Pastor Stephen Bolhous was born and reared in northern Illinois. The Oregon Church of God was his first spiritual home. Here he was baptized into Christ in 1960. After graduating from Oregon Community High School in 1965, he entered Oregon Bible College to train for the pastoral ministry. He graduated from OBC in 1969. Steve is the fourth generation on his mother's side to become a Church of God preacher. His great grandfather was licensed by the Illinois Conference in 1911 -ten years before the General Conference of the denomination was organized.

In 1968 he and Joyce Railton were married. Joyce also has a long family history in pastoral ministry. Steve and Joyce have pastored churches in Ohio (1969-1973), Minnesota (1973 - 1976), Virginia (1976-1984), and Ontario (1984 to present). They have three children: Marcee Turner, who with her husband Jason founded and now pastor the Beloit New Life Church of God in Wisconsin; Adam, 24, a computer technologist in Mississauga, Ontario; and Aaron, 22, a second year mechanical engineering student at the University of Waterloo (Ontario).

Steve served on the Church of God hymnal revision committee, which published Psalms, Hynms,and Spiritual Songs in 1980. He wrote lyrics for some of the hynms which focus on specific Bible teachings embraced by the Church of God. Steve believes that one of his spiritual gifts is for the pulpit ministry and greatly enjoys the preparation and delivery of sermons and special speaking engagements. In 1992 Steve was elected to a four year term on the Board of Directors for the Church of God General Conference and Atlanta Bible College, and served as its chairman.