Hello Members and Friends of the Eastern Regional Association of Advent Christian Churches,
There is much to report to you concerning the ministry of the Eastern Regional Association of Advent Christian Churches. Even though we are without a superintendent for our region, the ministry of the region continues. Much of the credit for the ongoing ministry of our region goes to our leadership in the 6 conferences we have in our region. The presidents, boards, and ministerial committees have faithfully supported the churches and pastors of their respective conferences. Of course, the primary credit for ministry goes to our faithful churches that are on the frontlines each and every day proclaiming God’s word and providing a cup of cold water in Jesus’ Name. Speaking of faithful churches, it is my pleasure to inform you that Erik Reynolds has begun leading a church plant in the Auburn, MA area. Please pray for this new church plant as they seek to proclaim the gospel in Auburn.
During this time of the year, most of our conferences begin having their annual meetings. Prior to our next newsletter two of our conferences will meet. The New Life Conference will meet on February 25 in Bristol, CT, and the Maine Conference will meet on March 4 in Bangor, ME. If you are in either of these conference I hope you will plan on being at these respective meetings. I hope to see you there as I plan on representing the ERA at both of these meetings.
Since our last newsletter, I have visited with several of our pastors and have appointments to visit more in this coming month. If you would like to get together with me, please contact me and I will do my best to arrange a time when we can do so. (413-822-9502).
The ERA Board will be meeting (or has met, depending on the publishing date of this newsletter) on Thursday, February 16. One of our agenda items will be a discussion concerning the hiring of an interim superintendent. Please pray for wisdom for the board as we seek God’s person for that position.
Also this month it has been my pleasure to respond by email to each person who has submitted his ministerial report. It has been a wonderful activity for me to interact with these people through this venue. I thank the Lord that I have had this opportunity. If you are a credentialed minister and have not yet filed your report please remember to do so.
During this past month, I have been in regular contact with Missie Twitchell, who continues to serve as the Administrative Assistant for the regional ministry. I am so grateful for her ongoing service to the region in this capacity. Without her knowledge of the regional affairs and her administrative skills there is no way that the region could function as well as it has during this interim period. I am also in regular contact with our bookkeeper, Lisa Godard. She is another person that God has raised up at this time. Her dedication to and expertise as the bookkeeper for our region is a godsend. Again, the region could not function as efficiently and effectively without her. I am also in regular contact with our Vice President, Dwight Dean; Treasurer, John Jones; and Clerk, Allen Latimore. Their dedication to the region and its ministry has been above and beyond what is usual for their positions.
Please know that if you or your church needs assistance from your ERA or your conference please contact us. We are here to be of help in your time of need.
Thank you for your prayers for me, your ERA Board, your conference leadership, and of course your church and pastor. May we as the members and friends of the ERA faithfully serve Christ until His coming.
Please continue to remember Greg and Missie Twitchell and their family in prayer. Greg has been doing better physically but, unless the Lord miraculously intervenes, he will need a liver transplant. Greg has an appointment with surgeons at Mass General on March 17 to be put on the transplant list. An important factor is that he might be approved for Medicaid which is necessary to pay for the surgery. Please pray for this to go through, as well as the application for disability.
Next month we will begin highlighting our camps that will be meeting during the summer. If you have information regarding a camp please send it to the ERA office so that it can be included in the next newsletter.
George,
ERA President
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Chris Barton Graduated Gordon College in 1996 with BA Degrees in Psychology and Biblical Studies. Chris has pastored the Newport Center Advent Christian Church from 1996-present and pastored the Newport Center United Methodist Church from 2015-2021. In addition to pastoring Chris has worked for the Vermont Department of Corrections for 24 years and currently holds the position of Restorative Systems Administrator; in that role Chris oversees the work of 17 Community and Restorative Justice Centers and corrections volunteer and religious services management. Chris married his wife Melanie in 2000. Melanie teaches full time as a licensed teacher overseeing the Newport Center Elementary School’s Pre-K program. She also serves in many capacities in the church overseeing the churches Christian Ed program, teaching Jr. church, as a deacon, and supportive pastor’s wife.
