When a Church goes Above and Beyond

        The First Baptist Church of Hamburg, New York has a long history and heritage. Founded in 1810, the church has been a presence in the community for more than 200 years. It began with a small group of German believers and experienced consistent growth throughout the 19th century. 

        This growth resulted in the founding of three other churches in the area, all of which are still in existence. The First Baptist Churches of Eden and East Aurora are worshiping and impacting their communities in the village centers. Armor Baptist Church was established in a small community at a crossroad. It has since changed its name to Armor Bible Church.

The 20th century brought about a burden for missions and several families called First Baptist their commissioning church. The Harold (Doug's father) Reiner family was commissioned and left for the field of Brazil in 1948. About 10 years later, Harold's brother, Ray also went to Brazil to preach the Gospel. Doug and I were the third Reiner family to be sent out to Brazil for missionary service. Throughout the years, we maintained a close relationship with the church and enjoyed great fellowship during furloughs. There are still several family members at the church. I'm so thankful for my Reiner family who have come alongside me and encouraged me. They truly embody the concept of accepting and adopting new members as if we were born into the family.

In 2016, when Doug was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, we had just come off the field having turned over all ministries and sold or given away all our belongings. Doug was to be Administrator for Missionary Finance at the Global Ministry Center in Cleveland. At the time, we were hosted by our field administrator or given the use of a small mother-in-law apartment. It was clear we needed a more permanent place to live. His post-chemo days could be rough and we thought it unfair to expose our hosts to the unpleasantness that followed treatments.

Berea Baptist Church in Berea, OH offered us a small house on the church property to rent. It had just been vacated and the house was empty. Enter First Baptist of Hamburg, NY. Doug's cousins loaded a U-Haul trailer with beds, linens, dishes, lamps, and anything else people of the church donated. We had sold or given away most of our belongings in Brazil before coming to the US. We were essentially starting over. Friends and family helped unload, put together furniture and put everything away. The cousins built a wood fence with a gate so we could let the dogs out in the yard without leashes. The only thing we did was put our clothes in the closet. To say we were blessed is a gross understatement.

The church saw our need, gathered the necessary items, and brought everything to us. The met our need at just the right time. We have been the recipients of this love and care for more than thirty years. May God bless the First Baptist Church of Hamburg, New York.