A Tribute to Missionary Evangelist Roy Porter

Missionary Evangelist Roy Porter 

A call the night of October 4, 2012, informed us that our long-time friend and ministry partner, Roy Porter had passed away.  I had been on the phone with him just a day earlier, going over plans and details of his upcoming visit in January, with the Liberty Ministries Evangelistic Team.
He was the one who first brought us to the Dominican Republic to help with translating needs for the Liberty Ministries Evangelistic team, in September,1991.  It was on that visit, my first trip to this country, that the Lord spoke to my heart that He wanted us here  in the D.R.. Within 10 months we had raised support and moved here with our five children. I shared some in an earlier blog  about this visit.
We had met Roy and his wife Jeanette a few years earlier in Columbia, SC, through a mutual acquaintance, Pastor Brad Morris. They had been given our names as Spanish-speaking ministry contacts in Columbia. We met together and became involved with them in reaching out to Hispanic prisoners. Later Pastor Roy came to our church and held
some evangelistic meetings which were notable because of the move of the Spirit of the Lord, as various of our church members were moved deeply. I remember one drill sergeant in a wheel chair that was instantly healed.

Roy ministers in Santiago, January 2012

Roy brought his message of liberty in the Spirit to the Dominican Republic.  I had the privilege of translating for him in many evangelistic crusades held throughout the country.  In cities such as Barahona, San Juan de La Maguana, Constanza, Esperanza, Mao, Santiago, and La Vega.  These meetings were held in churches, on basketball courts, baseball fields, under the stars, in crusade tents, and on television.

Pastor Roy helped plant and build three churches which today form the Liberty Ministries churches or Ministerio Cristiano de Liberacion in the D.R.. He also helped plant churches for other groups that have no connection with his ministry.  Many Assemblies of God churches, Methodist churches, Churches of God, Menonite, etc. were blessed by his exciting preaching.  Prayer and fasting accompanied these meetings and certainly helped explain why his messages pierced hearts and brought a commitment to God on the part of his listeners.  He believed in preaching, not just in word, but in the power of God.  The presence of the Holy Spirit confirmed his messages and his prayers. Many lives were touched, healed, and filled with the Holy Spirit under his ministry.  You can still enjoy his messages by visiting his ministry website at http://www.lmcigreenville.org/ .

His Liberty Ministries Evangelistic Teams were unlike any of our visiting teams over the years. It was common for the team members to split up  and conduct 5 services a night.  I

January 2012 Liberty Ministries Team in Puerto Plata

believe if we had more interpreters they would have ministered in more churches each night. Last January we ministered in more than thirty-two services in Puerto Plata with this team. During the day the team often ministered in poor rural towns and distributed bags of food and Christian literature to needy families. Literally thousands have been touched by this ministry over the years.

We will certainly miss our good friend, Pastor and Missionary Evangelist Roy Porter.

Jeanette Porter, his wife called last week to confirm that the team will continue with their commitment to the Dominican Republic in January 2013. This will be their 25th consecutive year to minister in this country.