Romans 5:8-9 “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Sometimes in an effort to live a God honoring life we may lose sight of the overwhelming love of God. The love of God operates differently than the love of the world. The world may love you if you live a good life or operate as the world expects you to, but “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
In 2013 I went to Nigeria with Bryce Whiting, ACGC Africa/Europe Area Director. On that trip Bryce preached a message that remains fresh in my mind all these years later. Bryce asked the Nigerian congregation, “What must you do for God to love you?” Without hesitation responses were yelled out and translated with many amens and head nods in agreement. Responses like- tithe and give money, go to church every Sunday, read the Bible, pray, do good works, etc. After a few minutes Bryce said, “I will tell what you must do.” The room went silent, and people leaned forward to hear. Bryce said, “Nothing!” The translator looked confused and asked Bryce, “What?” and Bryce repeated “Nothing!” Nothing we can do causes God to love us more or less- “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Be confident that God loves you no matter what. This love isn’t a permit to sin, in Romans 6:1-2 Paul makes that clear, but the love of God remains consistent regardless. In Wayne Jacobson’s book, He Loves Me, the author shares that sometimes we are like a child with a daisy playing ‘he loves, he loves me not’ with God. When we do good, he loves me; when we fail, he loves me not. We can trust that the love of God doesn’t work like this- “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
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Prayer List
~Brad Ellis, Executive Director of Vernon Homes has recently submitted a 180 page report to the state of Vermont to document need for the new Green Nursing Home. Please pray that the state will look favorably upon the document.
~Pastor Erik Reynolds has launched a church planting ministry in the Auburn, MA area. Please pray that people will be reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
~Please pray that churches and conferences will consider church planting efforts.
~Pray for Andy Rice, President of BICS as he gives leadership to that ministry.
~Pray for Matt Larkin, ACGC Coordinator of Leadership Development, and the MTI ministry as they work with students at centers in Bangor, ME, and Oxford, MA.
~Pray for the ERA Board as they seek an interim Superintendent.
~Pray for Glenn Rice, President of Berkshire Christian as he gives leadership to that ministry.
~Pray for our regional camps as they plan their ministries for the summer.
~Pray for God to bring revival to our churches in the ERA.
~Pray that God's Holy Spirit will bring people to Himself for salvation. Might we as a people be faithful in our witness to our family, friends, and neighbors as we live out our belief of life only in Christ, especially in light of His soon return.
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February 25 - New Life Conference Annual Meeting held in Bristol, CT.
March 4 - Maine State Conference Annual Meeting held in Bangor, ME
April 1 - Maranatha Conference Annual Meeting held in Ossipee, NH
April 29 - Heritage Conference Annual Meeting in Haverhill, MA
May 13 - BICS Commencement
August 7-11 - ACGC Triennial Convention will be held at Ridgecrest Conference Center, NC
October 20-21 - ERA Annual Convention. Place to be determined
BICS Ministry Team places and times:
February 26 - Faith Bible Church, 10AM
April 16 - Hope Church, Lenox, MA, 10:45 AM
April 28 - Calvary Bible Church, Meredith, NH, PM
April 29 - Blessed Hope Church, Waterville, ME, PM
April 30 - Advent Christian Church, Friendship, ME, 9:30 AM
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Scholarship Opportunities
Dubois Scholarship - Sponsored by the Maine State Conference, amount awarded depends on number of applicants and funds available; This scholarship is given in loving memory of Rev. Wendell DuBois, Tammy DuBois and Virgene Hughes. It is designed to assist those seeking a call to vocational ministry in achieving their academic goals. The application needs to be postmarked by August 31 to be considered. The scholarship monies will be disbursed during the 2nd semester of the academic year.
Berkshire Christian College Scholarship Fund - Scholarship amount varies depending on the program of study. The purpose and description of the scholarship is:
- Seminary education in partnership with Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary at four campuses - two in Mass., one in Fla., one in NC. (www.gordonconwell.edu) Advent Christian students receive up to a 50% tuition reduction. (Additional scholarship assistance may also be available.)
- Theological formation through the Ministry Training Institute (MTI). Students enrolled in MTI are eligible for scholarships through Berkshire Christian.
