Foundation Approves Endowment for Starting Hunger Ministries
With forward-thinking goals in mind, steady leadership, and a clear vision that money sustains ministry, the Baptist Foundation of New England (BFNE) Board of Directors established three new endowed funds and dispersed eight grants at their annual meeting April 21–22. Gathered for their annual retreat at the BCNE office in Northborough, the board established endowment funds for new church-based hunger relief ministries, and similar funds to underwrite annual cash awards for exemplary church planting and evangelism ministry.
“All over New England, the economic situation is tightening, and communities are struggling. While there are a number of community-based programs to address hunger, we think the churches have a unique role. They offer not only the food, but the hope that comes from faith in Christ,” BCNE Executive Director Terry Dorsett commented. The BFNE endowed Hunger Ministry Fund was created to help churches that want to start a hunger relief ministry such as a food pantry, soup kitchen, or meal program for their neighbors.
The endowment was created because food insecurity is a major concern in many parts of the six New England states. Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, not-for-profit pantries, and community-based organizations, reports that in 2021 the “food insecurity rate” for the region is: Maine, 10.5%; New Hampshire: 6.8%; Vermont: 8.9%; Massachusetts: 8.1%; Rhode Island: 9.3%; and Connecticut: 10.5%.
The exact figures vary for each city and village and are available online by county. The stark reality is that, according Feeding America, nine of every 100 people in New England lack reliable and affordable access to food. “Food security” means “access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life” (USDA.gov).
“We’re thankful for the ongoing support of the North American Mission Board in the area of hunger, but due to budgetary changes, we receive significantly less money than what we once did. The good news is that there are people in New England with resources who will want to give to meet the need,” said Dorsett. The churches that receive a BFNE grant, he added, will “link hunger ministry with gospel presentation. We don’t have a prescribed way for this. We want them to contextualize gospel presentation for their particular community. Giving someone a meal without presenting the gospel is doing only half the job.” A church might place a New Testament or a DVD with the “The Jesus Film” into a bag of groceries, provide spiritual counsel, or share a brief prayer.
When New England Baptist churches observe a Global Hunger Sunday, they “will be called to act out the powerful love of Jesus . . . for people in desperate need,” according to Baptist Global Response. The Bible reports Jesus’s response to the food insecurity he encountered: “Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat . . .’” (Matt 15:32, NIV). More than 4,000 people were fed that day with a few loaves and fish—and a miracle. The same sort of miracle can happen across New England.
Each fall the BCNE recognizes one church’s excellence and passion for the Gospel with the Raymond C. Allen Award for Excellence in Evangelism and Missions. Though the award has been given every year, once this this new BFNE fund is fully endowed, it will add a cash grant to award so that the recipient church can continue to excel in evangelism and missions. The Allen award has been given twenty times, first in 2003 to then-Pastor Bruce James and Gallup Hill Baptist Church, Ledyard, CT; and most recently in 2022 to Pastor Silvio Dos Santos and Portuguese Baptist Church of Saugus, MA.
Raymond C. Allen has served New England Baptists for more than fifty years. In 1983 he was appointed evangelism director for New England Baptists. For twenty years, he led the evangelism, youth evangelism, brotherhood, stewardship, and disaster-relief ministries, and he planted or helped plant nine churches. Allen retired from the BCNE in 2003, only to be invited to lead the Massachusetts Baptist Association. He fully retired in March 2020.
BCNE created the Robert H. Brindle Church Planting Award in 2009 to honor the lifetime achievements of Brindle, a church planter, pastor, and leader in New England for decades. Though the Brindle award has been given sixteen times, first in 2009 to the late Pastor Earl Edgerly; his widow, Carole Edgerly; and Farmington Baptist Church, Farmington, ME; and most recently in 2022 to Lead Pastor Neal Davidson and Hope Chapel, Sterling, MA. Once fully endowed, this new fund will add a cash grant to the award so that the recipient can continue to excel in church planting.
Robert H. Brindle graduated in 1958 with a Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and served as pastor of churches in Kentucky and Maryland before being asked, in 1967, to become pastor of South Burlington Baptist Church in northern Vermont. He was Upper New England Baptist Association director before joining the BCNE staff as Director of Church Planting. Brindle was 74 when he died in May 2007.
All three endowed funds need a balance of at least $10,000 before the BFNE board can approve a grant proposal and distribute funds. The foundation has endowed funds for everything from collegiate ministry to ministerial benevolence. A complete list of the endowed funds and a link to donate can be found at bcne.net/bfne-donate.
The foundation board approved $62,447 grants for these churches and BCNE staff proposals:
Austin Square Baptist Church, Lynn, MA, for audio-visual equipment upgrade: $4,056
New Life Community Church, Georgetown, MA, for building repairs and maintenance: $1,750
Iglesia Bautista Casa de Restauracion, Lawrence, MA, for central air conditioning: $2,500
BCNE general fund: $35,000
Collegiate ministry for Fusion and Cultivate conferences: $5,000
Church revitalization training events: $7,500
Salary assistance for an Ethnic Evangelism Training Coordinator: $5,000
Rice Lodge for new mattresses: $1,641
Dorsett presented the board with draft templates for other endowments for specialized scholarship funds and for potential church endowments. The board will consider those additional new endowments in future meetings.
A Massachusetts native and a New England Baptist since 1970, Dan Nicholas is the BCNE managing editor.