Eastern Regional Association June 2024 Newsletter

2024 ERA Convention

This year’s annual convention will return to the Blessed Hope Advent Christian Church in Waterville, ME. The ERA Board is extremely grateful to Blessed Hope for their willingness to host us once again this year.

The dates for this year’s convention are Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26.

One of our plenary session speakers will be ACGC Executive Director Justin Nash. Justin will also present two workshops with the topic of “From Darkness to Light”. Another workshop presenter will be Ryan Goding of “Anchor New England”. If you were in attendance at last year’s convention, you will remember that Ryan was one of our keynote speakers. Other speakers and worship leaders will be announced at a later date. Charlene Williams will once again provide our meals during the convention. We have secured a block of rooms at the Fireside Inn for the price of $116 per night. More information and links to register and reserve housing will be provided in the months to come.

Thank you.

The ERA Board

Camp NOMACCA, Mapleton ME

A wise man will build his house on the rock, and not on the sand.

However, if you don't have a rock, you can make one! That's just what we did at Camp Nomacca - We poured 63 yards of concrete to be the foundation for our new tabernacle. Praise God, it went smoothly and quickly, and we look forward to a summer of worship in a tent, and, Lord willing, a new tabernacle building next year!

Josh Cheney

Superintendent Search Update

The process of finding a superintendent for the Eastern Region is underway. The committee, made up of the presidents of each conference, has spent time prayerfully evaluating the regional ministry and developing a new job description for the position of Superintendent. The Search Committee is now in the process of receiving recommendations of candidates who may fit the character and responsibilities outlined in the job description. Your input is welcome, and we invite you to send any such recommendations to Joshua Rice, chairperson, via e-mail: jrice.emmanuel@gmail.com

Recommendations will be received by the deadline of Saturday, July 13, 2024. Following the deadline, the Search Committee will begin the process of prayerfully considering the list of potential candidates and will then be reaching out to those we've decided to interview.

Thank you for your continued prayer support.

Superintendent Search Committee

Pastor Spotlight

Happy 95th Birthday, Bill Monroe

A couple of days before his 95th birthday, which is June 21st, I had the privilege of visiting Bill Monroe at his apartment at the Vernon Hall. When I was a young pastor, (very much younger) in the early 80’s, there was an annual pastor’s conference on the Berkshire Christian College campus in Lenox. I don’t remember the messages that were preached, but there were two things that I still remember about the pastor’s conference. One of those was the singing. It was an amazing blessing to hear the men sing as we raised the roof at Chadzey Hall. The other thing that I still remember were the “giants” of the faith that were at these conferences. These men were a great inspiration and example to a young pastor. Through the years most of these men have fallen asleep in Christ. The Advent Christian Church is much poorer because these men are no longer with us. But one of these men is still alive and well and continues to be an inspiration and example to us “younger” pastors, Bill Monroe. I want to share some insights into the life of one of these “giants” who continues to be a part of the ERA weekly prayer meeting.

Bill was born in the Torrington, CT area and attended the church throughout his early years. At the age of 7, Bill received Christ as his Savior. Around the age of 30, Rev. Larry Ross (one of those “giants” of the faith) was conducting special meetings at the Torrington AC Church. It was at this time that Bill sensed God’s call on his life to enter vocational ministry. He enrolled at BCC to prepare for ministry. While attending BCC he met and fell in love with Margaret Shaw from the Middle Simonds Church in New Brunswick, she became his bride for 61 years. After completing his degree at Berkshire, he and Margaret were planning on going to India as they had been appointed by the denomination to serve as missionaries. Margaret, being from Canada, was granted a visa by the Indian government but Bill was denied a visa. Instead of India, Bill and Margaret went to Bear Point, Nova Scotia to serve as the pastoral family, a position he took, having not even candidated at the church. While there, Margaret came down with tuberculosis and for over a year was in a sanitarium some 185 miles away. Bill not only had the responsibility of the church, but also his two sons who were 1 and 3 years old. One of the high points of his ministry was to baptize Jack Nickerson, who was an older man who ran a lobster pound. Bill pastored there for some 6 years. He then went to North Springfield, VT where he pastored the church for 15 years. While there they built a new church and had an extensive bus ministry. From there Bill went to Friendship, ME where he pastored for 11 1/2 years. Once again Bill was involved in a church building project. After Bill “retired”, he and Margaret moved to Waldoboro, ME. Of course, retirement was not in Bill’s blood as he served as an interim pastor in Elliot, ME and Oxford, ME. Even though he didn’t mention it during our time together, I believe Bill also served as interim Superintendent. While living in Waldoboro, ME, Bill and Margaret attended the Goodwins Mills Advent Christian Church where he reconnected with one of his BCC classmates, Clark Cole.

