After suffering a massive heart attack last winter, Andover Baptist Church Pastor Lyndon Myers said he witnessed, here in Andover, a microcosm of the togetherness championed by Martin Luther King Jr..
Residents from all faiths and backgrounds flooded Myers and the church with well wishes. A prayer vigil held while he was in the hospital packed the pews of Andover Baptist Church with members and nonmembers alike. In May, the Free Christian Church, along with Andover Baptist, organized a benefit concert to collect money for the Myers family and to purchase defibrillators, a device that saved Myer’s life, for area churches.
“I’d like to say thank you ... (The community support) made me feel like this is really a home for me. That people in this town care about you, recognize who you are, what you represent and that they’re praying for you,” said Myers, who was installed as ABC pastor in 2004. “That’s what Martin Luther King’s dream is about – that we can be one American family, not worry about the color of your skin, the language you speak or where you come from. Dr. King would look down upon Andover and be very proud.”
Myers will carry that theme of togetherness when he speaks at Andover Baptist Church’s Martin Luther King Day Unity Brunch on Jan. 18. The annual event usually brings close to 200 people, from all walks of life, to Andover Baptist for a hearty brunch cooked by church members, and for a service of music, prayer and fellowship.
Last year, Myers was in the hospital as the church hosted the brunch, a tradition he started in 2008. This year, it feels like a homecoming of sorts, as he will be keynote speaker, he said.
After a year of recovery, “it feels like I’m getting back to into the routine, our groove, so to speak,” said Myers, breaking into a smile.
Myers was well enough to begin preaching again in April. On Jan. 18, he will speak on the message “a dream achieved and a dream renewed,” he said, noting that the inauguration of President Barack Obama, America’s first African-American president, was a milestone in Martin Luther King’s dream.
“We’ve reached that milestone, but the work isn’t over. We still have to figure out how to become a nation of all very different people,” said Myers.
Martin Luther King day brunch
Hosted by Andover Baptist Church, 7 Central St.
Monday, Jan. 18, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Free, donations accepted
Hot brunch served, followed by service
Keynote speaker: Rev. Lyndon A. Myers, pastor of Andover Baptist
Music by the Treble Chorus of New England
For more information, call 617-785-6477
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Recovered pastor sees King's dream here: Jan. 18 unity brunch open to all residents
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