Prayers received for recovering church pastor: Baptist church leader suffered heart attack

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January 8, 2009

By Bethany Bray

Since he came to Andover in 2004, Lyndon Myers, pastor of Andover Baptist Church, has been focused on bringing people together. A frequent participant in ecumenical and interfaith events throughout the Merrimack Valley, he also delivered a message to hundreds at the annual Christian Men's Breakfast, held in Andover on Christmas Eve morning.

During the past two weeks, the community has come together in Myers' hour of need.

Myers suffered a heart attack on Dec. 28 at the Andover/North Andover YMCA.

Myers is now out of intensive care and St. Elizabeth's Hospital listed him in "good" condition as of Townsman deadline, Jan. 6. Carlo Cadet, a family friend of the pastor, said Myers is "well on his way to recovery."

Since Myers' attack, the church and the Myers family have received a flood of prayers and well wishes from people in Andover and surrounding communities.

A prayer vigil held for the pastor on Dec. 30 drew many from the community, said Cadet, who is the church moderator.

"We had an incredible turnout, with a number of ministers from area churches in attendance," said Denise Wynn, church member and wife of deacon Alan Wynn, who organized the prayer vigil. "It was all about healing for our pastor. We had a time of reflection, and we got incredible responses back from people that attended. There was a real sense of togetherness."

Plans are underway for the church's Martin Luther King Jr. Day unity brunch, an event "near and dear" to Pastor Myers, said Wynn. Myers started the annual "unity brunch" last year in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

SDLqThere are blessings in all of this, and this is why we're moving forward with the unity brunch," said Wynn. "He saw it as a way to bring people together in the community."

Last year, the church's first unity breakfast had 160 attendees and took a collection for victims of the January 2008 fire that destroyed a city block in Lawrence. This year's breakfast is planned for Jan. 19 at 10 a.m., at the Andover Baptist Church, across Essex Street from Memorial Hall Library.

Cadet noted that Sunday services, Bible studies and Sunday school have been going on as usual in Myers' absence. Myers was installed as pastor of Andover Baptist Church in August 2004. Since his arrival the church's membership has swelled from 20 to more than 150 people. Myers, 51, is married with four children.

Recovery fund

A special fund for Pastor Lyndon Myers has been set up by Andover Baptist Church, after the minister suffered a heart attack on Dec. 28.

Monetary support can be sent to Andover Baptist Church pastoral recovery fund, in care of TD Banknorth, 61 Main St., Andover, MA 01810. Those donating are asked to write "Andover Baptist Church pastoral recovery fund" on checks.