R. Conrad Cline an Autobiography
RALPH CONRAD CLINE Ministers with the Back Bay Church of Christ
I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior at 14 years of age but upon graduating from High School, I knew my actions and certain attitudes were in dire need of deeper commitment to Christ, .
In 1964, while attending Bayview Christian Camp, I made the decision to become a better servant of Christ. Consequently, that late summer, my father, mother, plus the minister (Earl Ohl) along with his wife and little daughter as well as another prospective "preacher" (Wayne Lambert) all made our way toward Johnson Bible College (now Johnson University). The campus was situated at Kimberlin Heights, just a few miles outside downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. Wayne had already been attending college for one year and Earl had graduated from the same campus a few years earlier.
This was the first time my dad had ever been on a vacation from fishing. He started as a full time captain on his fathers vessel when only 14 years of age. Back in those years, his father had developed cancer and Ralph accepted very grown up captains duties - to help support his mother and the family!
However, in my case, academic achievements were nothing to write home about and I would return home each summer. Like the Apostle Peter, I too, went back to fishing and had a lot of "growing up" to do yet. Some years later, his college buddy (Dale Eynon) would smilingly affirm, (having both dropped out of Bible College for a year) - "Apparently the faculty saw more potential in us than we saw in ourselves!"
During my absence from college, I felt genuinely depressed and imagined that this was how JONAH felt when he tried to run away from God's calling. One day, late in our fishing season, I pleaded with God to allow him to go back to Bible College. I asked God to make it financially possible for me to do go back if that was His will and within two weeks I made more income than I had had received all year! Anyone could truly say (in all reality) that the Lord had told me to figuratively "cast my net on the other side of the boat!"
Returning to what has now become Johnson University (as it is known today) I determined, (through God's help), to graduate and make a far better academic showing. I had returned to college in the same year that I should have originally been graduating. After humbling myself and with a new approach to study, in entered as a freshman once again, and did graduated four years later with my BACHELOR OF SCIENCE degree. My motto then became - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"
During those final Junior and Senior years at college, I had been asked to be an intern minister at First Christian Church in Harriman, Tennessee (which at that time) had a membership around 350 souls and Lionel Talbot was Senior Minister. Upon graduation, the Harriman church also ordained me as a Minister in 1971. Shortly thereafter, I was sent to the National Missionary Convention in Portland, Oregon.
I flew out west to Oregon, but came back to Tennessee by car, (thanks to two Missionaries from Africa). This encounter strengthened my interest in foreign missions. The local photography studio supposedly lost some of my memorable film shot while crossing the Western portions of the USA. Those photos would have included such marvels as "Old Faithful" and the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah where we stopped and debated with some prominent Mormons. This sparked my passion for photography.
I was drawn toward the work of missionaries who had originally started serving the Lord's work in China and then Burma and finally Thailand - as far back as when I first went to college in 1964. The Christian work of Morse Missionaries (who are now based in Chiang Mai, Thailand) was on my heart after I graduated at Johnson in 1971 and it is now absolutely amazing to have experienced how God works in mysterious ways to have His will fulfilled through human flesh!
After graduation, I was invited to come to Ottawa, Ontario (our national capital) where I joined Richard Wright and his family (all US citizens) to take part in a "foreign" mission work, where many had been added to the Kingdom of God as the result of much visitation and several families viewing the Jules Miller Audio-visual Bible Study Series of 5 lessons.
I (being single) was still immature in many areas of life, but this work strengthened me spiritual and working side by side with Richard, helped me tremendously aa I also learned how to overcome subtle adversities that are often encountered on our Christian walk. All these subtle things helped me to start down the path of being an overcomer for I had previously allowed various matters to almost overcome me. Three years in the national capital region, allowed me to gain a much better focus on realities. While in Ottawa, I became a school bus driver for Richmond Bus Lines and obtained my private pilot license through Ottawa Flying Club and a night flying endorsement in 1973.
