The History of Fellowship Bible Church of Chester, NH: The First Twenty Years
by Alan Delorey
Forward
Nothing can give a better explanation for the existence of an organization than the rendering of its history. Its origins, its traditions, its fundamental beliefs, and its irreducible convictions are captured in the portrayal of its story from the earliest days of its infancy to its present state. As I reflect back over the twenty years that Fellowship Bible Church has existed, I am awed at the spiritual growth that has occurred in those of us that have been part of this assembly since its beginning. I am equally amazed at the way God has allowed us to grow by bringing to us so many gifted and dedicated people who love the Lord and desire to see Him exalted. Yet, I am humbled when I realize that next year (2000 AD) represents approximately two thousand years since the birth of Jesus Christ, and that we have only affected barely one percent of that time! However, we need to remember, that the most remarkable events of history are usually isolated, independent occurrences. Within our relatively short history, only God knows the eternal effects of some small event that may already taken place. As you read the following pages, you will develop a sense for who we are and why we do what we do. You will better appreciate our assembly of those whom the Apostle Paul might refer to as "peculiar people, zealous of good works." Our strengths and our weaknesses, our struggles and our victories are each recorded and woven into the tapestry of the life of this wonderful assembly. Alan Delorey is to be commended for both his desire in attempting this task and for his diligence in achieving its completion. His research is thorough and his perspective is properly objective. His goal is to glorify God in this writing, and, in my opinion, he has done this masterfully.
Richard H. Francis, Pastor (1996 - 2007)
Preface
I thought that I would share with the readers of this history my own Christian testimony to help you get to know me. I grew up in Chester, New Hampshire, where my family attended the Chester Congregational Church regularly. Although I had a religious upbringing, I did not know Christ as my savior. The gospel message of the need for a personal savior was first presented to me when I was a freshman in college at the University of New Hampshire. I accepted Christ as my savior in February 1976. During the school year, I attended Durham Evangelical Church, and while home during summer vacations, I attended Raymond Baptist. After Fellowship Bible Church was founded, in fall 1979, I attended several services there when I was home from college. Barbara and I met while at UNH and we were married on June 27, 1981. We graduated in 1982 and moved to Derry where we attended a local church. In 1985 we moved back to Chester and started attending Fellowship Bible Church full time. Barbara and I have been active members of the church since then and have appreciated the warm, caring, family atmosphere that the people of Fellowship Bible Church demonstrate.
Alan Delorey
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge and thank the following people for providing input and reviewing this history of Fellowship Bible Church: Rick and Heather Francis, Frank and Kathi Camillieri, Lenny and Ivy Coleman, Debi Costine, Cindy Morby, Bryan Moquin, and Don Flahardy.
Chapter One: The Early Years - The Formation of the Church
In the fall of 1978 a group of Chester area residents felt the need for a Christian Bible Study. They contacted Reverend Andy Anderson of Derry, New Hampshire who agreed to lead the study. This group of about a dozen people met weekly.
Out of the Bible Study group grew the formation of an evangelical church. Fellowship Bible Church was incorporated with the state of New Hampshire in September 1979. An initial Statement of Faith was drafted in October. Those who had signed the Statement of Faith by January 13, 1980 were considered Charter Members of FBC. This consisted of Andy and Candy Anderson, Frank and Kathi Camillieri, Lenny and Ivy Coleman, Debi Costine, Stan and Judy Daley, Rick and Heather Francis, Tom and Linda Paton, and John and Janet Pepper.
Sunday morning services began in the Chester Town Hall in September 1979, with Reverend Andy Anderson preaching. On November 4, 1979, Loren Murray preached his first sermon as a candidate for the position of pastor. Those early services in the town hall were characteristic of a devout group of believers. Fred Root set up chairs in the upstairs auditorium and stoked the furnace in the basement. Rick Francis played the piano and Andy Anderson led the singing. The chairs were uncomfortable, the acoustics were poor, the heat was inadequate and often smoky. On several occasions the service was interrupted by the flutter of bats moving about the room. Yet the Spirit of God was present and the church was off and running.
In February 1980 Loren Murray was officially called to pastor Fellowship Bible Church. I remember the following story which Loren shared at one of his first services.
There was a young pastor who got up in front of the church to preach his first sermon and found that only one parishioner was present. The young preacher asked the man if he still wanted to hear the sermon. The man, a rancher, replied that when he went out to feed the cows, if only one showed up, he still fed it.
