Church Plant Becomes a Reality
in Portland, Oregon
by Bob Larson
I flew into Portland on a Thursday afternoon early in May to attend the launch of Arise Baptist
Church. After raising their support to plant a new church, BIMI Reseeding America Missionary
Nathan Leierer and his family were planning and preparing for their first services in southwest
Portland. Portland is the most populous city in the state of Oregon and the third most populous city in the
Pacific Northwest after Seattle and Vancouver. With a population of over 600,000, it is the 26th largest
city in America. When the entire metro area of Portland (five counties in Oregon and two counties
in Washington) is tallied, the total population is nearly 2.4 million. About 12,000 Vietnamese people
live in the city, making it one of the largest Vietnamese populations in the country.

Arriving a few days before the opening, I had an opportunity to visit with Nathan and his wife,
Jewell, and their children. I also had the opportunity to work with volunteers (in the rain) from
Westgate Baptist Church in Tigard, Oregon. They came to help pass out Gospel literature and
invitations to the opening of Arise Baptist Church.

I appreciated the planning and preparation that Nathan and his family put into the launch of this
new church. They are presently meeting in a rented community center and their sending church
(Salem Baptist Church, Pastor Stephen Brown) did a great job of assisting in the setup, takedown
and serving of refreshments. Pastor Nate preached a great vision casting message as to what Arise
Baptist Church will strive to be in southwest Portland and worldwide. After the opening service,
it was wonderful to hear visitors saying, “I will be back next Sunday!” Please pray for this new
church plant and for the church to quickly be established and to find a permanent building to
house their ministry. W
Nathan Leierer
Opening service
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