BCNE News
The latest news from our network of New England churches. Looking for our New England Perspectives Articles? Click here.
Five Reasons Why We’re Growing
Growth is never accidental—it’s the result of intentional effort, strategic decisions, and an unwavering commitment to a clear mission. As we reflect on the reasons behind our growth, we recognize that each factor is a testament to the dedication of our Baptist Churches of New England leaders, churches, and partners.
Complicated Picture of Southern Baptist Churches Emerges From Statistical Analysis
Analysis of recent data considers Southern Baptist churches and where evangelism and discipleship have been most effective.
Terry Dorsett Completes “An Exciting Decade” as BCNE’s Executive Director: Years With Challenges, Changes, Growth, and Missional Faithfulness
When Terry W. Dorsett was elected Executive Director-Treasurer a decade ago, he outlined a vision for the Baptist Convention of New England that included “engaging ethnic pastors in key leadership roles, increasing our leadership development ministries, [and] building a sense of team ministry.”
By any measurable standard, he has fulfilled and even exceeded those objectives during his first decade leading the church network that now incudes 380+ churches from Caribou, Maine, to Greenwich, Connecticut.
From Chainsaws to Chaplaincy: Disaster Relief New England Offers Training at a Regional Conference
A small and dedicated Disaster Relief New England (DR) team stands ready to “equip individuals and churches to make a difference in the wake of tragedies by meeting needs and sharing the love of Christ.”
Quest 26 Recap: Learning to Serve Like Jesus
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
-Mark 10:45
This has long been the theme verse for Quest, the BCNE’s leadership development experience for 11th-grade students. At the completion of its 26th year, Quest has now seen 571 students participate. The 25 students from 15 congregations around New England who participated in Quest 26 spent time over the last 9 months learning what it looks like to serve humbly as Jesus did, how to work on a unified team, and how to use their gifts to meet the needs of their communities.
After the Global Pandemic, BCNE’s ESL Certification Training Leveraged Online Learning and Streamlined Its Schedule and Structure
Over the past four years, there have been many changes with the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) certification training, a staple of the Baptist Churches of New England for decades. The curriculum has been streamlined and three of the four training sessions are now held online.
Pastoral Mentor Johnny Fain Invests in Endowed Funds That Will Underwrite Salaries of Nine Missionaries
Missionary movements need missionaries and missionaries need salaries that underwrite their youth outreach, collegiate evangelism, church planting, leadership development—and many other important tasks—that advance New England Baptist ministry. To that end, Baptist Foundation of New England (BFNE) leaders recently established endowed funds to underwrite the salaries of nine essential missionary staff and asked eight “core givers” to become the initial investors; they gave a combined total of $132, 644 (as of December 31, 2024).
BCNE pastor publishes “Churching: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church in the Christian Life” to push against the cultural tide of dechurching
Lierte Soares, President of the Baptist Churches of New England, interviews Rick Harrington, Provost of the Multiplication Center of the BCNE on his new book, “Churching” which was recently released.
A first-time “reverse missionary” debuts her own song in Portugal while her mother paints a landscape of “faith”
“When you have music and you have ultimate power—the gospel with music—it doesn’t only change people’s day, but it can change their lives for eternity,” said Armstrong, who visited Europe for the first time with her close friend, Arianna Diecidue [who was profiled in the first article in this reverse-missions series.]
“Passing the gospel back” to Europeans: understanding and practicing reverse missions
“I'm very honored to be a reverse missionary,” said Arianna Diecidue, a freshman at Triton Regional High School, Byfield, Massachusetts. She traveled on her first mission s trip October 6-16, 2024, with twenty-one other New England Baptists from two churches to Porto, Portugal.
What Are You Building Your Life On? – YEC 2025 Recap
I’ve been attending YEC since I was a sophomore in high school, and it has always been a life-changing experience. But this year? This year was different. It was personal.
Stewardship innovator Tom Melzoni invests in endowed funds that will underwrite salaries of nine missionaries
Melzoni calls himself “a ‘faithraiser’ because giving is an act of faith. Even though I have all the credentials, I’m not a fundraiser in the traditional sense because I believe we [must] challenge people. We give them the vision. We certainly give them a pathway. We let them know what we need—but they need to determine on their own between God and them what they’re going to give.”
Marlborough church revitalizes after it joins the BCNE and develops a family-friendly, interculturally diverse ministry
The revitalization of First Baptist Church of Marlborough, MA, commenced in 2021 when Logan Loveday, a South Carolinian with close family ties to the Baptist Churches of New England (BCNE.net), became pastor of the struggling congregation and was invited to merge it with Hope Community Church, the BCNE-affiliated fellowship he planted in town in 2017.
Immigrant Brazilian fellowship south of Boston revitalized and growing after joining the Celebration Church network
Rosaneli estimates that church attendance averages one hundred each Sunday; they counted eighty people in 2023, which is a 20 percent growth in a year. “We’ve been receiving new families coming from Brazil, and also we’ve been receiving a lot of teenagers,” which is also helping the church to grow.
Remembering John Scoggins
On Sunday January 5, 2025, John Robert Scoggins, 84, faithful servant of God went home to join his parents in heaven praising Jesus for all eternity.
Gary Moritz implements a contextualized approach to church revitalization and community engagement
The Church will last for eternity; our churches will not.
“Every church will die eventually and the church’s people will die, but the Church itself won’t die. The (‘big C’) Church will go on forever; the Church is unstoppable,” said Gary J. Moritz, Director of Church Revitalization and Renewal for the Baptist Churches of New England (BCNE.net).
Noted Evangelist Phil Waldrep Invests in Endowed Funds That Will Underwrite Salaries of Nine Missionaries
Missionary movements need missionaries and missionaries need salaries that underwrite their youth outreach, collegiate evangelism, church planting, leadership development—and many other important tasks—that advance New England Baptist ministry. To that end, Baptist Foundation of New England (BFNE) leaders recently established endowed funds to underwrite the salaries of nine essential missionary staff and asked eight “core givers” to become the initial investors; they gave a combined total of $132, 644 (as of December 31, 2024).
New England Pastors Encounter the Spiritual Realities of Church Planting and Ministry in Europe
Less than a year after his first visit, Matt Vandeleest and his wife, Molly, returned to Europe, this time as one of ten New England Baptist pastors who participated in a mission-focused “vision tour” November 10-18, 2024. With Sam Taylor, BCNE’s Global Partnerships Missions Mobilizer, as their leader, the New England pastors met and considered partnerships with some of their counterparts in London, England; Glasgow, Scotland; and Dublin and Claremorris, Ireland.
Discipling Harvard Students with a Parent’s Heart: The Ministry of Rebekah Kim
Rebekah Kim, Harvard University’s first Asian-American, female chaplain, has devoted over thirty years to her role of representing Christ on the Harvard campus. She and her pastor-husband, Paul Kim, have nurtured more than 100 ministry leaders and have planted numerous churches around the United States and the world.