We recently published articles by Doug Arthur requesting disciples everywhere to "Pray for Peace in Portland" and "From Chaos to Clarity." Steve Johnson published two short articles grateful for the recent visits by Mike and Anne-Brigitte Taliaferro and Doug Arthur. You can read them here and listen to their messages on the Portland Church of Christ website.
Thanks to the Taliaferros
by Steve Johnson
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" Isaiah 52:7
 Mike and Anne-Brigitte Taliaferro paid us a visit this past week. Coming all the way up from San Antonio, Texas, they graciously extended the 'right hand of fellowship' to us and encouraged us to trust in the awesome power of God for all of our needs. In fact, that was the message Mike preached to the congregation on Wednesday evening which can be heard on our website and inspired so many of us here. Along with the Scriptures he preached, we were all encouraged to hear him tell good news from other brothers and sisters who are serving the Lord with all their hearts around the world. God does reign. Always has; always will.
Mike and A.B. are legends in some church circles and not total strangers to folks here in Portland. Mike has written many books which we've had on our book table in the back of services since before I moved here in '06. "The Lion Never Sleeps" and "The Killer Within" have been popular with many disciples here for some time, as well as his short pamphlets on Christian evidences and other subjects. But for some of our members it was the first time to get to meet these two church planters, disciplers and friends of the Lord. A.B. met with a group of sisters over at our home on Tuesday evening while Mike met with the evangelists and elders. Then, of course, hearing Mike speak on Wednesday was a blessing for everyone and allowed so many to get acquainted with a dear brother and friend.
The Taliaferros moved to Boston in 1982 to be trained for the ministry by Lisa and me while we were finishing our training with Kip before moving to NYC. Then in 1983 they followed us down to Manhattan and worked with us there until they were sent off by the New York Church to plant the church in Sao Paulo, Brazil. They were the first couple we ever trained and sent off. We all had a lot to learn but I've always felt I had more to learn from Mike than he from me. He speaks several languages. He even rides a motorcycle.
When we began working in Africa, Mike and A.B. chose to work with us and moved to that continent where they would work for more than a decade and start over 50 congregations. A.B. nearly died giving birth in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Mike fought off cancer in South Africa. They never faltered in spreading the good news of Jesus and have been an inspiration.
In 2003 the Taliaferros moved to San Antonio where they still serve to this day. Except for being Texas Longhorn fans, they're pretty good people. It was very hard seeing them off at the airport on Thursday, but God is good. Just as we were wiping the goodbye tears away, Alex and Danielle Whitaker showed up at our door with 15 campus students from Seattle. We ate hot dogs and burgers grilled on my little grill in the back yard as they dodged Skylar's lab pup bouncing around at their heels. Sharing good news with one another, we ate and prayed and all agreed: our God always reigns.
www.portlandchurch.org
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There's This Bench...
by Steve Johnson
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Mount St. Helens
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The middle of July 1979 Lisa and I pulled into Concord, Massachusetts and stopped at an ice cream spot where I learned that a milk shake in New England is not what it is anywhere else in America. We'd driven all the way up from Chattanooga in a rented Toyota Corolla to visit Kip and Elena and the Lexington church of Christ with the notion that we might move there. Now we had to find the Gempel's house and since the national markers had not yet been placed pointing the way to their famous living room, I had to make a phone call to get directions. Throwing away my milk with a little squirt of chocolate, I found a pay phone in the corner and dropped a quarter...I think it was a quarter then, could have been a dime or maybe even Indian beads...and waited. After a couple of rings someone picked up and I heard an incredibly deep, "Hello?" I was surprised to find out it belonged to a kid two years younger than me. That was the first time I met Doug Arthur. I'd be listening to that voice for the next three decades. It's a voice that comforted me through thousands, yes literally thousands, of miles in 2003 when I was crying, driving from chicken farm to chicken farm wondering if God would ever let me be a minister again. It's a voice I still hear on the phone nearly every day.
Doug and Joyce Arthur were high school sweethearts. They became disciples of Christ and married the year before moving to London with Jim and Tonya Lloyd in 1982 to plant a church there. We spent three years together in Boston training for the ministry under Kip's tutelage but it would be a few years later before we would become true friends. When Jim resigned his position in London and moved back to Boston Doug sought me out for friendship. Jim's move to Boston would begin his journey that would lead him away from our fellowship and for a time away from the Lord. His move would also be the catalyst for the beginning of a remarkable partnership between Doug and me.
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A big “thank you” to Doug Arthur (center) who visited last week and
encouraged the congregation!
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This past week Doug graciously came out to speak to our congregation and to encourage me. Proverbs 17:17 says that a friend loves at all times. Doug now lives in Boston again where he's the evangelist for the 2000 member Boston International church of Christ. In spite of a very full schedule he took the time to visit me when I really needed it. He spoke on Wednesday at our mid-week service, a message which can be heard at
portlandchurch.org. But on Thursday we got up early because I had a bench I wanted to show him.
Mt. St. Helens is an easy drive from Portland; just head up towards Seattle and get off 49 miles into Washington. Head east and be sure to stop at mile marker 19 where you'll find a family owned cafe that invented the Mt. St. Helen's burger, a quarter pound cheeseburger topped with ham, bacon, a fried egg...I'm not kidding...as well as the usual lettuce, tomato, onion...then head on another 20 or so miles. If you drive all the way to Johnston Ridge you'll be at the observatory nearly at the very base of the famous mountain. But we stopped seven miles short of that. It's one of the first pull outs with a bench where you can sit and look at the spectacular volcano. Jim came up a few months ago to visit me and we drove up and sat down on that bench. Jim and I prayed together. Jim prayed that he'd reconnect with God; he wanted to believe the Lord loved him. So last Thursday Doug and I prayed on that same bench then called Jim. After that, just like Jim and I did back in May, we drove to that cafe at mile marker 19 and you know the rest.
So this past week was very special. It began with an incredible Sunday service, saw a young couple baptized into Christ and brought a dear friend to visit us. But one of the greatest things to happen was another phone call I received. It was Jim. He called to say that he'd been crying and gathered his family together to tell them that God had made it clear to him of the Lord's love, a story we'll tell at another time.
I know a good bench up in Washington to pray on.
www.portlandchurch.org
