MIRANO ASAI | staff writer

As a ministry leader, a father of two children and an Associate Director of Housing Service at APU, Charlie Konoske lavishes energy on various fields. He is open-minded, energetic, friendly and funny. However, the most attractive part of Konoske is his natural behavior.

Konoske has worked at APU for seven years, while his first job was as a furniture coordinator. Before that he did not have any connections with APU even though he had hoped to go to a Christian college.

One year after he started his job at APU, he finally enrolled in APU and finished his bachelor’s degree in Organization Leadership. Furthermore, he completed his master’s degree in Leadership and Organizational Studies during the last summer. What he learned during this time definitely helped Konoske’s job position today as an Associate Director of Housing.

His job consists of the day-to-day management of all processes within the Office of Housing Service, and basically all students living on campus are helped by his work.

Director of Housing Service Lanny Cram said, “Konoske has always done his work with God-honoring excellence and has earned the academic credentials to put theory alongside his experience. Since he has held almost every position possible: He is the Jon Wallace of campus housing!”

His passion toward the college students affects his ministry as well. Today, both Charlie Konoske and his wife, Brenda, are active in discipleship, and having small groups at the Church of the Open Door, and working with college groups from Citrus college, APU and Biola.

Konoske was not born a Christian. His life as a Christian life started when he was a high school student. “I was raised under Catholic parents, but never knew Jesus Christ.” His good Christian friends gradually affected him, and now the center of his life is God.

“What was I living for was the biggest change after I became a Christian. My priorities are completely different after I became a Christian. I am living to glorify for God first and foremost” he said. “Before that, it was all about me.”

Becoming a husband and a father, now Konoske has realized what being a real man through God means. He believes that guys need training to be equipped and to know what a godly man is. “Because God gives both men and women different functions, and there are huge responsibilities on our shoulders,” he said.

It was during the early stages of his life that he started carrying more responsibilities by

having his own his family. When he was 21 years old, he married Brenda who was 19, but since they had been in a relationship for three years, they were ready to step up to the next stage in life.  “Marrying Charlie when I was only 19 has never been regret. Growing up together, learning life together has been amazing,” Konoske’s wife Brenda said. “What I gave up in getting married early is nothing compared to what I have gained in the last 8 years being married.” Now, they have two children; his three-year-old son Elliot, and his one-year-old daughter Elizabeth.

Being married and having kids opened Konoske’s mind, and it encouraged him to work harder doing ministry. In addition, it was the one of reasons why he started thinking about the role of men. “As I see my kids and what I want from them, it makes me think that we got to change the world,” he said.

He stopped coaching the basketball team in the Cherokee High School where he used to play as a point guard. Although he had been a coach for 10 years, he left his position because of his two children. Children grow up observing their father’s behaviors and he wanted to be a good spiritual role model for his kids.

According to a book Konoske read, in the household where the father is practicing his beliefs, 80 percents of children are more likely to become believers. On the other hand, in the household where the father does not practice his beliefs or either keeps a distance from God, that percentage of children becoming believers dramatically drops to only 15 percents.

Konoske takes these numbers into serious seriously consideration and said, “If the child or son does not see his father take responsibility of things or does not see their father work within the church, then how are they are going to turn out to be?” Now he lives not only for himself, but also carries two of his children’s lives as well.

His innocence is also one of his attractions. One time, he had a electric door bell with a remote control. He put the door bell under his secretary’s desk using tape. Then, he rang the door bell to see the reaction of his secretary. What is surprising is that he tricked his secretary for a month. This is one of reasons why the Housing office keeps a friendly and cheerful atmosphere.

The life of Konoske is like stairs. As he grew up, he carried more responsibilities as a husband, a worship leader and a father of two children. However, his flexibility to accept the change and the solidity of his faith toward God enabled him to overcome each obstacle and kept him who he is.