Dear Church,
August was a very difficult month of ministry for us in Astoria and we appreciate your prayer as we continue to reach lost souls with the Gospel. Just when I think I have seen it all, someone we minister to surprises me with a new level of difficulty. It is hard to know sometimes when to let people alone to go their own way so time can be more invested in others. The Lord asked Samuel how long he would mourn for Saul seeing God had already rejected him from being king. The remedy for Samuel’s mourning was to rise and go anoint David as king, thus moving Israel forward and investing his time in someone more obedient. Pray for us as we seek to find and train people who are willing to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
Attendance at church has been low recently. Many traveled, the coast guard deployed, and two other coast guardsmen who attended our services were relocated to the East Coast. I was glad to recommend a great church to them and trust they will begin attending. One person stopped attending Anchor Baptist Church who visited for almost a year but was not settled on the doctrines of the preservation of scripture and eternal security of the believer. This person attended our church as well as another church for quite some time. The other churches teaches baptism as part of salvation and also the heresy that salvation is not permanent but must be maintained by the believer. Of course, we know eternal life is received the moment one trusts Jesus Christ and can never be lost or taken away. Once a person accepts the false premise that any old English Bible will do, they are headed straight for more bad doctrine. Please pray for us that the truth of God’s Word will go forth in power and be accepted. Pray for God to work in the hearts of those we minister to.
During the tent meeting, two souls made a profession of faith in Christ. One of those people attended Anchor Baptist Church one time and then enticed one of our charter members out of church. The other person has promised several times to attend church but has never visited yet. We appreciate your prayers and continued support as we work in a most difficult field. Please remember that Oregon is one of the most unchurched states in America and Clatsop County is the most unchurched county in Oregon. Fox News recently reported on the decline of Christianity in America, increase of discouraged pastors, and the explosion of church closures. I know of two independent Baptist Churches within two hours who have no pastor as of this month. The Pacific Northwest is a foreign mission field for all intents and purposes. We are not discouraged but we do want you to know how to pray. Please continue to strengthen our hands to the work by supporting this church work and praying! The people are in great darkness and rebellion is everywhere.
The last few weeks we had several first-time visitors and we have given the gospel to many others. My work with the Fire Department has allowed me to minister to people in the community during their most dire situations. Please pray for the Fire Chief, all our fire fighters, and our family. God worked in our children’s lives during several summer camps and our family is doing well! Thanks for your prayer, support, and your love for Jesus Christ. -The Byers Family