What is Mercies of God Association?
In 1963, the 3rd year of his ministry as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Almont, Michigan, Dr. Peter Nortier had a burden to start a radio broadcast that would cover the local community then reach to a national and international audience. After much thought and prayer, he came up with the name The Mercies of God Radio Broadcast, a 30-minute weekly radio show featuring the local choir of the church and an organ and piano. The broadcast was recorded on a reel-to-reel tape deck with one booming microphone and a long extension chord. For 35 years, Dr. Nortier would bring the messages from the local church and the community of Almont.

In October of 1995, Dr. and Mrs. Nortier retired from Almont and moved to Bryant, Arkansas (a suburb of Little Rock) so they could be closer to their youngest son and also his oldest son and his family. While there, his burden was to continue the Work of the Radio Ministry, so Dr. Nortier sat down with his son Stephen and formed what is now known as The Mercies of God Association, an Arkansas not for profit 501C3 organization. The Ministry consisted of the weekly radio broadcast as well as a Ministry to the Arkansas Civil Air Patrol, and a fellowship of both Hilldale Baptist Church and Chicot Road Baptist Church of Little Rock, Arkansas.

In 2005, Stephen moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan (birthplace of Dr. Peter Nortier) and he asked his parents to finish out their remaining years back in Grand Rapids. So Dr. Nortier and his wife Rainey moved into Stephen’s duplex and again the Ministry of Mercies of God continued to grow into more than just a radio broadcast. Peter was actively involved in the Civil Air Patrol, Guiding Light Mission, and the Veterans Home of Grand Rapids as well as his home Church, Lagrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church. In January of 2012, Peter lost the love of his life, Rainey Elizabeth Motley Nortier, due to a stroke.

This was very hard on him, but he knew he must continue preaching and broadcasting. In October of 2012, Peter found out he was terminal with prostrate and bone cancer and his life would soon be snuffed out on this earth. On February 12, 2013, Peter’s fight with cancer ended and he went on to be with his wife and most of all with his Savior and Lord in Heaven.

His upmost desire was to keep the radio program going, as well as sponsor missionaries and other ministries who are reaching souls for the Savior. He was never a small thinking guy, but a global evangelist. Over a year has passed since his death, but the Ministry is expanding ever so much.