Committed to New England: Buying a home and a burial plot

In 1994 when Kay and I first moved to New England as missionaries, we served small churches in rural villages in Vermont. Having lived in various cities all of my life, it was quite the culture shock to adjust to ministry in such a different setting. To help me learn how to serve well, I used to meet monthly with Merwyn Borders. Though he was not a native New Englander, Rev. Borders had served in both Massachusetts and Vermont for decades. He loved New England and understood it as well as any “outsider” could. In one of my monthly meetings with him, I expressed my frustration with the lack of acceptance I sensed from native Vermonters. He gave me lots of encouragement, as well as practical advice. 

One of his pieces of practical advice was buying a home. He correctly pointed out to me that when an “outsider” buys a home in a place like New England, it demonstrates that he intends to stay long term. Anyone can walk away from a rented house or apartment, but buying a home makes a statement. 

Though it took a few years for me to be able to make that happen, I agree with Rev. Borders assessment. When I bought my home, it did demonstrate that we were staying a while. And we have stayed, for nearly thirty years. We have seen many people come and go in New England during those thirty years, people full of energy and promise but who found New England too challenging for the long term. During those thirty years, those of us who have stayed have planted many churches, revitalized existing churches, invested a lot of time in reaching young people and trained hundreds of new leaders. Thank God for Merwyn’s help, not just with that particular suggestion, but with many other ideas too. Learning from someone who has already done it successfully is important! Merwyn was not a “flashy” leader, but his steady, faithful, prayerful encouragement made a difference in many lives, including ours.

I particularly remember him joking about another thing I should purchase if I wanted New Englanders to know I was in it for the long haul. He jokingly said “Some people won’t accept you until you buy a plot in a graveyard.” At the time, my wife and I were in our 20s. Buying burial plots in a cemetery was not on our agenda.

Fast forward nearly 30 years, and I found myself three weeks ago buying two burial plots in our local cemetery in Northborough, MA. Only days later, I buried my beloved wife in one of those spots. Lord willing, three or four decades from now, I’ll be buried right beside her.

“We did not come to have a ‘fun adventure’ for a while and then move on to some other ‘cool’ place. We did not come for a ‘job’ or a ‘position.’ We came because we were called by God to plant our lives in New England.”

I don’t know if buying burial plots in New England makes us “more accepted” or not. But I do know that my wife and I have dedicated our lives to spreading the Gospel across New England. We did not come to “build a resume” for a position somewhere else. We did not come to have a “fun adventure” for a while and then move on to some other “cool” place. We did not come for a “job” or a “position.” We came because we were called by God to plant our lives in New England. For thirty years, my wife was faithful to that calling. She has now completed her race and finished her course and her body now rests in the stony ground of New England that she loved so much. Her body awaits the day when the Lord returns and the dead in Christ shall rise and meet Him in the air. Because of her faithful missionary service, many more New Englanders are now looking toward that blessed Hope of Christ’s return.

Like Merwyn, Kay was not a flashy leader. She was not a public speaker. She preferred to serve in the background. But one by one, she impacted the lives of moms, young people searching for answers, children on the autism spectrum who needed someone to understand them, and so many more. Her life made a difference. In a day where so many things are short-term and fleeting, Kay stayed the course all the way to the end. I plan to as well. I own a home in New England, and now I own a burial plot in New England. The calling of God to reach New England for Christ continues until the race is done.

Dr. Terry W. Dorsett serves as the executive director of the Baptist Churches of New England.