More than 200 representatives of New England Baptist churches, mission partners from Southern Baptist entities, and interested guests were enthusiastic about multiplication when they gathered Nov. 1–2, 2024, at First Baptist Church Manchester, Connecticut, for the Baptist Churches of New England Annual Meeting.
“Multiplication matters because more people need Jesus, more Christians need to be discipled, more leaders need to be developed, more churches need to be started, and more financial resources need to be developed to reach New England with the gospel,” BCNE Executive Director Terry Dorsett challenged.
Basing his remarks on Luke 19:10, which says that Jesus Christ “came to seek and to save the lost,” Dorsett reported that in 2023 “New England Baptists set a new record by baptizing 2,075 new believers, which is cause for great celebration! Sadly, though, 170 of our churches baptized zero.”
‘We know what we need to do’
Rather than blame pastors and churches that have not baptized anyone in several years, he challenged attendees to consider “what we have to do to make sure that doesn’t happen over and over and over again.” He outlined online and in-person training options that will help churches and pastors experiencing tough times.
“What are we doing wrong? Aren’t we supposed to be helping them figure out a way to evangelize their community? What can we do to help a church that has a zero year, year after year after year after year?” he asked. “Imagine what would happen next year if those 170 churches who baptized no one last year, just baptized one each.”
“Brothers and sisters, we know what we need to do,” concluded Dorsett, whose 10th anniversary as executive director will be April 1, 2025. “Do we have the courage to do it . . . or will we be afraid to say yes to the possibilities?”
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Dan Nicholas and originally published by the Baptist Churches of New England.
