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Photo credit: Brooks Elite Contracting
STR Changing Lives:
Richard Pendell
Richard Pendell spent his working career in the family's printing business, Pendell Printing. For much of his life he attended the Presbyterian church. He met Karen at MSU. They soon married and had four children, including surprise twins.
A few years ago, Richard's best friend died. Then, 12 days later, this friend's only son died suddenly. His friend's wife was devastated by these losses. She struggled with her own health and mobility limitations. Richard and other friends helped her with transportation for some time, and that kindness led him to a life-changing discovery.
This lady regularly listened to the radio, so as Richard drove her to appointments, he asked her what radio station she preferred. "Strong Tower Radio, 90.7 FM, Harrison," she replied, and he tuned to that station as they rode around town. They usually travelled about noon, when a nice program about a Christian character in history was followed by a children's story at 12:30. In his car one day, Richard tuned into Strong Tower Radio (STR) and caught the last part of a sermon, describing it as “the likes of which I’d never heard before.” He tuned in at 11 a.m. the next day to catch an entire message, and for the next 2.5 years, he tuned in to hear Strong Tower Radio's Fresh Manna program.
"These messages were the best things I'd ever heard," Richard states. He wondered, "How does this station come up with these pastors speaking these wondrous, truth-filled, loving words that I've never heard before?" He didn't know that Strong Tower Radio (STR) is privately owned and operated by a handful of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA). He thought STR was like Family Life Radio, a generic Christian radio network. He slowly realized that every pastor broadcast on STR is a Seventh-day Adventist!
"These messages drew me to Jesus, and I realized my need for Him more than ever. Those messages may not be great to some, but to me they were the greatest messages in the world, that I needed desperately" Richard shared. After 30 months, he was impressed to begin attending the nearby SDA church. This was part of what he describes as "growing in spite of myself getting in the way." He joined a learners' Bible study group at the Midland and Petoskey churches (they winter in Midland) and then added a Tuesday night Bible study class.
During the next two years of Bible study, the Holy Spirit convicted Richard to be baptized by immersion, as the Bible instructs, and join the SDA church.
Key elements included God blessing the seventh day and making it holy, and Scripture frequently mentioning baptism as important in connection with the atonement (symbolizing death and rising to new life in Jesus). On November 2, 2024, Richard Pendell openly embraced the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ and testified via baptism at the Midland SDA church.
Richard still listens to STR, and Fresh Manna remains his favorite program with powerful messages of truth! Praise God for drawing people to Himself through STR!
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