Encouraged by this response the young pastor launched into his sermon with vigor. When he had finished, the preacher asked the man what he thought of the sermon. The man replied, that although when only one cow showed up he still fed it, he didn't feed the whole load to that one cow.
Loren went on to share how he would try to pace his sermons and his teaching so as not to "dump the whole load" on us all at once.
Loren Murray was born in Dexter, Maine on January 29, 1951 to Royce and Norma Murray. Loren was the oldest child in a family that grew to three boys and one girl. They moved to Nashua, New Hampshire when Loren was a young child, then moved to Londonderry in 1959, where Loren spent most of his youth and was saved at age 13. Those who have heard Loren's sermons will remember many humorous stories that he told about his early years.
Loren attended Memorial High School in Manchester and received his pastoral training at the Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music in Michigan. He graduated in 1976 with a diploma in Pastoral Studies. He served as a camp director at Word of Life during the summers of 1973 to 1975. He worked as a missionary with Word of Life Clubs International from 1975 to 1978. Loren Murray and Cynthia Lynds were married on August 4, 1973 and had four children, Michelle, Maegan, Robertson, and Andrew.
When Loren first started as pastor at FBC the church could only support him part time, so he worked in his father's local business, Londonderry Sanitation. Loren displayed a true servant's heart, he was even willing to work as a trash man in order to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The church was able to support him full time starting on February 1, 1981.
The Fellowship Bible Church Constitution and Bylaws were officially approved at a church business meeting on April 20, 1980.
In July 1980 FBC held its first summertime Vacation Bible School (VBS). This has continued as an annual event (under various other names) since that time.
The first Annual Report of FBC, for the calendar year 1980, outlined several broad categories with specific ministries in each of those areas. Not all of these ministries were put into action immediately, some of them were not staffed and functional for another few years. The ministry plans of the church were laid out as follows.
Worship
- Ushers Ministry: Royce Murray Chairman
- Greeters Ministry: Debi Costine Chairman
- Special Music Ministry: Robin Daley [Hastings] Chairman
- Special Programs and Speakers Ministry: Pastor Murray Chairman
- Communion Ministry: Ivy Coleman Chairman
Christian Education
- Sunday School Ministry: Bryan Moquin Chairman, Debi Costine Vice Chairman
- Children's Church Ministry: Norma Murray Chairman, Sue Geiger Vice Chairman
- Ladies Bible Study Ministry: Cindy Murray Chairman, Debbie Moquin Vice Chairman
- College and Career Ministry: Lenny Coleman Chairman
- Nursery Ministry: Cindy Murray Chairman
- Youth Ministry: Bryan Moquin Chairman, Frank Camillieri Vice Chairman
- Vacation Bible School or Five Day Clubs: [no Chairman]
Deacon Caring
- Deacon Caring Ministry: Tom Paton, Stan Daley, Rick Francis
- Flower Ministry: Debbie Moquin
Visitation
- Pastoral Visitation Ministry: Pastor Murray
- General Visitation Ministry: Andy Anderson Chairman
Missions
- Missions Ministry: Pastor Murray Chairman
Finance
- Budget and Audit Ministry: Pastor Murray Chairman
Communications
- Church Publications Ministry: Pastor Murray Chairman
- Library Ministry: Kathi Camillieri Chairman
- Tract Ministry: Stan Daley Chairman
- Tape Ministry: Tom Paton Chairman
Building
- New Building Ministry: John Pepper Chairman, Royce Murray Vice Chairman
Facilities
- Present Facility Ministry
- To make the Town Hall ready for the services.
The church was a bit unconventional in some things. Sunday School was held after the Sunday morning service and included classes for adults. The reason for holding Sunday School after the morning service was that Reverend Andy Anderson initially preached the Sunday morning sermons while he still had commitments at the Central Congregational Church in Derry. Switching the order of the Sunday morning service at FBC allowed Andy to cover two churches.
Communion was held on the second Sunday of every month because FBC borrowed the communion set from Raymond Baptist where they used their communion set on the first Sunday of the month. Easter Sunrise services were held at Warfields (off Derry Rd, in Chester) followed by a breakfast at the Camillieri's.
During the Sunday morning service there was a 10 minute meet-and-greet time to give people an opportunity to meet and welcome newcomers. During an informal announcement time at the start of the service, people were free to share birthdays and anniversaries. Many people were drawn to the new church by its warm and friendly atmosphere, plus its uniqueness in offering a relaxed, friendly, informal atmosphere while still diligently preaching the Word of God.