I realized (at this time) that God had placed me in Ottawa for more than one reason. After being befriended by the former Premier of New Brunswick, the Hon. Hugh John Flemming, (a well respected member of the House of Commons) he invited me to speak at a joint prayer breakfast (on Parliament Hill) with various members from both the House of Commons and Senate.
This honor was further enhanced when I was formerly invited by the Queen's representative, (Governor General of Canada) to attend his annual garden party. I compared this to the apostle Paul standing before King Agrippa but without chains and imprisonment of course. I was the only one (among sever hundreds) who was taking photos, and when asked by an RCMP security officer why I was taking pictures, I replied: "I don't expect to be invited here again!" To which he raised and eyebrow and gleaned an understanding smile.
Each summer (while living in Ottawa) I would return home to Deer Island for a few weeks in order to earn enough money for a down payment on a new car (Nissan/Datsun 1200). At that time, the retail price of my first vehicle would only equal part of the taxes I have to pay if buying a new car today. My grandfather was kind enough to co-sign a loan, so I could be approved for a new car loan since he had to sponsor my line of credit.
While based in Ottawa, I visited various churches throughout Canada and the United States, making various Christian congregations aware of the ongoing work in my Nation Capital and the need for their prayer and my financial support. Various individuals and several congregations assisted me during those three years in Ottawa. Contributions were directed toward either "personal living link" support or "service link" support which was directed toward purchasing Bibles, books, hymnals, various study materials or audio-visual etc.
During my tenure in Ottawa, I became a frequent visitor at the Federal Department of Transport appealing wharf fees with top officials in the bureaucracy, on behalf of Atlantic fishermen . Jesus spoke of the persistent widow who appealed frequently before a judge and she finally wore him out with her persistence and my action, apparently was partially responsible for having all charges dropped against East Coast fishermen over their unpaid wharf fees. After my having made an appeal to the Queen, (in which I proved certain injustices were being brought against many fishermen (in her name) - all charges against the fishermen were dropped and the whole matter of fees and harbor maintenance was moved over into the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. More equitable arrangements involving harbors and fees have long since come into effect.
By the Fall of 1973 I chose to move back to Deer Island and help my dad on his large herring carrier for he had done much to support me over many years. But after one fishing season, I volunteered to become a Captain with the Deer island Provincial Ferry system which (at the time) was in dire need of new captains. Three captains had been working their shifts without a break during that summer because persistent thick fog had stayed for approximately 33 days on end.
Interestingly, (years later) having attended Holland College on Prince Edward Island (for my ship masters papers) the chief examining officer asked how I acquired so many hours as a ferry captain without having a license and my reply was simply this: "Those who tried out for the job with a license were apparently intimidated by the boat but I loved the challenge and believed that is where I had to be." Flying aircraft and handling ferries was second nature to me and I have always considered this as a gift from God.
Somewhere along this time line, Robert (Bobby) Morse Jr. had come on a mission initiative to the Deer Island Churches of Christ, representing North Burma Christian Mission and the Tribal Children's Hostel. He was initially responsible for established the children's facility in Chiang Mai, Thailand. My interest in the Morse family and NBCM was initially sparked while first attending college back in 1964.
Once Bobby came to Deer Island, we both discovered that our singing voices DEFINITELY HARMONIZED and I became involved with the mission (so to speak) and flew Bobby across to Nova Scotia and started to help this effort in every way I could. In 1976, I was invited to come minister with the Garnett Settlement and Nauwigewauk Christian Churches. They were approximately 21 miles apart as the crow flies, but I couldn't use an airplane to travel between them on Sundays!
After resigning from the New Brunswick Provincial Ferry Service, I took up residents at Garnett Settlement. During one of the three years ministering full time with these two congregation, both small church groups went together to host "The Maritime Christian Fellowship" at a big field along side the church in Garnett Settlement. Many people from our three Maritime Provinces got to ride in a small airplane for the first time in their life. While first ministering with these two congregations, Bobby Morse and I recorded a long playing album in Flora, Illinois entitled "BECAUSE HE LIVES" - in support of the Tribal Children's Hostel. You can listen to the original LP and my more recent CD by clicking on CONRAD'S SINGING at the LINK on top of this page.
