Tag: Bell Shoals Baptist Church

• Forrest Pollock Update

  At 12:30 today, the Bell Shoals Baptist Church posted this announcement:

  We regret to inform you, our church family, that at approximately 11 AM this morning we learned that search and rescue teams found the aircraft of Pastor Forrest Pollock in the mountains outside of Asheville, North Carolina. Pastor Pollock, 44 and his son Preston, 13, did not survive the crash. Please continue to lift up Dawn and the children during this difficult time. We grieve with hope and assurance that our Lord Jesus will lead us and carry us through these difficult times.

  We have lost a great brother, pastor and friend in Forrest Pollock as well as a precious little brother in Christ, Preston Pollock. We owe a great thanks to those who risked their lives, endured extreme hardship, and worked non-stop in the attempt to rescue our pastor and his son.

  I am sure you will join with me and many others as we pray for Bro Pollock’s family, friends, and for his church family at the time of their loss.  Here is a link to the Baptist Press story.

  May God somehow be glorified in this.

  May 13, 2008

  Bell Shoals Baptist Church, Forrest Pollock, Prayer

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• Items for Prayer

  There are two on-going major events that need our prayer attention.

  First is the tragedy in Myanmar from the effects of the recent typhoon.  Living conditions are atrocious and the death count is estimated to be around 100,000.  The ruling junta there is more concerned with preserving their rule than they are getting aid to the people who need it.  Pray that God would be glorified in this mess, that people who need help would get it, and that local believers and missionaries would be able to minister to the people there and share with them the hope that is in Christ Jesus.

  Second, Sichuan Province in Western China had a huge earthquake on Sunday.  7.9 on the Richter Scale is just incredible.  Authorities have put the “official” death toll at about 12,000.  There are tens of thousands of people still trapped in rubble.  Pray that God would be glorified in this mess, that people who are in need of rescue would receive it quickly, and that local believers would be able to use this to minister to people and share with them the hope that is in Jesus.

  I had the opportunity to visit this area a few years ago.   It is a beautiful area, but people are poor and they are lost, by the millions.

  Thirdly, on a less global scale, Rev. Forrest Pollock, pastor of Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, Fl, is missing after he and his 13 year old son, Preston, took off in their private plane to return home from North Carolina.  They have search parties looking for them, including three aircraft.  They have found an emergency signal from somewhere in the mountains, but are unable to locate the plane due to heavy undergrowth.  You can read updates about this here.  Pray that if they are still alive, that they would be found quickly and if they are not, then their wreckage would be discovered quickly.  Pray that God would be glorified in this and that many people would come to His saving grace through this difficult situation.

  Interestingly, in reading his bio, I found that we both graduated from the University of Oklahoma together in 1986.  I don’t think I knew him, but it brought it “close to home”.  Bro. Forrest was born in OKC.

  May 13, 2008

  Bell Shoals Baptist Church, Burma, China, Earthquake, Forrest Pollock, Myanmar, Prayer, Sichuan, Typhoon

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