Fellowship Bible Church has always had a strong focus on youth programs. A Word of Life Club for teens was started in the fall of 1980. The Self-Confrontation curriculum and the Counseling Ministry have also been cornerstones of FBC and have been in operation since the church was founded.
Scott Button may have been the first convert of Fellowship Bible Church. Scott was working as a blacksmith, shoeing horses at the time. Scott tells of his salvation experience with these words:
I was saved in 1980 and I was also the first convert of Fellowship Bible Church, so I'm told. Folks were praying for me during the summer of 1980. On Friday August 8th, I met Kris Matson [Button] at their barn in Candia when I came to shoe their "husses" (horses). I came back to talk with her on August 14th. I believe the church had already started praying for my salvation at that time. Kris began right away talking to me about the Lord and asking me if I believed I was a sinner. Over the course of several weeks we visited and she faithfully told me the gospel and talked with me about Scripture. Then on the night of September 4th 1980 she asked a lot of questions about what I now believed and concluded that I now confirmed all the truths of the Gospel intellectually. Her exact words were, "Well, what are you going to do about this? Do you want me to pray with you?" I knew that I wanted to trust Christ, but I told her "I'll go before God tonight." As I traveled home from Kris' house to my folks house in Chester I knew exactly what I was about to do that night. I was completely overwhelmed with the thought of my sins offending a Holy God. I cried from the Raymond - Candia line until I drove into the driveway of my folks house in Chester. There I poured my heart out to God and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and all that He had done for me on the Cross.
Scott was baptized by Pastor Murray at an FBC baptism service held at Raymond Baptist Church on February 6, 1981. Loren saw a lot of potential in this young man and spent considerable time discipling him over the next couple of years. This was time well spent as evidenced by the fact that Scott would later heed the call to become a pastor.
Scott and Kris were engaged on June 24, 1982 and married on June 25, 1983. In fall 1982 the Word of Life Club separated into Junior and Senior High clubs with Scott and Kris Button taking over the Junior High club.
As of the end of 1980 the following people were members of FBC: Reverand Andy and Candy Anderson, Bob and Sandy Boutilier, Frank and Kathi Camillieri, Mary-Jean Colburn, Lenny and Ivy Coleman, Debi Costine, Stan and Judy Daley, Pat Dumas, Rick and Heather Francis, Joel and Sue Geiger, Bryan and Debbie Moquin, Loren and Cindy Murray, Royce and Norma Murray, Tom and Linda Paton, John and Janet Pepper, and Al and Shirley Thies.
Heather Francis headed up the Adult Fellowship Ministry for several years starting in 1981. During that first year of organized Adult Fellowship activ ities she planned a sleigh ride, game night, ice-cream social, two dinners, a skit night and Christmas Caroling. Heather also organized the first church family picnic on July 11, 1981 at Pawtuckaway State Park. Many people will recognize this event today as our annual Labor Day picnic. In February 1982 the first Valentine's Banquet was held, which later grew into the Dessert Night as the church became much larger, and continues to this day.
In March 1981 the town selectmen notified FBC that the church could no longer use the Town Hall to hold Sunday services. Ray Remillard offered to let FBC use 1,600 square feet of unfinished space in his office/retail building on Raymond Road in Chester for a period of two years, rent free. To make the facility usable, the church had to pour a concrete floor, sheet-rock the walls, install partitions for a nursery, office space, and children's church, and install plumbing and electrical wiring. The church moved to this facility in May, 1981.
Although this facility was rather cramped, it did allow the pastor to have an office. This may have been when the "coffee tradition" started at Fellowship Bible Church. There was a restaurant at the opposite end of Remillard's building from the space that the church was using. People attending church developed the habit of getting coffee at the restaurant before church. This tradition continued when the church moved into its own facility, with coffee being provided at the church on Sunday mornings.
Chapter Two: The Church in its own Facility
In November 1982 the building committee recommended purchasing four acres of land on the Rod and Gun Club Road in Chester. The church approved, so the committee began the process of developing a site plan and building plan, plus obtaining necessary town and state approvals. A couple affiliated with the church agreed to loan the purchase price of the land ($20,000) to the church, under terms of a ten-year loan at 10 percent annually. FBC accepted this offer and in February 1983 the purchase of the land was completed.
As of June 1, 1983 the two-year rent-free lease had run out and FBC began paying a rental fee of $200 per month for the use of space in Remillard's building.
Meanwhile, bank financing was obtained for construction of a church building on the new property. During the summer and fall of 1983 a foundation and the outer shell of the church building were constructed. Then work moved inside to complete the downstairs of the building.