Castle Hill Scholarship Fund - The Castle Hill Advent Christian Church closed its doors in December of 2019 due to declining numbers and the difficulty of finding pastoral leadership. Through a generous donation, a Ministry Scholarship will be established in their name. It is their desire that this ministry scholarship be established to help fund individuals who are seeking vocational ministry training either from a ministry training program within the Advent Christian constituency, or if a person chooses to seek to prepare for vocational ministry outside of the Advent Christian constituency, the Christian institution must be accredited.
Applicants are required to fill out the application and have all of the required information turned in to the Superintendent’s Office by September 15th in order to be considered by the Eastern Regional Board of Directors. The Board will present scholarships to qualified applicants by dividing $2000 dollars among them per year. If only one applicant applies, the cap for an individual scholarship is $1000 dollars made out to the school of their choosing.
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Announcement from the ERA Board of Directors-The Twitchell Funds
Thank you to so many who have given to the Twitchells either through the benevolent fund or GiveSendGo. So far over $10,000 has been contributed. Please know that the funds are continuing on and available for further contributions. If you plan to contribute to the fund the Region has set up, please make a check payable to the Eastern Regional Association and write Twitchell Benevolent Fund on the memo line.
All checks are to be mailed to the following address:
Twitchell Benevolent Fund
C/O Vernon Advent Christian Church
4554 Fort Bridgman Road
Vernon, VT 05354
Attn: Lisa Godard
(Lisa is the ERA bookkeeper)
If you want to make a tax deductible donation, the region has a Pastor’s Benevolent Fund where you can make a contribution.
This fund assists any pastor in our region who has a need and may be used to assist the Twitchell family during this time. (Please note, because of the nature of the Pastor’s Benevolent Fund, the board cannot make any guarantees that all of the money from this fund will go to the Twitchells, whereas all funds contributed to the Twitchell Benevolent Fund will be forwarded to them.)
The second fund that the ERA Board has established is through “GiveSendGo”. It is similar in its funding opportunities as “GoFundMe”, but is a Christian based organization. In order to give to the Twitchell’s through this fund go to: www.givesendgo.com. Go to search (the magnifying glass in the upper right corner) and then type in: The Twitchell Family. Their campaign then comes up. From there just follow the prompts. (I am electronically challenged and was able to successfully navigate through the steps.)
On behalf of Greg, Missie, and the entire Twitchell family, the ERA Board of Directors want to thank you all for your generous support.
In His Service,
George Karl, ERA President
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This month’s Board of Directors Spotlight is on ERA Board vice-president Dwight S. Dean. Dwight is the oldest son of the late Dr. David and Dorothy Dean. Dwight received Christ’s gift of salvation by faith when he was 12 years old at Tremont Advent Christian Campground in Marion, MA with Rev. Ray Penny as evangelist. He attended Berkshire Christian College and graduated in May of 1976. While there he met his wife, Barbara Shaw, and they were married in September of 1976. They have 4 married sons and 11 grandchildren.
Dwight has served the Advent Christian Church in a variety of ways and locations. He has pastored churches in New Mexico, Florida, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Maine. He twice served as an administrator of the Advent Christian Village in Dowling Park, FL. He has served on the ACGC Executive Board and on regional boards in Southern and Eastern Regions of our denomination.
In October of 2019 the Deans moved to Deer Isle, ME where Dwight became the pastor of the Sunshine Advent Christian Church, a position he continues to hold. Dwight was elected to a three year term as vice-president in October of 2021.
In sharing with the constituency of the Eastern Region, I would remind you of the very first of the 10 commandments. God told Moses in Exodus 20 “You shall have no other gods before me.” God is pre-eminent and nothing is to come before Him in our affections – not our spouse, not our children, not our jobs, not our dreams – nothing! After wandering for 40 years, just before his death, Moses gave this reminder to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Moses affirms the call of the Israelites to love God supremely.
When the religious leaders questioned Jesus about the greatest commandment, he responded in Matthew 22:37-38 “…“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment.”
That commandment was not just for was the Israelites. Jesus called his followers to the same high calling. In John 14:15 we read, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
What a wonderful thing it would be for the Eastern Region’s churches were characterized by followers of Jesus who loved God like that!