I asked Bill what advice he has for younger pastors. He immediately said: “live by faith and not by sight”. He relayed the following story to me as an example. Bill and Margaret always tithed to their Bear Point Church. During Penny Crusade they would pledge towards that effort, but it would be over and above their tithe. They had pledged $5 to Penny Crusade. It doesn’t sound like much in today’s standards, but in those days, you could buy a tank of gas for $5. It was during this time that Margaret was in the sanitarium. Bill said he was between a rock and a hard place. He had only $5, enough to fulfill his pledge or put gas in his car so he could visit his wife, which he did only every 2 weeks. Bill chose to fulfill his pledge by giving $5 to Penny Crusade. That same Sunday night the “Loyal Workers” group gave Bill an envelope. It contained $10 and they told him to use it to buy gas. Bill also told me that wherever they went they always loved their people, and they loved them. They always developed a close relationship with the people of the church.

Finally, I asked Bill how long he and Margaret had been married. They were married in 1961 and she fell asleep in Christ in 2016. They were married for 55 years. I said, you must still miss her. He replied yes and then told me a very sweet story that reflects the kind of man Bill Monroe is. He said that on every anniversary he buys one long stem rose and keeps it fresh for as long as he can.

Happy birthday Bill, may you have many more. We need to have “giants” among us. 

submitted by George Karl

News from ACGC

2025 AC Leaders' Conference

Save the date! The 2025 AC Leaders’ Conference will be held February 4-6 at the beautiful Advent Christian Village in Dowling Park, Florida. The theme is “Rest for Your Soul” and the event will explore building healthy habits and rhythms for longevity in pastoral ministry. Our speaker is Rev. Andy Addis, the Lead Teaching and Vision Pastor at CrossPoint Church in Hutchinson, Kansas, author and host of the Rural Pastor Podcast (theruralpastor.com). Please plan to join us for this time of spiritual renewal and refreshing where you can gather with old friends and make some new ones. The most up-to-date information can be found at acgc.us/rest. Registration opens July 1. We hope to see you there.

ERA Phone Number Discontinued

ACGC International Missions Update

TANZANIA – Last November, Pastors Johnson Odoyo and Amos Komanya of Tanzania journeyed to visit our new friends, the Hadzabe bush people. This trip issued many challenges, including a power-encounter with witchdoctors that ended with the witchdoctors falling into paralysis and blindness. Johnson and Amos laid their hands upon them in prayer and the infirmities were lifted. Although the witchdoctors offered no allegiance to the God of the Bible, they did agree not to curse the newly established church. 

In February, our two pastors journeyed yet again to visit the Hadzabe...

Click the image above to read the most recent prayer points.

After many years of housing the Adventual Library, Gordon Conwell is closing down this space in their library. While the ERA has little to do in the way of closing the library we have been asked to remove the ERA records. Since we no longer have an office nor a storage bin, we are in need of a place to store material. At this point we do not know what this exactly means but it shouldn't be an extraordinary amount. If you or your church has a place to store these records, please contact George Karl.  

Thank you.

George

The William Miller Chapel (owned by the Advent Christian denomination) is looking for a piano. If you have a piano that is in good working condition and are willing to donate it please contact Rev. David Davis who is one of the Miller Chapel Advent Christian trustees. He can be reached at: revdwdavis@gmail.com

Trip To Lancaster, PA

The Attleboro Advent Christian Church invites you to join them August 14-16, 2024, on a chartered bus Journey into Amish country, Lancaster, PA. where we will enjoy sightseeing at Bird-in Hand Farmers Market and The Amish Village. Evening Dinners at Shady Maple Smorgasbord & Plain and Fancy Restaurant will give you a taste of Amish and Dutch Cuisine. Let’s not forget the premier production of “Daniel” at the Sight and Sound Theater.

All expenses are covered in your individual fee with the exception of lunches, snacks, and souvenirs.

For more information and or a registration form: call Pastor Paul Carter at 508-222-8407

Look up into the heavens.

Who created all the stars?

He brings them out like an army,

one after another, calling each by its name.

Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing, O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? (Isaiah 40:26,27).

•••

In 1995 two astronomers in Baltimore, Md. conducted what became known as the Hubble Deep Field Study: They took an exposure of a small patch of sky and discovered over 3000 galaxies in that tiny portion of space. Based on that discovery, astronomers now estimate that there are more than a trillion galaxies in the cosmos, each containing billions of stars!

Yet, each night, without fail, God “brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing."

The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, the one who names and numbers the stars, knows each one of us by name! How then can I say, “He doesn’t see my troubles."

David Roper

Mechanic Falls Campground is in need of a cook for the week of Campmeeting (July 20-28). The camp is located in Mechanic Falls, Maine. Please contact Roger Brown at rjbpapabrown@gmail.com if you are interested.

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.

Eastern Regional Association

P.O. Box 214 Winchester, NH 03470