Great Soul-Winning Churches - Elmer Towns

growing.” The neighbors object to the fact that within 15 minutes every Sunday morning, over
200 cars come down their road.
Early in the church’s ministry, they needed land for expansion, and one morning, arriving
at church, found the neighbor had blocked off his driveway so they couldn’t get to their parking
lot. The church was using the neighbor’s drive at the time. Powell went to see the man and tried
to buy his property. He said no. The people prayed, and 30 days later the man called and sold the
house cheaper than Powell originally prepared to offer. The church has also been criticized
because it stands against “Key ‘73,” being alienated from others he thought were Christians in
the neighborhood.
The church has a Bible Institute under the direction of Ken Amsler, dean. There are 66
part-time students on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, Monday and Friday nights. Powell
plans to make the institute into a full-time school.
Recently, when Dr. Jack Hyles spoke in the church, a visitor bought his book, Satan’s
Bid for Your Child. When the visitor took the book to his pastor, that minister criticized Hyles.
The man quit and came to Reimer Road Baptist Church. The bus workers were praying for
$5,000 for buses. This man gave the $5,000. A couple of months later, Powell went to Southern
Ohio and bought six buses for $6,150. When he asked his people to pray for this money, the man
once again gave the total amount.
The men of the church helped build the new building and, according to Powell, “God sent
us Fred Butcher, who was an excavator.” Powell led Butcher to the Lord and later Butcher’s
company did all the digging, supplied the steel work and prepared the parking lot for the hardtop.
The building that cost the church $160,000 has been appraised by the bank at $300,000.
Every morning at 8:00 a.m. a number of men join Powell to pray for the general needs of
the church. Especially do they pray for men who have lost their jobs; they hold these men up to
God.
The church does not have a janitor; the men and women keep it clean and also do the
maintenance on the buses. Paul Bunell worked all week; he asked God to help him get off on
Saturday so he could work around church. When he was off on Saturday, he told his wife this
was God’s day and he would serve Jesus at the church, leaving his chores for during the week.
He works from 8:00 to 4:00 doing odd jobs.
Mr. Gilbertson, a visitor from West Virginia, was driving in the area when one of the
church buses backed into his car. The church’s insurance company would not give Mr.
Gilbertson a new door, only pound out the dent, so the deacon board offered to pay the
difference. Gilbertson didn’t want the church to bear the extra expense and was so impressed by
their testimony that later, when he moved to the area, he joined the church and gives many hours
each week serving Christ around the buildings.
A man came forward for salvation during a regular service. The people knew him and
when Powell introduced him to the congregation, Powell said, “You’ve been a rotten father.”