About fifteen years ago, I developed a growing burden for church planters—especially those involved in restarts across New England. Yet as I learned more about the magnitude of the need, that burden was accompanied by a deep sense of inadequacy. Like Gideon in Judges 6:15, I could only ask, “Wherewith shall I save Israel?” My resources felt small, my influence limited, and the task overwhelming.
That sense of helplessness began to change in 2015 at a church planting conference I attended. On a Saturday afternoon, the conference raised a substantial amount of money to assist several new church plants and restart works. It was my first exposure to a fundraising conference of this nature—and it left a lasting impression.
What struck me most was not simply the amount raised, but who gave. Pastors, preachers, evangelists, staff members, ministry leaders, and laypeople participated. Business owners stood alongside college students and high schoolers. Families gave together—mothers, fathers, and children alike. The generosity was broad, heartfelt, and unified. I was both stunned and deeply encouraged.
God used that conference to teach me a powerful lesson: a collaborative effort, fueled by a spirit of solidarity, can accomplish far more than isolated individuals ever could. Unity, when centered on Christ, multiplies effectiveness in advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
When I returned home, that lesson would not let go. I began making plans to establish a similar conference in the heart of the six New England states. In March 2016, the Northeast Church Planting Conference held its first fundraising meeting. From the very beginning, the conference was marked by a Christ-honoring spirit of unity and generous giving.
Year after year, that spirit has remained. By the tenth annual conference in 2025, $60,530 was raised in a single meeting to assist five church planters and one restart work. Over the course of ten annual gatherings, the conference has raised a total of $419,530, helping support fifty church plants and ten restart works across Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and even Canada.
The biblical parallel is striking. Gideon’s army, though vastly outnumbered by the Midianites and their allies, was uniquely chosen, united, and organized under God’s leadership. When Gideon expressed his insecurity, the Lord replied, “Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man” (Judges 6:16). Judges 7:12 describes the enemy as innumerable— “like grasshoppers for multitude.” Yet Gideon’s 300 defeated that countless host as one man.
The lesson remains clear. Though the enemy is relentless and the work daunting, God can use a united band of believers to accomplish great exploits.
That same spirit of unity will be on display again this April. An unprecedented joint conference is scheduled as the Northeast Church Planting Conference joins forces with the Save New England Spring Conference on Monday and Tuesday, April 13–14. The combined conference will be hosted by Granite State Baptist Church in Concord, New Hampshire.
Each conference brings a complementary emphasis. Save New England focuses on raising awareness for the need of church planting, while the Northeast Church Planting Conference raises funds to support new works. Together, the collaboration strengthens both missions.
With God’s help and the faithful support of His people, our prayer is to see New England’s long-standing reputation as the “preacher’s graveyard” replaced once again with a renewed identity—a seedbed for genuine revival, evangelism, and church planting. I look forward with great anticipation to what the Lord will do through this upcoming meeting on April 13–14.