Harbor Baptist Church

Harbor Baptist Church: 50th Anniversary

WINCHESTER BAY — Harbor Baptist Church, an anchor in the community, celebrates 50 years this year.

Residents and visitors gathered Aug. 14 at the church, hearing from long-time former Pastor Jim Terry and later munched on hamburgers, potato salad, chips, drinks, salads and other food.

“This was a celebration of 50 years of God’s faithfulness and now we want to look ahead,” said Pastor Kyle Busenitz, who’s been with Harbor three years. He said “that was what I found really helpful.”

“We thought it went really, really well,” Pastor Busenitz said. “We started out at 9:30 and only had an hour budgeted for that (service).”

In all, about 120 attended the service and potluck.

Membership averages about 50.

Letters were read from others who couldn’t make it for the anniversary, including one from former pastor Jack Smith, who now works in Uganda as a missionary. Smith worked as Harbor’s minister from 1968 to 1980 and “so he almost goes back to the start of the church.”

Aug. 14 had new and older members in attendance as well as veterans.

One such long-time member was Edna Peck, who lives up Smith River, and has five generations who attended the same church. One is her infant great-granddaughter who attends the church.

Gene “Lee” Grenz attended the celebration and was among those who helped found Harbor.

Referring to his family, he said “we moved from Lebanon, Ore., from a Baptist church and they pretty well helped us organize and even helped organize the paperwork to help us establish the church.”

Sunshine greeted Grenz and other visitors that recent Saturday for the 50th celebration.

“Oh I enjoyed it totally,” he said. “I had a good time.”

Grenz said even a few of the first members from the church’s early days attended the anniversary event.

“A lot of people have developed a relationship with God from that little church and have gone on to become missionaries and others have stayed there their entire lives,” the Grace Fellowship associate pastor said.

He now serves as associate pastor at Grace Fellowship, where he’s attended 16 years. Grace Fellowship is in Reedsport.

Grenz worked for International Paper Company, starting in production on a paper machine in 1964. He stayed until the plant closed in 1999, making paper liner for cardboard boxes.

Pastor Busenitz discussed his theological philosophy. He looked up to the wall in his office, stating the church’s mission statement. This reads “As ‘A Light on the Coast’ we will Win, Build and Equip followers of Jesus Christ.’”

Busenitz said “we want to do this by means of God’s word and discipleship and we want to do these things faithfully.”

Before coming on board at Harbor Baptist Church, the pastor served at Langlois Community Church from June 2007 until May 2013. Prior to his services at Langlois, Busenitz also worked at Camp Fircroft in Langlois, also in Langlois, from June 2007 until the present. Before moving to Oregon, Pastor Busenitz served at the Mission Road Bible Church, located in Prairie Village, KS, from September 2004 to May 2007.

Harbor Baptist Church is located at 715 Broadway.

Phone: 541-271-2023.

Website: harborbaptist.us

Office hours for Pastor Busenitz: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays.

9:30 a.m. Sunday School.

10:30 a.m. worship service.

6 p.m. Sunday evening worship service.

6 p.m. Wednesday potluck/Bible study/prayer