Why New England?

Why New England

In recent years some Christian authors have referred to New England as a religious graveyard. How could an area that once showed fruit of three Great Revivals turn so cold towards the Gospel? A Gallup poll published in April of 2006 shows that New England has the lowest church attendance of any area in the United States. In fact, the state of New Hampshire came in at forty-ninth in weekly church attendance out of all fifty states. Why New Hampshire? The need is great.

Did you know that New England's churches average 10% lower attendance than the rest of the country, and 20% lower than the South? In fact the Greater Boston Area, which includes the NH Seacoast, ranks 62% lower in daily Bible reading and prayer. We must reach this area with the Gospel.

While New England is known for her picturesque country churches and foliage of autumn, these beautiful buildings have not seen the Spirit of God move within their pews for many years. Why New England? We believe God can bring a Great Revival again! God used such men as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards to spark a spiritual Awakening that this world has not witnessed since. Our burden and prayer is for the Lord to use us to help revive this religious graveyard that once bloomed with spiritual life.

Acts 1:8 begins in Jerusalem and ends in the utter- most parts of the earth, but we must not forget Judea and Samaria. The Lord has called us to our Judea - the Seacoast of New Hampshire. This area is one of the most densely populated areas of NH. Coupled with the North Shore of Massachusetts, it represents one of the fastest growing areas in New England. This area does not have a single conservative, Bible-preaching church, let alone an Independent, Fundamental, Baptistic Church. While missionaries are retiring at alarming rates without enough replacements, we believe church planting in the United States is one answer to this dilemma. One stateside church can only send a limited number of missionaries to a lost world. Planting new churches in areas of need fulfills the needs of the Great Commission by preaching the Gospel in our Jerusalem and Judea, so we can send new missionaries to Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth.

New England Baptist Missions

In the fall of 2005, Dr. Chuck Phelps (now president of Maranatha Baptist Bible College) invited Tim and Andrea back to Tim’s home church (Trinity Baptist Church of Concord, NH) to serve in the Ministry Apprentice Program (MAP). Pastor Phelps, along with Trinity, possess a deep burden to disciple, mentor, train, and support faithful men (2 Timothy 2:2) so that the Lord may use them to pastor, evangelize, or church plant in New England. Tim and Andrea joined Justin and Amy Weberg in the yearlong MAP, and the Lord increased their burden for church planting in New England.

Pastor Phelps and Trinity are not the only ones burdened for a much needed revival in New England. A solid core of sister churches in Northern New England has been faithfully praying that God would raise up faithful men to preach the Gospel in an area now known as “A Religious Graveyard.” The Lord brought these sister churches and pastors together to form New England Baptist Missions. NEBM has been blessed to see and participate in different missions projects as well as the planting of multiple independent, fundamental, Baptist churches.

NEBM has been instrumental in working with Tim and Andrea in selecting, praying for, and supporting the church planting effort upon the New Hampshire Seacoast. Tim and Andrea count it a deep privilege to have Trinity Baptist Church as their sending church as well as New England Baptist Missions as a partner. Together, we believe that God has not finished working in New England.