I resigned this ministry after three years and both churches thereafter both congregations supported their own full time ministers. Following this, I continued to live in Garnett Settlement with Walter and Hazel Branscomb and worked as a "Social Animator" in Saint John. This job involved helping chronically unemployed individuals get back into the work force. Using my photography skills, I also started a small business venture in "wedding photography" and finally the "New Brunswick Tourism Department" contracted me to shoot thousands of aerial and ground photos across the entire province. Conrad's youngest sister, finally gave him a plaque which read, "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots but no old bold pilots!" (Oh.. the stories that have been told.)
In 1981 Conrad felt led to encourage all the missionaries working with NORTH BURMA CHRISTIAN MISSION in THAILAND and was bless by God to finally work with the Morse's directly for three whole months. Hundreds of photos were taken and used as promotional material for the mission work. On April 1st (April Fools Day) I sent a telegram to Anna King (an RN working in Saint John) and proposed to her. We were married in June. My mother passed away from a brain aneurysm only days after I returning from Thailand. She had been scheduled for surgery on her neck one month earlier but (through the grace of God), the doctor unexpectedly delayed things until shortly after I had returned home...God is Good!
By 1986 Anna and I chose to leave Saint John life (where I had been an elder at Douglas Avenue Christian Church) and we permanently moved to Deer and raised our children. Conrad's father had started a summer "boat charter" business two years earlier and I also began working with the Provincial Ferry System once during the winter tourism "off season." Ultimately, I would once again be accepted to work as a full time "licensed" Master on the ferries.
After incorporating "CLINE MARINE," I had to complete a training course on Prince Edward Island, in order to obtain my "Ship Masters Papers" and thereafter I pioneered a full time passenger whale watching and charter business operating out of St. Andrews, Deer Island and Campobello New Brunswick. This venture lasted for approximately 18 years after having converted my father's former 60 ft. fishing vessel into a fully approved and licensed passenger service. Today St. Andrews has become one of New Brunswick's most famous tourism centers and over one dozen whale watch craft operate from this location.
In our early years of marriage, we had two sons and three miscarriages. The oldest son, Jeremy is married to Laura and they have two girls, Rachel and Charlotte. He works at the St. John refinery and has also established a business called "Outdoors NB." Our second son, Michael, is a member of the RCMP, working in Alberta. His wife, Chelsea is from Alberta and (as of this update) they have three daughters, Micaiah, Vianna and Adalyn.
During our earlier "back home" to Deer Island years, I started to "fill in preaching" at the Back Bay Church of Christ and (by the grace of God) after approximately 30 years, I have never stopped since! So far I've only "passed out once" after preaching a Sunday sermon and the Doctors said it was because I was suffering from a rare virus and pneumonia. Open heart surgery, prostate cancer, Covid-19 and what have you (including heart failure) has slowed me up a bit but thanks to the grace of God and my Cardiologist, Doctor David Bewick - I "keep on keeping on!".
A couple of years or so back, I also retired from most other jobs (including the lawn mowing business I use to do) but I am sure God still wants me in FULL TIME CHRISTIAN SERVICE. I've often pointed out that Moses did not begin leading the Children of Israel until he was 80 years old and as of this re-writing, that doesn't start till December!
With health issues and what have you, my family physician once said, "You know Conrad - you should be dead!" I replied: "THE LORD ISN'T FINISHED WITH ME YET!" This lump of clay which forms my body and in which dwells my heart and mind - has been being transformed year after year into someone who resembles a tiny bit of Jesus Christ - in spite of myself. "Live as if everything depends upon Faith, pray as if everything depends upon prayer and work as if everything depends upon work" is the motto and wonderful words I choose to live by.
Therefore, "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME." (and you can too.)
R. CONRAD CLINE February 05,2026