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Matthew Larkin grew up in Auburn, Maine, where he and his family attended the Auburn Advent Christian Church through his middle school and high school years. He is married to Beth Larkin, who serves as ACGC’s Coordinator of Women’s Ministries. They have a five-year-old daughter, Mallory. Matt holds a Bachelor of Arts in pastoral ministry (Trinity College), a Master of Religious Education (Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary), and just completed all requirements for a Doctor of Ministry in leadership (Bethel Seminary – St. Paul, MN). Matt has served as a youth pastor and pastor within the Advent Christian denomination, and has served at ACGC for the last eleven years. Presently, he serves as Coordinator of Leadership Development and Director of the Ministry Training Institute. In those roles, he and his team assist churches in meeting their leadership development needs and work with emerging pastors, church planters, and missionaries.
Written by George Bennard, The Old Rugged Cross finds itself in hymnals and sung by congregations all over the United States and abroad. Written in 1913, this great hymn of the faith has drawn our attention toward one of Christianity’s most powerful emblems. But the emblem of this old rugged cross, as we often call it, is one who’s meaning we so often miss. Bennard, in the opening stanza, identifies this for us as he writes: “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame.” The emblem of suffering and shame . . . Not just an emblem, but the emblem, he writes. So often, as believers in Jesus, we have a propensity to take all of the perceived positives of Christianity while shying away from those things that are tough. In essence, we want the prize without having to run the race.
In Mark 8, in the midst of a crowd of many who wanted the perceived good things Jesus had to offer, he made the following declaration: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mar 8:34) This is important when we consider all that the cross is. It is, as George Bennard wrote, “the emblem of suffering and shame.” So, in essence, what Jesus is saying is that to follow Him, one has to be willing to endure suffering and shame. But there’s power in that suffering in shame. There’s glory in that suffering in shame. There’s even blessing in that suffering and shame. In essence, there’s good in that suffering and shame.
So, as we consider that old rugged cross, it is my prayer that we re-survey it’s impact. While, through the cross, Jesus bore the penalty for our sin and reconciled us to God, there is more. The call to take up the cross of Christ is to embrace pain, embrace suffering, and embrace shame. The amazing thing, though, is that when we do so, we do so for His glory and our good. And in Him, we can endure pain, we can endure suffering, and we can even endure shame.
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Meetinghouse Village reminds active and retired AC pastors that they may stay free of charge on Sunday and Monday overnights at our Tower Memorial Suite. Other nights are available at the reduced rate of $25 per night. Availability is dependent on prior bookings and certain Covid-19 protocols. To inquire about a reservation, email info@meetinghousevillage.org.
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Click on Willie's picture to visit his website for upcoming events. |
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ACGC Triennial Convention 2023 |
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Click on either document above for information on the upcoming Triennial Convention. |
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Previous copies of the monthly newsletter are on our website. |
Have a mobile phone? You can now give to the Region through Venmo!
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Online Prayer Meeting Tuesdays from 9-10 AM |
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ERA Board of Directors
Rev. George Karl, President - sumkarl@yahoo.com
Rev. Dwight Dean, Vice President - fsufandsd@gmail.com
Rev. Allen Latimore, Clerk - aclatimore@netzero.net
Mr. John Jones, Treasurer - pastorjoj@gmail.com
Rev. Doug Tourgee, Heritage Conf. President - dougin401@aol.com
Rev. Alan Chamberlin, Maine Conf. Vice President - polarpastor@roadrunner.com
Rev. Josh Rice, Maranatha Conf. President - jrice@emmanuelacc.net
Rev. Derek Irvine, New Life Conf. President - drick1221@gmail.com
Mr. Adam Facteau, New York Conf. President - afacteau@twcny.rr.com
Rev. Ken Perkins, Nova Scotia Conf. President - Ken.perkins@EastLink.ca
Mrs. Deb Reed, ERA Representative to ACGC - deborahjoreed@yahoo.com
Rev. Steve Lawson, ACGC Executive Director - slawson@acgc.us
The Eastern Regional Association Newsletter is published as a ministry of the Eastern Regional Association of the Advent Christian General Conference.
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Eastern Regional Association
32 Four Rod Road, Rochester, NH 03867
Phone: 603-332-1412 / Fax: 603-332-1648
www.aceasternregion.org
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