Illinois

Morris and Ruth Lamb attended the Quincy Seventh-day Adventist Church for more than six years. Unofficial members of the church family, the Lambs not only attended church but enjoyed the fellowship lunch and other church activities, including the church's radio ministry.

Association with the church began as Morris flipped through the TV channels. One night a minister who preached on Three Angels' Broadcasting Network (3ABN) caught his attention. The next night he surfed to the same channel; the same man preached again. Ruth had to find out what had kept Morris from going to bed for two days in a row, so she watched, too. Doug Batchelor preached about the Sabbath, which eventually led them to the Quincy Church. It was difficult to separate themselves from their former church family, so they continued to attend church on Sunday and came to the Adventist church on Sabbath. They could not make a decision for baptism.

Some of the Quincy members were anxious to see them baptized. They decided to put Morris and Ruth on their prayer list.

Another couple had a similar experience. Georgia Fitzpatrick used to watch “It is Written” television when she was a teenager. One day she saw a sign for the Kahoka Seventh-day Adventist Church, and she asked someone: “Who are those people?”

Uninformed they replied, “Oh, you don’t want to go there. They worship the devil on Saturday.”

A sister told her that “Seventh-day Adventists are a branch off [another denomination].”

Georgia and her husband Gene Fitzpatrick tried church after church, but none met their hunger for biblical truth. After attending the Adventist church in Quincy, Gene said, “This church fits. I believe this church has the truth!”

About a year ago, the couple started watching 3ABN. They also completed Discover Bible lessons and started to share their faith with their family and friends.

At the Wednesday night prayer group, both couples became a matter of prayer. A week after the Fitzpatricks were prayed for they expressed their desire to be baptized. The next week the Lambs were prayed for, and the very next Sabbath they inquired about when the next baptism would be held.

People are touched through the power of prayer. Now, the Fitzpatricks and Lambs are touching their friends and families for Jesus.

Adrian Amarandei, Quincy Church pastor, and Thelma Howell, Quincy Church clerk, with Rachel Terwillegar, Illinois Conference assistant to the president for communication