In 2008, Harvest Bible Fellowship formalized a church-planting partnership with Servants of God Outreach Ministries of Liberia (SOGOM). At that time, six of their local churches elected to join with the Fellowship and transition over a period of time, the first among them being the now-thriving church in
Paynesville.
And the time has come to announce the launch of the second: Harvest Bible Chapel Buchanan, under the direction of Pastor John Glay.
The people of
Buchanan, Liberia's third largest city, speak the Bassa language and share their town with 34,000 other Bassa people.
Situated on the Atlantic, it is an important fishing town with isolated beaches and lagoons. During 14 years of Liberian civil war, this was a region highly desired by refugees who sought to escape the rebel fighting. Many from Liberia's capital fled to Buchanan—even taking to the surrounding forests for cover—during those years of devastation.
The SOGOM church, for nearly ten years, struggled under civil unrest and war. The testimonies of trials endured by these believers would make most westerners tremble. Yet our faithful God kept this group in His care and gathered them again to proclaim the riches of Christ Jesus, post-war.
According to Pastor John, "Buchanan is a city where people are willing to listen and receive God's Word. It is a place of many challenges, but even more opportunities for me to preach the gospel without fear."
Where once fear, fleeing, and hiding marked the life of the church, today God has restored peace in Liberia and His church is flourishing. They bear testimony to the reality that trials can indeed be counted as joy, as God's steadfast promise to never leave nor forsake us is fulfilled.
Through the faithful giving of Harvest churches, a contribution was gathered to purchase land and build a worship facility for the worshippers in Buchanan. These disciples leaned quickly into the labor...
...And joy is at hand as, just two months later, they are worshiping in their new home!
Thank you to West Olive, MI and Elgin Harvest Bible Chapels for stewarding what God has entrusted to you, to bless our brothers and sisters at Harvest Buchanan and to further His fame.