In October 1983 Rick Francis was approved as an Elder of FBC, and Don and Cindy Flahardy became members.
On Christmas Eve 1983 the Church met for the first time in the basement of its new building. Subsequent Sunday morning services were also held in the new facility. Average Sunday morning attendance was about 84.
In 1983 the Deacon Caring Ministry was organized with each of 23 church families assigned to one of four Deacons. By 1984 this had grown to six deacons caring for 40 families. Each church family was assigned to a Deacon who was responsible to care for that family's physical and spiritual needs.
In July 1984 the construction loan for the building was converted to a mortgage for $100,000.
During 1984 the church decided to support Janie Thompson (missionary to Irian Jaya with U.F.M.) and John and Beverly Frizelle (missionaries to New Zealand with Word of Life). The church provided about 20 percent of each one's support need. This was the first time that FBC had taken on missionaries to support them with a regular monthly commitment. Prior to this time, missionary support had been done as one-time gifts to various missionaries.
The College and Career ministry first began in July 1984 with a backyard barbecue. This ministry was aimed at college students and young adult singles up to the age of 30. The first event had 10 attendees, yet by the end of the year the group had grown to 20.
In December 1984 the upstairs of the church building was completed. The new sanctuary was capable of seating about 250 people. The first Sunday morning worship service to meet in the new sanctuary was held one year after moving into the downstairs of the building. Average Sunday morning Church attendance stood at 120, up from 84 only one year previous.
By October 1985 the church had grown so steadily that the Friday night Bible Study had become too large to effectively minister to people. Four Deacon Caring Groups were established to minister to people in various geographical areas surrounding the Church, under the care of seven Deacons. Each church family was assigned to a Deacon Caring Group run by one or two Deacons. The groups each met on Friday night for Bible Study, prayer, and fellowship just as the previous single large group had.
At the business meeting on October 27, 1985 the proposal to take on Richard (Rick) Francis as a full-time pastor was presented to the congregation. Additional funding to make this possible was sought through faith promises. In January 1986 Rick became a full-time pastor at FBC heading up the Counseling and Administrative duties of the Church as well as assisting with visitation and oversight of the Deacon Caring ministry.
Rick Francis and Heather Brown grew up in Billerica Massachusetts, where they met at a church youth group and became high school sweethearts. They were married on August 19, 1972, and had three children, Cheryl, Rachael, and Katherine (Kattie). Rick received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1974. His first job was with Agway in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1975 Agway transfered Rick to Derry, New Hampshire. Rick and Heather lived in an apartment in Derry for one year and then built a home in Chester in 1976. In 1980, Rick went to work for United Cooperative Farmers in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, where he worked until becoming a full-time pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in 1986.
The church continued to grow steadily in numbers with Sunday morning attendance running about 162 by December 1985. During 1985 a speaker system was added to the nursery, thus allowing the nursery workers the opportunity to hear the services.
At the quarterly business meeting on May 4, 1986 Bryan Moquin was voted in as an Elder of FBC in charge of Christian Education with special emphasis on youth programs.
On the missionary front, in 1986 the church decided to support Scott and Kris Button through faith promises while they attended Citadel Bible College in preparation for full time Christian work. The church also took on Duane and Trish Gregory (World of Life Representatives for Northern New England) as supported missionaries. In addition, FBC maintained its support for Janie Thompson and the Frizelles.
Pastor Murray, Pastor Francis, and Cindy Murray went on a short-term missions trip to Hungary in November 1986. This trip, with Word Of Life International, was for the purpose of looking for potential sites for a Bible Institute and summer camps. While there, they also assisted with ministry in the local church.
The church continued to grow steadily during 1986. FBC produced a brochure that could be given to guests, visitors, or people interested in learning more about the church. Vacation Bible School in July 1986 had 100 children registered. The Deacon Caring Groups expanded from four to five groups, and an additional Deacon was taken on, bringing the total to eight. By December, 1986 there were 200 people attending the Sunday morning service.
Chapter Three: The Church Expands
In 1986 the Church started to consider expanding the building. At the July quarterly business meeting several proposals were discussed for a new or larger building. At the October business meeting plans were presented for an addition to the existing building to provide for a large fellowship hall downstairs and classrooms upstairs. By January 1987 preliminary drawings had been prepared by an architect. As of April 1987, first-draft blueprints had been drawn for review.
At the July 1987 quarterly business meeting the congregation approved an additional $100,000 in debt for the construction of a 40' x 60' two-story extension to the original building. This was updated at the October 1987 business meeting to increase the amount to $115,000.
