Newsletter: June, 2007
PRAISE THE LORD FOR
BOB AND JOAN TYSON
AND GOOD SAMARITAN BAPTIST MISSIONS!
At our 3rd Annual Broadcasters Banquet in April, we honored Bro. Bob and Sis. Joan Tyson, along with Dr. Garland Odom. Last month we presented Bro. Garland’s life story, and planned to do the same this month for Bob and Joan. Since our last Newsletter, Bro. Bob went to be with the Lord on May 20. Below is a brief history of their lives and work in Central America, as we presented it at the Banquet that night in April.Bob Tyson was born in in Villa Rica in 1934. His father, Clifford Tyson, was also a Baptist preacher. Bob grew up on the family farm near Utopia Baptist Church. He was saved in 1958, and called to preach soon after. Joan Costlow was born in Taylorsville, Georgia, in 1936. She was saved at the age of 12, and moved to Douglasville during her senior year of high school.
Bob and Joan met on a blind date, and were married three months later on July 2, 1954. Both worked in Atlanta, and lived on the family farm, where Bob’s parents had given them some land.
On a Sunday night in November, 1964, Bob and a friend drove to the Grace Baptist Church in Atlanta, to hear Bob’s former pastor Bro. Garland Odom preach. They were disappointed to learn that Bro. Garland had scheduled
Missionary Frank Rosser to preach that evening. Bro. Rosser spoke of the many villages in Nicaragau that had never heard the Gospel. Bob’s heart was touched, and he immediately surrendered to go to the mission field. He went home, woke Joan, and told her they were going to a place of which he had never heard before that night.
Bro. Rosser told Bob that he needed to prepare for the work God was calling him to do. Within five weeks, he and Joan had sold their house, moved to Chattanooga, and enrolled in Tennessee Temple College. Dr. Lee Roberson, Chancellor of Tennessee Temple, used his “preacher boys” to pastor small mission churches all around Chattanooga. Usually, he waited until their Junior and Senior years. However, Dr. J. R. Faulkner saw the hand of God on Bob, and recommended they speed up their timetable. Within a few months, Bob was pastoring in a little mission at Sherwood in the mountains 75 miles from Chattanooga.
The little village of Sherwood was a former mining town with little employment. The people were poor and illiterate. The children were dirty, poorly clothed, and hungry. It was here that the idea of “Good Samaritan Missions” was born. Bob and Joan’s soulwinning activites were reinforced by their care for the people. Soon the little church was full! By October, Dr. Roberson ordained Bob so that he could baptize his own converts. Until then, someone was having to drive the 75 miles from Chattanooga each week to baptize!
Bob and Joan both graduated from Tennessee Temple in June, 1968. Bob felt time was “a wasting”, so in less than three months and with only $450 support, they left for language school in Costa Rica. During their year in language school, they saw people saved every week, and two churches started.
In August, 1969, they arrived in northern Nicaragua. Immediately, they began holding 30 day tent meetings in remote villages. During the day, Bob began teaching young converts, using the same curriculum he had studied at Tennessee Temple. In the first campaign, 2,500 attended and 43 were saved. By the end of 1970, they had established two churches, two missions, and had seven Bible students. In the first 10 years, they established 12 churches and a small Bible Institute to train preachers. Today, approximately 175 national pastors serve approximately 240 churches!
In 1977, Bob and Joan became refugees of the war between the Nicaraguan government and the communist Sandinistas. They crossed the border into southern Honduras, and re-established their Mission Center in San Marcos. During the war, two of their deacons were killed and one church was burned. Their previous mission center survived a bombing attack, and was temporarily taken over by the Communists. However, all of their churches continued to meet, some openly and some secretly.
In 1983, God touched Joan’s heart concerning the poor, hungry children of Honduras, many of them refugees from Nicaragua. Thus, began the “Feed The Hungry” program which now feeds over 3,000 children each day in 36 church kitchens.
In 1987, God touched Bob’s heart to start a Christian school. They presented this vision to supporters in the U. S. as the “Opportunity of a Lifetime” program. Now, as then, $30.00 per month will provide the needs for a child to attend school. Every
student that graduates immediately raises themselves and their family out of centuries of poverty into the small, but growing, middle class. There are now schools in Honduras and Nicaragua with over 1300 students.
