Jan 23, 2013
Update from Washington State
by Stan Fox
The Central Washington Seventh Day Baptist Church is doing well and moving ahead in ministry in Yakima. While not growing by great numbers we still have an opportunity to share the Word of God with a number of visitors and show forth the love of Christ.
This past Thanksgiving we had our annual joint service with a Pentecostal church. We have done this for some years now and it is always a blessing.
At Christmas time we went to a low-income facility in the city to sing carols and serve refreshments while handing out Gospels of John. We also take reading glasses to give to those who need them. They are always appreciative. The one-on-one visitation causes blessings to flow in both directions.
The building and land still has some work to be done but it is progressing. We have always been determined not to go into debt and have been able to maintain that goal so far. Our former building was sold and is being used by a Korean church. It is good to see that it’s still in use for God’s work.
We are blessed to have good neighbors to help watch over the building when we are not there. One even does the snow plowing for us without cost.
Our Pastoral Search Committee is doing a good job in their search. We would like to see some serious SDB candidates respond. In reading SDB history, one of the reasons for Seventh Day Baptist decline in England was the lack of solid SDB ministers to pastor the churches. A goal from the onset of becoming a Sabbath church (we were a Sunday group) was for a strong SDB church in Yakima—that is still our prayer. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.