Ground-breaking commenced in July, and by September the foundation was done, sides were up, and the roof was going on. The church paid for the initial work out of the building fund and general fund, until the building construction loan was approved by the bank in October. The construction loan for the new wing was rolled into the mortgage in August 1988, resulting in a combined building mortgage of about $200,000.
Pastor Rick Francis attended Burlington Bible Institute from 1987 to 1989. Rick graduated in June 1989 with a diploma in Biblical Studies.
Barbara Delorey began the Children's Choir ministry in September 1987. This ministry started off with 12 children providing special music at Sunday morning services and also ministered regularly at the Birchwood Nursing Home in Derry.
In fall 1987 the Deacon Caring Ministry continued to grow with the church, expanding to six caring groups with a total of 10 deacons. Barbara Delorey became Pastor's Secretary on March 1, 1988, taking over from Jo-Ann Thornton.
In spring 1988 the upstairs of the new addition was ready for Sunday School classes. The downstairs still needed the floor and ceiling to be completed.
The Senior High Word of Life Club at FBC held its first annual Senior High banquet in June 1988. This ministry was aimed at providing the church teens with a Christian alternative to traditional secular school events.
Randy Murray announced, at the April 1988 quarterly business meeting, that he would like to start a sister church. There were no additional details at this point, just a statement of intent. At the next quarterly business meeting the church voted to commission Randy Murray to plant a new church as an extension ministry of FBC.
Randy Murray was Loren's younger brother and also grew up in Londonderry, New Hampshire. Randy was saved in 1965 at Calvary Baptist Church in Manchester, New Hampshire. He went to High School at Manchester Central, class of 1976. Randy received a diploma from Word of Life Bible Institute in 1977. He then attended Grand Rapids School of The Bible and Music in Michigan where he received a diploma in 1981. He met Janice while at Grand Rapids and they were married in June 1981.
A three-phase plan for church planting was laid out, with phase one to commence in September 1988. The first phase was to "lay the foundation" and would include holding Sunday morning and evening services, plus Sunday School and a weekly Bible Study. Phase two was planned for September 1989 as the "reach out" period to grow the church numerically. Phase three was planned for September 1990 with the hope that the new church would be an independent, self-supporting church.
Several families, numbering about 20 people, ventured forth from FBC to help form the foundation of the new church. In addition to Randy and Janice Murray, the other families were the Costines, Keeneys, McGraths, Wenzels, Dave Hastings, and Jan Collins. Berean Bible Fellowship held its first service on September 11, 1988 at the Epping Elementary School.
In 1988 the annual church picnic was moved to Labor Day weekend at Pawtuckaway State Park. This tradition continues to the present day.
Don Flahardy was approved as an Elder of FBC at the October 1988 quarterly business meeting. He was given the task of overseeing the Adult Education Ministry. An additional Deacon was brought on, bringing the total to 11.
During 1988, 12 people from FBC went on short-term missions trips to such places as Africa, Central America, Australia, Germany, Haiti, and Jamaica. The church took on regular support for Robbie and Wanda Locke, missionaries to Santiago, Chile with A.B.W.E. starting in January 1989.
Dr. Jack Wyrtzen, founder of Word of Life and Billy Speer, famous Gospel singer, shared their talents with FBC on Saturday evening March 18, 1989.
An Olympians program, sponsored by Word of Life, was started at FBC in 1988 to provide a program for children in grades one through six. In fall 1989 the Olympians program was replaced by Pathfinders, a program developed at FBC.
Following the stock market crash in October 1987, the economy fell into a recession. This was especially poignant in New England. For the first time since Fellowship Bible Church was founded, attendance began to drop as people moved away in search of jobs. The general fund finished 1988 with a $2,462 deficit. In 1989 the adjustable interest rate on the church building mortgage increased by 2%. Many church ministries had to tighten their belts and live on a smaller budget in 1989. The church newsletter was discontinued and any unnecessary expenses were eliminated. At the end of 1989 the general fund still showed a $2,000 deficit.
Starting in January 1990, to help ease the financial strain at FBC, Pastor Rick Francis went back to his previous job at United Cooperative Farmers (UCF), working there two days a week. He also continued as a pastor at FBC on a part-time basis. In July his time at UCF increased to three days a week. In January 1991 Rick went back to work full-time at UCF. Although no longer a salaried pastor at FBC he was still an elder.