In 1991, Bob and Joan’s son, Philip, felt a burden to start a radio station in San Marcos. By 1995, there were five stations! When Philip developed health problems and had to step aside, his brother, Steve, stepped in with a tremendous burden for radio. Their studios are now located in the capital city of Tegucigalpa, and there are nine stations reaching a population of 8,000,000 people. Steve is working now to add a tenth station!
In 1996, Joan saw some older people in San Marcos eating out of trash cans. This led to an “Elderly Center” which now provides day care for 85-100 people. Almost all of them have been saved!
Through the years, many churches and individuals from the U. S. have been to visit the field, and received a greater understanding and burden for missions. Each year approximately 20-25 groups make their way to Honduras to experience the work. I dare say, no one ever returns the same as before they went.
The ministry of Good Samaritan Baptist Missions began in 1964 at Bro. Garland Odom’s church, when Bob Tyson answered God’s call. God has now called Bro. Bob home, but “he being dead, yet speaketh”. This work is still growing and and reaching more and more people in Central America.
Praise the Lord for Bob and Joan Tyson and Good Samaritan Baptist Mission!
What’s New with the
Christian Supply Outlet
Free Copies of Joan Tyson’s Book—As long as they last! This book, published by the Sword of the Lord, tells the amazing story of Good Samaritan Missions from its inception in the 1960’s.
Several of Dr. Lee Roberson’s Books—Dr. Lee Roberson went to be with the Lord on April 29 at the age of 97. For many years, he was the pastor of the great Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, and the founder and chancellor of Tennessee Temple University.
A Great Idea for a Father’s Day Gift—Dr. Curtis Hutson’s book “Some Things I Have Learned”. We also have many Bibles and other books appropriate to give Dad on his day.
Spring Clearance Sale—Continuing through Father’s Day.
What’s New With
WDCY, WDPC, And WNEA
Sign On Time 6:30 a.m.
Sign Off Time 8:45 p.m.
Once again we come to a point of thankfulness to God and to those of you who support us for increasing our opportunity to reach people with the Old Time Gospel of Jesus Christ. Early in June, WDPC 1500 AM should begin broadcasting at more than four times its present power during the first two hours and last two hours of the day.
God’s hand on this ministry has been an amazing miracle to experience over the past 15 years. The vision was to cover Atlanta with old time KJV Bible preaching and down to earth, traditional Christian music. Our task was to do everything possible to promote and assist the local church in fulfilling its task of saving the lost and teaching the saved. Individual Christians would be spiritually fed and encouraged seven days a week. In turn, we have been blessed tremendously by the love and support
we have received from pastors, churches, and individual Christians.
Below is a short history of the growth of the ministry:
- On July 6, 1992, the first step was taken toward purchasing WDCY 1520 AM Douglasville.
- On January 6, 1993, WDCY signed on the air as the Voice of the Old Time Religion at a maximum power output of 2,500 watts.
- In September, 1996, WDPC signed on the air at a maximum power output of 1,000 watts. This station had been off the air completely for three years, and had come within one day of losing its FCC license.
- In June, 2000, WNEA 1300 AM Newnan signed on the air at a maximum power output of 1,000 watts.
- In the fall of 2003, WDPC was raised from a maximum of 1,000 watts to a maximum of 5,000 watts.
- In November, 2005, the “Christian Supply Outlet” was established to further our mission by providing KJV Bibles, Bible study materials, fundamental Christian literature, and supplies that churches need.
- In the winter of 2006, we began “cybercasting” the Gospel over the Internet. It is wonderful to know that we can send the Good News of Jesus Christ around the world. We now have listeners in many foreign countries, as well as in other parts of the United States.
- Now in June, 2007, we are boosting our early morning and late afternoon power on WDPC. You may have noticed above that I mentioned the “maximum power output” on each station. Early and late in the day, the power is less. Someone has described WDPC as a “cannon” in the middle of the day and a “popgun” early and late. No more! We are increasing the power at these times over 400%!
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