butt of many jokes and introductions. However, CJ has also taken this part of his life and
has helped many families think through how they deal with sports. Currently CJ and his son,
Chad, blog on the intersection of sports and Christianity.29
CJ more recently has delved into book writing, starting with his first book in 2002, The Cross
Centered Life. Since then he has written several additional books on Christian living such as
Humility, and Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God; along with being the editor of Worldliness.
Additionally he published and edited several of the books in what was PDIs Pursuit of
Godliness series.30 Online CJ has published many articles via his blog regarding theology,
Christian living and the intersection of sports and faith.31

Friday Night, 54:26

Verify##
27 CJ Mahaney, Sex, Romance and the Glory of God (), 78.
28 Charles Mahaney, The Foundation of Grace, Christian Destiney Magazine, September/October, page 13.
29 http://www.mahaneysports.com/blog/
30 http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/blogs/sgm/post/Church-planter-interview-CJ-Mahaney-%28LouisvilleKY%29.aspx
31 http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/blogs/cj-mahaney/
25
26

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Today CJ is the senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville (Kentucky) where he
helps to provide leadership and teaching regularly on Sunday mornings.32 He stepped down
from leading SGM in April of 2013 and sought to refocus his attention on his new church. 33

Che Ahn
Che grew up in a very religious Korean family.34 His father, Byung Kook Ahn, was a very wellknown preacher who had ministered to some of the largest Christian churches in Korea. The
Ahn family moved to the United States in 1960 to allow the children to attend better American
schools and universities; Byung had already been in the United States for the prior two years.
Keeping up a very busy schedule as he had done in Korea, Byung spent much time separated
from his family. Che mentions in his book, Into the Fire, which he once said to his dad, I know
that youre my father, but you dont look like my father.35 While Che would eventually make
peace with his father regarding his lack of involvement in his early formative years, his fathers
absence did have a significant effect.
During his teen years, Che got wrapped up in the drug culture sweeping the United States. It
was in the Jesus Movement that he finally understood the Christ that his father had been
preaching about for decades. Eventually, he would find himself at TAG where he was
welcomed into the leadership group.
Che Ahn, in 1982 had a vision in which he saw an individual asking him to come out to
California to plant a church. Ahn, in response to the dream, decided to wait and see if he was
indeed called to plant a church on the West Coast and this was confirmed when he was asked
by Larry to plant a church there six months later.36 He planted church that Che lead until he
resigned his role as Senior Pastor in 1993. The next year, Che left that church to go plant
another church, Harvest Rock Church (HRC) but this one was outside of PDI. Che felt that
the revivals that were flowing from Toronto weremonumental while PDI was leerier since that
movement was very sensational in its manifestations of the spirit.37 HRC was filled with
prophetic words, visions and other apostolic ministry components, something that had been
more present in GOB and PDI in the earlier days, but had settled down by the early 90s. Che
called this decision the hardest decision he ever had to make, but he felt that the Lord was
calling him elsewhere.38

You can read more about this recent development on page 130.
More on this change on page 189.
34Ahn, Into the Fire, 125-6.
35Ahn, Into the Fire, 126.
36Ahn, Into the Fire, 27.
37 See more about the Toronto Blessing on page 130.
38Ahn, Into the Fire, 32.
32
33

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