By Frank Drive
On Monday morning of November 3, Brother Tarry Cluff, minister of the Downtown church here, and I left for three days of work with the church in Sioux City, Iowa, arriving there early that evening. About half way there, we stopped in Broken Bow, Nebraska and visited briefly with Brother Don Jenson, manager of a local department store. He with Sister Jenson, are faithful members of the newly formed church in Broken Bow. This little city of 4,000 is almost in the center of Nebraska, and the congregation of about six members is moving right along in a good way. We had already visited with Brother and Sister Gene Masters of North Platte who also attend in Broken Bow. We were highly impressed and pleased with the zeal and optimism and forward look these brethren have.
We spent our visiting time in Sioux City with several brethren who have been neglectful of their duty and also some who know and understand the truth and should be taking their stand for it. As in many places and especially in new and hard fields as this, internal tragedies have befallen the Lord’s work that have discouraged many, and our work was one of surveying the field, make a study of how we could help, and the kind of help we could urge others to provide, and cultivate and strengthen as much local interest as we could. We will need to go back again and again, and plan to do so, but we were pleased with the results of this, our first trip and effort with them.
As you noted in my previous article referred to above, Brother and Sister Glenn Meyer are the only members at the present time, but they attend and conduct worship and preaching services in regular order, and drive 40 miles (one way) to do so.
As we drove out Morningside Avenue through the largest outlying business and residential area of Sioux City, looking for the street that would lead us to the building, we were surprised to approach unexpectedly the sign, “Church of Christ,” right on Morningside Avenue, encased in a nice brick triangular form, seen both directions, pointing only one-half block to the building. We found the building in nice condition and in good appearance, large enough to seat 150 in the main auditorium, and a full basement, where the office area and the printing equipment is, which the Meyers still use to print their bulletin twice each month with several hundred local residents on their list. With payments of $77.00 per month, this property will be paid for in seven years.
We are all the more convinced now, after this visit, that the work in Sioux City merits the favorable consideration of brethren anywhere who can go or help others to go. There is no doubt a good number will read this, who have an interest in this work, and perhaps have even helped with it in the past. Some may hesitate, considering the length of time Sioux City has been helped, but it must be remembered that most of this help was given during the time the church had a strong liberal element, which the brethren were eventually forced to leave. It is now a relatively new work, and the brethren there are to be much commended for securing this property, especially in such a very favorable location, and under such extreme adverse conditions, and to have made such progress in retiring the debt load on it, and to have continued to print and mail their bulletin as they have and are, to such a large list.
I must say also that Brother Terry Johnson, minister at Omaha, is helping Brother and Sister Meyers regularly with their bulletin work, and he and Sister Johnson have spent much time with them in their work.
Who will be willing to move to Sioux City and who will help provide the income to make it possible for someone to do so? Please let us hear from you, brethren. This work must have help. These good Christian workers, the Meyers must not be allowed to continue under such a burden alone. ‘They are valuable servants of the Lord in an extreme and unusually needy field. Especially because of its size and location, there must be a good church in Sioux City. The preaching of the Gospel is the common responsibility of us all, and we must rally to their aid now, and share their work with them. Write me or call, (303)482-9690. Contact Glenn H. Meyer, Route 2 Box 71, Bancroft, Nebraska 68004, or call him at (402)648-7697.
Truth Magazine, XX:15, p. 10
April 8, 1976