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Thank you to all those who applied for our Senior Pastor position opening. The elders and congregation of Fourth Memorial Church accepted Neil W. Anderson to this position on April 1, 2009.
Fourth Memorial Church's New Senior Pastor
Returns to Childhood Roots
After more than thirty-seven years serving indigenous people deep in the highland jungles of Papua New Guinea, Neil W. Anderson was overwhelmingly approved as the new Senior Pastor for his “home” base, Fourth Memorial Church, located in the Gonzaga/Logan neighborhood in Spokane. After a two year search, the timing of his availability became evident, and he and his wife, Carol, have moved from their recent assignment with Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL) in Langley, BC to settle again in their home town. On April 5, Anderson steps into the pulpit as Senior Pastor.
For much of the past four decades, Anderson has been immersed in language and community development with Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL,) part of the worldwide literacy efforts of Wycliffe Bible Translators. When they arrived in PNG, the Folopa people did not have a written language; he and Carol lived with these people to learn the language, develop an alphabet, help with literacy, and then translate the New Testament (and several Old Testament books.) Upon completion of the Folopa New Testament, the Andersons were awarded the Logohu National Medal of Honor, presented by Sir Paulious Matane, PNG Governor General.
In addition to his life-long work, Anderson has been recruited to speak throughout the North American continent at local churches, weeklong conferences, camp retreats, and on college campuses. He also authored, with Hyatt Moore, In Search of the Source, a compelling and winsome look at the idiosyncrasies of translation.
Anderson received his B.A. in Humanities from Eastern Washington College in Cheney, following studies at Biola College in Los Angeles. He also completed applied linguistics courses at the University of Washington in Seattle. A graduate of Rogers High School and Longfellow Grade School, Anderson has returned to serve within two miles of his boyhood home.
Neil and Carol have four children and eight grandchildren.
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