The budget-trimming did enable the church to recover the general fund from its deficit condition even with increased expenses in other areas, such as mortgage and building insurance. The church's net income for 1990 just enabled FBC to balance the general fund and repay money that had been borrowed from Berean's account. However the local economy continued to put the squeeze on church finances, income dropped significantly from 1990 to 1991.
From a peak of six Deacon Caring Groups with 11 deacons in 1988, the church consolidated to five groups with six deacons in 1989. In January 1990 the Deacon Caring Groups were discontinued and replaced by age-grouped Sunday School Classes.
At the end of 1989 Scott and Kris Button returned from Bible College. In 1990 FBC commissioned another church planting, this time in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Scott Button began a Bible study in Alton in March 1990. In July, Scott and Kris moved to Alton. On August 26, Cornerstone Bible Church held its first Sunday Worship service. While sheparding a small flock of about 25 people, Scott worked four days a week as a carpenter. FBC continued to support Scott and Kris through the end of 1990.
Fellowship Bible Church held its "First Annual Missionary Conference" in April 1990. Featured speakers were M.A. Butler with Word of Life International Australia, Scott Button church planting in New Hampshire, Dale and Margaret Gallagher with Canadian Sunday School Mission, Max and Sue Lindstrom candidates with New Tribes Mission, Randy Murray with FBC extension ministry at Berean Bible Fellowship, and Gerry and Pat Smith with Berean Mission INC. Although the title clearly implied an intention to repeat this event annually, the next missions conference did not occur until fall 1997.
The youth group from Grace Bible Church in Berne, Indiana joined with the youth of FBC to engage in a Teen Summer Mission outreach in summer 1990. They ran several Backyard Bible Clubs and presented a few concerts. Inspired by the group from Indiana, FBC formed the Sounds of Praise youth group in fall 1990, to minister through music, puppet shows, and special presentations.
Berean Bible Fellowship held its first VBS in summer 1990 with many workers from FBC joining in to help them. Lenny Seidel, sacred concert pianist, ministered at FBC on Sunday, July 29, 1990. Eddie Piper, tenor vocalist, ministered at FBC on Thursday, August 30, 1990.
In 1990 Sunday morning attendance averaged about 200 people. Mostly from people moving away, church attendance dropped about 10 percent from 1990 to 1991.
In July 1991 Rick & Heather Francis moved to Ashby, Massachusetts, and attended Bethany Bible Chapel in Winchendon. They kept close ties with Fellowship Bible Church and often came to visit.
With Janie Thompson back from her mission to Irian Jaya, the church decided, in January 1992, to switch her monthly missions support to the Lindstroms, who were on their way to Mexico as full time missionaries with New Tribes Mission.
A Wednesday morning Ladies' prayer time was started in fall 1992, which has continued right through the present day.
At the second quarterly business meeting in 1993 the decision was made to suspend missionary support for the Frizelles and the Gregorys. At the same time the church began supporting Randy and Janice Murray at Berean Bible Fellowship in Epping, NH, the Gallaghers with Canadian Sunday School Mission working in New England and the Maritime Provinces, and the Mitchells with Baptist Mid-Missions working in Newfoundland. The church also maintained its support for Robbie and Wanda Locke, missionaries to Santiago, Chile with A.B.W.E. The Lindstroms returned to Chester from the mission field in Mexico during 1993.
During summer 1993 the Sounds of Praise teen choir teamed up with teens from Bethany Bible Chapel in Winchendon, Massachusetts to host backyard Bible Clubs and concerts. This is the church where Rick and Heather Francis were attending.
In April 1994 the order of the Sunday morning services was reversed to the more traditional model of having Sunday School first, followed by the worship service.
Neal McCarthy was baptized at FBC in April 1992, at the age of 16. He became a member of FBC in August 1994. Neal enrolled at Practical Bible College in fall 1994, studying to be a pastor. He worked with Pastor Francis as an intern at FBC during summer 1997. Neal graduated in May 1998 with a degree as a Pastoral major. Neal then took a job to pay off his school debts before pursuing a position as a pastor.
Ed Fitzgerald became a member of FBC in July 1988. He attended Burlington Bible Institute in 1989 and Evangel Bible Training Institute from 1990 to 1992. In 1995 he completed the Biblical Ministries Worldwide (BMW) Candidate School. At the second quarterly business meeting in 1995 the church agreed to support Ed as a "missionary in training" at $100 per month. Ed was then serving a one-year internship at Cicero Bible Church in Chicago, Illinois as part of his missionary training. Ed also took Spanish classes during that year in preparation for missionary work in Argentina.
