February 28, 1997

Vol. 4 Issue 9

EDITORIAL

Pro. 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish .." I thank God for every child of God and the vision each has for the spreading of the Gospel. As I pray for the needs of those in various fields of labor, I am especially burdened to help those laboring with Bro. John Agharanya in Nigeria.

Bro. John called again at 5:30 A.M. February 28 and asked again when will we be sending the printing equipment to them. They are anxiously waiting for it. I had to tell him again that we are waiting on more offerings. As of February 15, we have $2,149.10 toward the project fund. Bro. Lemke obtained a quote for me from Consolidation Services International of South Bend, Indiana of $5,795.00 to send a 20 foot container to Nigeria. That means that we need $3,645.90 before we can ship the equipment. We have all the equipment that they need plus enough other things to fill the container.

It will take my little congregation a long time to gather the three thousand plus that we need. Please pray about this need and see if you can help us.

Some have asked why we need to send printing equipment to Nigeria so I will try to explain. When we visited there in 1992, everywhere we went people were asking us for pamphlets or brochures that would tell them about The Church of God. Printing equipment there is extremely expensive and available only in Lagos which is a full day's travel from Aba, Bro. John's home city. To get things printed up by the printers available is very costly and time consuming. Bro. John's vision is to set up a printing business which will print up materials for the Church and also do printing for others as a source of income to the church.

You know that the printed word is very powerful. The power of the pen has been and continues to be one of the great methods of spreading the Gospel. In Nigeria where the people are hungry for something to read, the opportunity for the printed page is far greater than in our country where many do not have time to read. There they have time and there they will read. It is up to us to help put the Word in their hands to read.

Please pray with us and do what you can to help us ship this equipment soon.

Your Servant,
S. J. Rexroth

WORLD MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP (WMF)

The Executive Committee met on February 15 at Licking County Church of God, Newark, Ohio. Following is a summary of the major decisions made at the meeting:

Monthly support for Bro. John Agharanya remains constant at $555.00 per month. Each supporter will be asked to renew their monthly support commitment at the annual meeting in July.

There is $2,149.10 in the Nigerian project fund. This is toward the shipment of the printing equipment that we have obtained for Nigeria. A quote of $5,795.00 has been received to ship a container large enough to hold the equipment. It was decided to wait until there is enough to ship the container instead of trying to send the equipment piece by piece. Piece by piece shipment would be more costly in the long run and would be more difficult for Bro. John to obtain as the port would then have to be Lagos which is much farther away than Port Harcourt.

The annual meeting was set for July 10, 1997; 2 P.M. at the Westerville, Ohio Camp Meeting in Ohio. Editor

LAWTON, OKLAHOMA

February 21, 1997

Dear Bro. Rexroth,

Thank you for continuing to send the WMF INFO+. I have enclosed a check to renew our subscription for one more year.

I hope no one has misconstrued my silence, but, then again, you are the only person east of the Mississippi I have had any communication with for over a year.

I have not had an income since May other that $250 a month from the church. My wife's teacher salary misses our budget by over $500 a month, so I have been borrowing that amount each month to cover expenses. My church salary goes directly to the loan payment, so you can see how much I am behind our cost of living.

As of today there have been no meaningful jobs opened in Lawton, or Oklahoma for that matter. I have been searching on the Internet and have found job openings in other states. I am now being considered for an Executive Vice President position at a credit union in Helena, Montana. If I am offered the job I will have to take it in order to support my family. In so doing, it will mean closing the church. The saints here do not really want that to happen but they are prepared for it and have a contingency plan for their spiritual lives and church fellowship.

I wish I had better news to report but those are the facts and we believe that God still is in charge and is in some way working His perfect will through all our human imperfections.

God bless you richly,
Bro. Doug Bayless
2615 NW 78th Street
Lawton, OK 73505-1112

Editor's Note: Please pray for Bro. Bayless and his need. Should God move you to help him financially, send your contributions directly to him.

OHIO BIBLE COLLEGE

Wonderful things are happening at Ohio Bible College. For this we give God thanks. The enrollment is around thirty this second semester. People from the community are showing interest in the school, and we are starting to have visitors in the classes.

