August 8, 1955 - April 13, 2026
Family and friends gathered at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, April 11, 2026, to honor the life of the late Reverend Glenda Joy Evans of Bristow A Celebration of Life was held at Cornerstone Church, in Bristow, followed by a graveside committal service and interment at Magnolia Memorial Gardens. Intouchingtribute, family and friends came together for a traditional African Walk-About, a custom from the land and people Joy so dearly loved and served. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the care of Michael’s Funeral Home of Bristow, where you are invited to visit at http:// www. michaelsfuneralservices. com for further information or leave a condolence message, shared memory, or photo for the family.
Glenda Joy Evans, 70, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on April 13, 2026, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of faith, love, and unwavering devotion to her family and her calling. Joy was born on Aug. 8, 1955, in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa, to Vernon and Martha Pettenger, who were serving as missionaries. From the very beginning, her life was deeply rooted in faith and shaped by a calling to serve the Lord. On Aug. 10, 1974, she married the love of her life, Reverend Stephen A. Evans, of Fremont, California. Together, they answered God’s call to ministry and began a lifelong journey of service that would span decades and impact countless lives. They pastored together from 1978 to 1980 before being commissioned as world missionaries in 1980, in a meaningful moment when her grandparents, Edgar and Mable Pettenger, prayed over them and sent them out.
The Northern-California/Nevada District of the Assemblies of God released the following eulogy: “Glenda Joy and Stephen Evans served as missionaries in Zimbabwe from 1982 to 1994. During that time, they helped establish lasting ministry foundations, including the construction of the Evans’ first church building project in 1983 and assisting in the founding of Evangel Bible College in 1991, helping equip leaders for generations to come. After their visas were not renewed, they continued their mission work in Mozambique from 1994 to 1996. They later served as Regional Evangelism Missionaries in Southern Africa, where their ministry expanded to meet both spiritual and practical needs. Together, they helped build over 40 churches across Southern Africa and played a vital role in providing clean water to communities in need, helping drill 21 wells during that season. In 2006, they were named “Water Ambassadors for Africa,” and through their continued efforts, they helped drill over 700 wells across 22 African nations—bringing life, hope, and the love of Christ to countless communities.”
Joy and Stephen eventually returned to Zimbabwe for their final term of missionary service before they retired in 2023, concluding over four decades of faithful ministry in Southern Africa. She was licensed in ministry in 2000 and ordained in 2020, a reflection of her lifelong dedication to the call of God on her life. She was a devoted wife, a loving mother, and a cherished grandmother.
Joy is survived by her husband, Steve; her sons, Mark, Scott, and Todd; her daughtersin- love, Christina, and Kelly; and her beloved grandchildren, Christian, Keaton, Brooklyn, Zooey, Jett, Jack, Odie, and Coen, each of whom brought her immense joy. She is also survived by siblings, Alan Pettenger (Pat) and Dawn Annas (Chris), and sister-in-law, Debbie Kirsch (Norman). She was preceded in death by her parents, Vernon and Martha Pettenger, and in-laws, Jack and Ruth Evans.
Joy’s life was defined by her deep love for Jesus, her unwavering devotion to her husband Steve, and her wholehearted commitment to her family. Her faith was the source of her strength and the reason for her joy. She lived each day with purpose, reflecting the grace and goodness of God to all who knew her. Though she will be deeply missed, we rejoice in the promise that she is now in the presence of her Savior, hearing the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”