The Lockes returned from the mission field in 1996, when Robbie accepted a position as pastor of a small church in Maine.
On June 27, 1996, Pastor Loren Murray went home to be with his Lord. Loren was killed in a tragic car accident on Route 102, in Raymond, New Hampshire.
The following Sunday morning service at FBC had 410 people in attendance. The evening service that day had 167 in attendance. This was the largest Sunday attendance ever experienced at FBC.
A beautiful memorial service was held at the Chester school multi-purpose room on July 1. The room was packed to standing room only as so many people desired to pay their respects and show their support to the family. We were blessed to have several area pastors in attendance. Pastor Randy Murray delivered an evangelical message to the assembly. Pastor John Spring also gave a message. It was a very sad time, and yet it was uplifting to see how God's people pulled together to care for Loren's family and to help one-another through this most difficult time.
And so the final chapter on Fellowship Bible Church's first pastor drew to an unexpected close.
Chapter Four: The Church has a New Pastor
Many people in the church expressed a concern that the sheep might become scattered without a full-time shepherd to watch over the flock. With this in mind, the elders formed a pulpit committee, and in August 1996 they began considering candidates. The committee quickly settled on Pastor Rick Francis as the preferred choice, and Rick readily agreed to consider this calling. Pastor Francis preached at several Sunday services during September, and met with the pulpit committee, deacons, and elders.
At a special business meeting on October 13, 1996, Rick was approved by the congregation as the new pastor of Fellowship Bible Church by an almost unanimous vote. The start date for Rick to become full-time pastor of FBC was January 1, 1997.
In August 1996, Ed Fitzgerald completed his internship at Cicero Bible Church and was accepted by Biblical Ministries Worldwide (BMW) as an appointee. That fall he started deputation to raise the necessary support needed to reach the mission field in Argentina. At the third quarterly business meeting in fall 1996 the church approved taking on Ed for $300 per month as a supported missionary.
At the same business meeting it was approved to stop supporting the Mitchells who were leaving the mission field in Newfoundland. That support was transferred to Nilva Panimdim effective January 1, 1997. Nilva came from Hawaii where she became a Christian in 1983 at the age of 16. She attended Bible College in West Virginia from 1985 to 1990. Nilva spent four months in Hong Kong on a short-term missions trip in 1995. It was from this experience that she decided to become a full time missionary with Biblical Ministries Worldwide. Nilva reached the mission field in Hong Kong on April 2, 1997 just before the transfer from Great Britian to China, which took place on July 1, 1997.
January 5, 1997 was Rick Francis' first Sunday as senior pastor of Fellowship Bible Church. During the morning service there was a formal installation of Rick as pastor. A welcome dinner was held for Rick and Heather that evening. The upstairs of the church building was turned into a banquet hall for this event.
Although Pastor Rick had left his previous job and was full-time at FBC starting January 1, 1997, he had to commute daily from Massachusetts for several months. Finally, with diligent house-hunting, the Francis family was able to move back to Chester at the end of July. After a few months to settle in they held an open-house on November 16, 1997.
The youth group Sounds of Praise team continued to minister at FBC and elsewhere. In June 1997 they spent a week at Bethany Bible Chapel in Winchendon, Massachusetts, hosting Backyard Bible Clubs and concerts.
In September 1997 the floor in the downstairs of the "new addition" was finally tiled. This was a project that had been left unfinished since the addition was built in 1988. The entire upstairs of the church building also received new carpeting.
At the second quarterly business meeting in July 1996, Jack Shuler suggested that the church form a missions committee. This came to pass in spring 1997, when the Fellowship Bible Church Missions Task Force (MTF) was formed. This group's purpose is to keep missions and missionaries visible to the congregation. In its first year the MTF achieved several goals. It established a missions information center, initiated the "missions moment" during Sunday morning services to update the congregation on a featured missionary's status, and sent care packages to several missionaries.
The most significant event for the new MTF was the 1997 fall Missions Conference. This was truly a church-wide effort, with people from nearly every church ministry helping with various logistics. Bob Schindler from mission O.N.E. was the keynote speaker on Friday evening. Walter Mutti spoke at the Men's breakfast, while Suzanne Nicholson addressed the Ladies tea. Saturday afternoon sessions were conducted by Ed Fitzgerald, George Nicholson, Jane Mutti, and Ken Meyers. We enjoyed slide shows on both Saturday and Sunday evenings presented by the Muttis and the Nicholsons. The Sunday morning teen and adult Sunday School classes were combined for a question and answer panel with all of the missionaries participating.