As we continue to operate, we need additional funds beyond the tuition we charge. We have four instructors who donate their time. One drives 275 miles each week to provide his services to the school, and we need to pay his travel expenses. We also need to purchase the camcorder we are presently using. There are the costs of catalogs, copies, paper and the many other expenses incurred in the day-to day operation of the college. Any gifts or donations from churches or individuals will be greatly appreciated. We believe the college has potential to do much good in training future pastors, missionaries, teachers and other workers in the Kingdom of God. donations are tax deductible and should be mailed to:

Ohio Bible College
2181 Riggs Road
Newark, OH 43055

by Chairman Dave DeVoll

PHILIPPINE JEEPNEY REPORT

Brother Esteban sent me a report saying that he has decided to give up operating the Jeepney because of the accidents that it has been involved in. He has not been able to find a responsible driver and the insurance has only paid partial settlements on the accidents.

Bro. Luzan told me by phone that he intends to relocate the Jeep and try another area. Please pray that God will guide them in this effort. Satan has surely fought this project and does not want it to succeed. Editor

FINAL JOURNEY

Raymond Sylvester Fry, 90, formerly of Newark, Ohio went to be with the Lord February 1, 1997, in the Morning View Care Center at New Philadelphia, Ohio after a brief illness.

His life was dedicated to the Lord's work. He became a born again Christian in 1932. Bro. Fry's early Christian ministry before taking a pastorate, involved serving as Sunday School teacher and as a supply minister preaching for many congregations of the Church of God. He co-hosted a spiritual radio broadcast called, "The Evening Light" on WTNS at Coshocton, Ohio. One of his major contributions involved the purchase of the Warsaw, Ohio campground for the Church of God. He served in various leadership capacities at that campground during the initial 20 years.

Bro. Fry served in the ministry for over 35 years. His first pastorate was the Black Run Church of God, Black Run, Ohio. In the Fall of 1952, he accepted the pastorate of the Church of God at Carrollton, Ohio where he labored 27 1/2 years. While there he promoted a building program which led that congregation from worship in a house to the present new church building. The actual church construction began in 1972 and was dedicated in 1974. At the time of their retirement, Brother and Sister Fry moved to Newark, Ohio to worship at God's Acres Church of God. Ill health brought them to Dover, Ohio; while here they worshipped at the Wooster Highway Church of God at Parral, Ohio. Wherever he went, he told people and even strangers about God's love, how good God is and how God had changed his own life. He loved to witness for the Lord. In addition to his working for the Lord, he was a wonderful Father and loved his family. His recreation time was spent fishing, woodworking, making sleds, trains, toys and furniture for the family members.

Bro. Fry is survived by his sister, Wilda M. Fry of Dover, Ohio; and one son, Dean Fry, Pastor of the Carrollton, Ohio Church of God, and one daughter, Mrs. Lewis (Margene) Burrell of Dover, Ohio.

Brother Fry had 13 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren.

His wife, Bertha (Davis) Fry, one daughter, Mrs. Carl (Pauline) Orr, formerly of Newark, Ohio, two infant children, two brothers, a father and mother preceded him in death.

The Memorial service for Bro. Fry was held at the Wooster Highway Church of God. The Neiswander Trio rendered two songs. Pastor Kenneth Yoder read scriptures from Psalms 25:1-13. The message was a tribute to Bro. Fry. "A Tribute To My Father" was read by Margene Burrell. Prior to Sister Pauline Orr's death she wrote "A Tribute To My Father". A final paragraph of the poem was added by Sister Margene Burrell.

by Sister Margene Burrell

YOUTH PASTOR WANTED

Robinwood Church of God, Hagerstown, Maryland is seeking the Lord for a Youth Pastor. If you feel the Lord calling you for this part-time position, please contact Pastor Henry Marquiss at 301-714-0789 or reply to his home address at 20823 Jefferson Blvd., Smithburg, MD 21783. God has blessed us with more than fifty youth ages high school and under, and the church feels a need for a dedicated Youth Pastor to lead these precious souls.

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