03/03/2026
UPDATE
Pastor Sam was diagnosed today Wednesday, 3/19 with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The cancer has metastasized to his liver and surrounding lymph nodes. He is scheduled to have a port surgery this coming week and begin chemotherapy on March 31st to give us more time with him. This is a grim situation but God is still good and faithful through all of this and He is a God of miracles. We would appreciate your prayer support as we navigate these unchartered but not unfamiliar times.
FYI - On Sunday, March 1, 2026, Pastor Sam experienced a health issue which resulted in him passing out while in the midst of preaching his final sermon. The church property is on the market for sale and Pastor Sam plans to enter full retirement on June 30th of this year. He was taken to UPMC ER from the church platform by ambulance for evaluation. Following the appropriate tests and excellent medical care at UPMC he was discharged last evening around 7 pm. Certain tests were negative however, there are a few concerns that we would covet your prayers for: they found 2 spots on the liver and a bulge on the pancreas. An MRI and a biopsy will provide further answers on these matters so those tests are upcoming. He is also scheduled for a stress test on Thursday so his P*P can evaluate his heart activity. He is home today and resting and being careful of his diet and fluid intake. He will be off work the rest of the week and we will evaluate his remaining time according to his schedule. American Rescue Workers has been our calling and focus for so long but now we must step back and focus on our personal needs at this stage of life. American Rescue Workers is a wonderful organization and we trust you will continue to support them and their new leadership team as you did us. Ben Hazen, new executive director for American Rescue Workers-Williamsport, is a Godly man with 18 years of ministry experience. ARW's focus will be the shelter residents as well as those that need emergency services.
There are no plans to have a follow-up service. We will continue to provide a few updates on Pastor Sam's health but eventually this page will be taken down. Until then we covet your prayers for Sam's health and the unknown events that lie ahead. God has been so good and so faithful and we know that we can fully trust Him.
Much love,
Dawn Astin