The Missions Task Force planned a second fall Missions Conference for one year later in the fall of 1998. The 1998 theme was "Send The Light", and featured Dale & Margaret Gallagher with Canadian Sunday School Mission, Earl and Linda Hammons with Missions to the Military at Fort Bragg, Virginia, Tim Munger with Friends of Israel, and Toby Locke, missionary to Santiago Chile with ABWE.
The church once again started a newsletter in fall 1997. As of fall 1997 the outstanding mortgage on the church building was $142,207.
In fall 1997 the number of deacons was increased to eight. It was felt that there was a need for a deacon caring forum beyond what the Sunday School classes could provide. Thus, on November 23, 1997 four deacon caring units were formed geographically. Unlike the previous such groups that were active in the 1980s, these were not tied to a Friday night Bible study, but rather functioned to provide an arm through which the church could meet special needs of individuals such as help with meals. These groups also provided occasional fellowship activities.
A new format was instituted for the 1997 annual business meeting (in January 1998). Instead of the regular meeting held after the Sunday morning service, a Friday evening event was held which included a dinner followed by the meeting. This seemed to be a productive format and was well-attended by 72 of the 142 FBC members.
At this meeting Pastor Rick announced the formation of the Loren R. Murray Scholarship Fund. This fund will be funded [need a synonym] by $1,000 per year from the general fund, plus donations. It will be used to help FBC members attend Bible School to receive pastoral training.
While living in Ashby, Massachusetts, Pastor Rick enrolled in a Masters program in counseling. He received a Master of Arts degree in Biblical Counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary in December 1998.
Fellowship Bible Church enjoyed God's blessing through its first twenty years. As we continue a strong focus on solid Bible teaching, relying on the Word of God as our guide, we expect the next twenty years to be as fruitful as the first twenty.
Appendix A:Key Dates and Milestones of Fellowship Bible Church
Date Event- Sept 1978 Home Bible Study started
- Sept 1979 Fellowship Bible Church incorporated with the state of NH.
- Andy Anderson preached at Sunday services in the Town Hall
- Nov 1979 Loren Murray invited to preach as pastor candidate
- Feb 1980 Loren Murray officially called to pastor FBC
- July 1980 FBC held its first summertime Vacation Bible School (VBS)
- fall 1980 Word of Life Club for teens started
- May 1981 FBC moved into Remillard's building on Rt. 102 in Chester
- February 1983 FBC purchased 4 acres of land on Rod and Gun Club Road
- October 1983 Rick Francis approved as an Elder
- Christmas 1983 First service held in basement of new building
- July 1984 College and Career ministry started
- Dec 1984 The upstairs of the church building was completed
- January 1986 Rick became a full-time pastor at FBC
- May 1986 Bryan Moquin became Elder of Christian Education with emphasis on youth programs
- July 1987 Construction commenced on the new wing of the church building
- Sept 1987 Children's Choir ministry began
- March 1988 Barbara Delorey became Pastor's Secretary
- June 1988 Upstairs of new addition was ready for Sunday School classes
- June 1988 First annual Senior High Banquet held
- Sept 1988 Annual church picnic moved to Labor Day weekend at Pawtuckaway State Park
- Sept 1988 Randy Murray commissioned to start Berean Bible Fellowship
- Oct 1988 Don Flahardy approved as Elder to oversee Adult Education
- June 1989 Pastor Rick graduated from Burlington Bible Institute
- March 1990 Scott Button commissioned to plant a church in Alton
- April 1990 FBC held its "First Annual Missionary Conference"
- fall 1990 Sounds of Praise youth group formed
- fall 1992 Wednesday morning Ladies' prayer time started
- April 1994 Order of Sunday morning services reversed to Sunday School first, followed by the worship service
- August 1995 Ed Fitzgerald supported as a "missionary in training"
- June 27, 1996 Pastor Loren Murray went home to be with his Lord
- August 1996 Ed Fitzgerald accepted by BMW as a missionary
- October 1996 Rick Francis called to pastor at Fellowship Bible Church
- January 1997 Rick Francis began serving as senior pastor of FBC
- March 1997 FBC Missions Task Force formed
- October 1997 Fall Missions Conference held at FBC
- November 1997 Four deacon-caring units formed geographically
- January 1998 Annual business meeting moved to Friday evening
- January 1998 Loren R. Murray Scholarship Fund started
- Fall 1998 Moms and Tots ministry begun
- October 1998 Fall Missions Conference held at FBC