Skip to main content

Collection 249 Papers of Myron and Elizabeth Harrison

 Collection
Identifier: CN 249

Scope and Contents

Oral history interviews, prayer letters, and photographs related to the missionary service of Myron and Elizabeth Harrison with Overseas Missionary Fellowship in the Philippines from 1967-1990.

Series: Audio Tapes

One oral history interview each with Myron and Elizabeth Harrison. Topics discussed in the interviews include missionary call, appointment and assignments in the Philippines with Overseas Missionary Fellowship, family life, the culture of the Filipino people, the indigenous Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) and various mission-related topics.  The time period covered by the interviews is 1963-1983.

Myron and Betty Harrison were interviewed by Paul A. Ericksen on May 26, 1983, at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois.

Series: Photographs

Photographs in this collection are arranged topically into the following Photo Files.

HARRISON, MYRON, ELIZABETH AND FAMILY: Myron and Betty Harrison with their children, Tim, Melody, and Dan. 1982. 1 b&w.

MISSIONS--PHILIPPINES: Myron and Betty Harrison with Filipinos, a church planting team, at an evangelism seminar; Filipinos pass out tracts; members and young people of Natunuan Evangelical Church. 1978-1982, n.d. 5 b&w, 3 color.

Series: Box List

Prayer letters written by the Harrisons, ranging from 1963 to 1993. The prayer letters (Folders 1-1 to 1-3) list prayer concerns and discuss the work being done as well as family matters.

Dates

  • Created: 1967-1993

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

Biographical Information

Myron Shook Harrison was born in Los Angeles, CA, on April 10, 1941. He was converted when he was about ten years old. His educational training included studies at Central State College, Stevens Point, WI; Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, IL; Fort Wayne Bible College (BRE), Fort Wayne, IN; and Toronto Institute of Linguistics. He was directed into full-time Christian service through the book, Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot. Myron Harrison died in 2015.

Elizabeth Laura "Betty" Harrison was born in Brockville, ON, Canada, on February 23, 1940. She received an RN at Kingston General Hospital School of Nursing, and then attended Moody Bible Institute before receiving her BS from the Fort Wayne Bible College.

The Harrisons married after their studies at Moody. After completing their work at Fort Wayne and at the Toronto Institute of Linguistics, they were accepted in 1966 into Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF). In 1967 they sailed for Singapore for orientation, assignment, and language study. They were assigned to the Philippines and in August of 1967 they sailed to Manila. From there they traveled to Calapan on Mindoro Island, where studies of the Tagalog language continued for six months. During this time, Myron helped in the construction of the Mangyan Bible School. In 1968, they began working in Mabini, Batangas, on Luzon Island and the next year they were redesignated to Bauan, Batangas, to work in evangelistic outreach.

After a furlough in 1971, the Harrisons were assigned to Taal, Batangas, where they worked as church planters and trained lay people through Theological Education by Extension (TEE). In 1977, after their next furlough, the Harrisons were assigned to the Bicol area at Daraga, Albay. In the same year, Myron began a radio program, in Tagalog, called "The Living Rock," on DWAS, the local radio station operated by the Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC); in 1978 Betty began a broadcast over the same station, in English, called "Festival of Praise." By 1977, Myron took on administrative duties as OMF's Superintendent of Southern Luzon Field.

During their 1982-83 furlough in the States, Myron was ordained at Calvary Memorial Church in Racine, WI, and completed a Master of Missiology program at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL, after which they returned to the Philippines. Myron resumed his duties as Superintendent of the Southern Luzon Field working out of the OMF headquarters in Manila, while Betty worked among the urban poor.

The Harrisons had three children: Timothy Paul (1965), Daniel Scott (1968), and Melody Lynn (1970). In 1990 the Harrisons continued to work in the Philippines.

Extent

0.25 Cubic Feet

1 Box (DC), Audio Tapes, Photographs

Language of Materials

English

Accruals and Additions

The materials for this collection were given to the Billy Graham Center Archives from Myron and Betty Harrison in May and June, 1983, and September, 1987. Subsequent prayer letters were received and added to the collection, 1987-1993.

Accession 83-57, 83-73, 87-120

January 16, 1991

Janyce H. Nasgowitz

T. Pokela

D. Reifsnyder

January 20, 1994

Sara Henning

P. Ericksen

M. Larson

Related Materials

The following item has been given to the Missions and Evangelism Collection, Buswell Library:

Accession: 83-73

Harrison, Myron S. Multinational Team Ministry Within Bible Churches of the Philippines (Bound thesis, 1983).

Title
Collection 249 Papers of Myron and Elizabeth Harrison
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Evangelism & Missions Archives Repository

Contact:
501 College Avenue
Wheaton IL 60187 US
630-752-5910