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An influential missionary who helped thousands in Mexico is leaving behind a legacy of faith after he recently passed away at the age of 102.
Wayne Myers helped with church constructions for thousands of congregations across Mexico and is known for promoting a culture of giving.
During his 75 years of ministry, Myers became known for his motto, Vivir para dar y vivir para servir (“Live to give and live to serve”).
His work included guest preaching and leading fundraisers at churches of all sizes, from ones in small villages to megachurches. He also helped organize week-long evangelistic campaigns that often included caring for the widows and orphans.
Myers was known as a man of integrity, often proclaiming that a life of faithful obedience to the Lord is “dulce como un mango” (“sweet as a mango”).
"We have not raised 6,000 churches; we have helped to build them up," Myers said. "If I had raised 6,000 churches, Paul the apostle would ask for permission to leave heaven to study my methods."
Born in the U.S.A.
Myers was born on a farm in Morton, Mississippi, on August 31, 1922. He gave his life to Jesus as a teenager when his missionary cousin visiting from Argentina shared the gospel.
While serving aboard the USS Enterprise during WWII for 19 months, Myers had an encounter with the Holy Spirit.
"During five hours, that glory that resurrected Jesus from the grave washed all over me, revealing Jesus to me in a whole new dimension. He called me to serve him."
After the war, Myers attended Bible college in Pasadena, California. During that time he felt God leading him to a ministry in Mexico, even though the man didn't speak any Spanish.
"[God] told me in an audible voice, ‘Son, I’m calling you to Mexico to serve my whole body, not to raise a body for yourself. I had one thing going for me when I went to Mexico. I knew that I knew nothing."
For the following decades Myers worked to help all types of churches of different denominations become stronger for their congregations.
It was hard for Myers to slow down. At the age of 90, doctors told Myers to take it easy and that his heart was functioning at roughly 50 per cent capacity. Regardless, he continued to preach up to four times a week.
"We honor the legacy of a true hero of the faith," wrote Marcos Richards, pastor of Comunidad Olivo, one of the largest churches in Ciudad Juárez and Myers’s close friend. "An example like few others of generosity, integrity, and dedication to the gospel."