Contentment comes from believ ing God is right in all His ways, and learning to live within our circumstances. Dr. Joseph Parker, pastor of the City Temple, London, tells the story of a little watch owned by a lady and carried in her handbag. The watch was dissatisfied with its restricted sphere of influence. It envied the position of Big Ben, the great tower clock. One day as the lady was crossing Westminis ter Bridge, the little watch ex claimed, “ I wish I could go up there! I could then serve multi tudes, instead o f just one person.” “ You shall have your opportunity, little watch,” she said. Dr. Parker described the pocket watch as it was drawn up the side of the great tower by a slender thread. But when it reached the top, it was completely lost to view. As the famous preached said, “ its ele vation had become its annihila tion.” Let us, like the Apostle Paul, “ learn to be content in whatever state we are in.” Over nineteen centuries have passed since our Lord changed the history of mankind by His re deeming personal presence on our planet. For one o f these nineteen centuries First Baptist Church has sought to present the claims
of its beloved Saviour to the com munity of Corvallis, Oregon, and to the world beyond. Whether the church has succeeded, and if so how well, can only be judged by God Himself. Times have changed since 1853. Originally Corvallis thrived on the rich lumbering and agricultural industries of the Willamette Val ley. However, the atmosphere has shifted from those early days. Now the community, with a popu lation o f 30,000, hosts Oregon State University with its 13,000 students. The campus is situated across the street from the church building. First Baptist seeks to minister to O.S.U. students through the church-related University Baptist Fellowship. Dr. David L. Willis, Biola alumnus and now Associate Professor of biology at O.S.U., teaches the large Sunday morning Bible study class. University students today are groping for but seldom finding life in all its fullness. Campus outreach thus remains a large, un finished task for First Baptist. Plans are being made to improve our campus penetration. There have been many other changes in the past 115 years to which the church must respond. Our society’s cultural pat terns
and social surroundings today dis play only slight resemblance to pre-Civil War America. Loca l churches all across our nation are today facing the challenging task o f presenting the perfect and changeless Christ to a broken and changing society. The task in Cor vallis is compounded by the age of First Baptist. Can a century- old church still move with grace and love in a needy community? Can we be presentable and attrac tive yet not obscure the beauty of our Saviour? Yes, First Baptist in Corvallis believes that it is pos sible for our age to enhance our community ministry rather than hinder it. We feel with growing convic tion that our plans for a new church plant, for the develop ment o f 11 acres of recently ac quired riverfront property f o r recreational, scouting, and youth work, and our effort to move into neighborhoods with small Bible study groups all represent God’s leading for us at this time. Having seen all that God can do and has done for the past 115 years, we are encouraged with Christ-cen tered contentment to reach into the future with out s t r e t ched hands of love and compassion to our needy community and cam pus.
SEPTEMBER, 1968
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