Eagle Lighthouse Tabernacle

2800 Hendricks Blvd. Fort Smith, Arkansas 72903-4563

 

Greetings Friends,

Since we wrote part one of this link on “ABOUT US”, there have been further changes in our place of worship.
We feel that God has given to us a very special blessing in another building. Of course this involved us picking up and moving again. However, we are reminded that here we have no continuing city.

After we had been in the rented building in Pocola, Oklahoma (see part one) for about three months, we once again were offered the opportunity to move. This time however it was into a church building which we would purchase at a very nominal amount of money for the building.
Let us recall the reason we moved from Keota, Oklahoma (see part one) to Pocola was because we had grown beyond the capacity of the church there. Most of our growth was from the area of the city of Fort Smith Arkansas.

We had spent some time and quite a bit of our own money to remodel the rented building in Pocola. And once we were there, our growth continued, until we were faced with same crowded situation we were previously having.

We had not mentioned to anyone that we were looking for another building. As any pastor knows, unnecessary actions will cause sheep to be jittery. Therefore, I certainly didn’t wish to make any announcements about moving again. However, God had different plans.

On the 13th of June 2004, Brother Tony Roberts the assistant minister of the Eagle Lighthouse Assembly had an invitation to speak in the A M service at Grace Temple Baptist Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The pastor of that assembly was going to be away. Sister Alisa, Brother Tony’s wife had family, which attended there, and it was by this association that the invitation to speak was extended.

From this service Brother Tony discovered that the congregation was going to have a vote the next weekend on dissolving the assembly. The 9,500 square foot building would be placed on the market for sale. Here was the clincher. The building would not be sold for it’s worth, but would be sold for the existing amount owed on a refinanced loan, and a few other items which would need be taken care of.

The total asking price of the building, all furnishings and, grounds would be $75,000.00. This amount for a building that appraised for more than $350,000.00? Who would not jump on this deal? That is exactly what began to happen.

The listing agent for the real estate company tried to convince the sellers that the building was worth much more than this amount. In fact, a building developer offered the sellers $250,000.00 for the church and facilities. However, the congregation knowing what a developer wanted to do with the building decided that it should be sold to a congregation who needed a church building in which to grow. There were also other congregations who were interested in the facilities. Again, who wouldn’t be? As a matter of fact I told the gentleman we were renting from that we would be moving and gave him the location. Upon learning how much we were paying for the property he said he would have paid that much for it without hesitation.

On the 4th of July 2004, we had our first church service in the new facilities. At the time we moved into the building we had made no arrangements with any financial institution to purchase the building. Giving up the auditorium we had and moving into one, which was for sale, was a step of faith. We believed it to be the will of God for us to have the building.

After we moved the process of finding arrangements for financing moved very quickly. The second loan officer I contacted was eager to secure the loan. He was very familiar with the building and the facilities we wished to purchase. As a matter of fact, he had remembered being present at the first dedication of the new building. As a result, I arranged financing at what we felt was a very good rate. Our monthly payment is far less than what we were paying for rent.

One may ask, was it God’s will that we make the move from the facilities at Keota, Oklahoma, to the one in Pocola, OK, only to stay there four months before moving to the facilities in Fort Smith. Well, it does seem as if the money and time we spent remolding a rented building was in vain. However, due to these changes, an article in a Message publication concerning our location was misprinted. This led three families to look us up who would have never ventured to do so, had this not happened. Almost immediately upon their arrival to the assembly, we began making arrangements for this move.

The Lord’s will often appears strange to man, but He will work all things out for the good to those who love Him.

As I write this article I am reminded of how gracious God has been to His people who are waiting and watching for the completion of His coming. We speak often of how God has brought the Message of the Hour to our lives. For this we are most thankful. It is our desire to proceed with His will in continuing to reach out to the needy in what ever way God will provide for us to do so.

As we move toward the time when rapturing faith is quickened to the Bride, it is our prayer that should you ever have the chance to visit in the Fort Smith Area of Arkansas, you will come by and visit us at Eagle Light House Tabernacle, 2800 Hendricks BLVD.

We humbly offer the following photographs of the facilities we now worship in to glorify God for His Grace toward us.

May God richly bless each of you.
Sincerely,
Bro. Frank Prater, pastor
Eagle Light Tabernacle