South Carolina Baptists are working with church planters in Vermont and New England to strengthen and grow churches in a region with few Gospel-preaching congregations.

Through a partnership with the North American Mission Board (NAMB), SCBaptists are helping plant and support churches in Vermont and the surrounding region—an area where many communities lack an evangelical, biblically focused church.

Planting Gospel Roots in Vermont

Jay Peterson, pastor of Washington Baptist Church in Washington, Vermont, understands both the challenges and opportunities of ministry in New England. Originally from Red Bank, South Carolina, Peterson was called to Vermont after witnessing the deep spiritual need in the region, particularly through his wife’s experience growing up in an area with little to no Gospel presence.

Washington Baptist Church, a 176-year-old congregation in a rural town of about 1,000 people, focuses on serving its community in practical ways while seeking deeper spiritual connections. “We partner with churches here in Vermont, around New England, and especially in the Southeast—South Carolina being one of my favorite places given that’s where I grew up,” Peterson said. “Through mission teams, mutual encouragement, and long-term relationships, we seek to strengthen the work God is doing here.”

Just 30 miles away in Barre, Chuck Clark is planting a church that reaches people battling addiction, homelessness, and brokenness. Having experienced the life-changing power of the Gospel himself after years of substance abuse, Clark is passionate about bringing the hope of Jesus to those in desperate need. “We go where no one else goes,” he said. “Jesus pursued the outcasts, and we’re privileged to be part of that mission.” Clark has already seen lives transformed, with multiple new believers stepping forward for baptism.

A Call for Partnership

Tim Owens, the lead church planting catalyst for NAMB in New England, has a clear vision for strengthening churches in Vermont. Owens, who also pastors Mission City Church, emphasizes that the need in New England is vast. Once the birthplace of Gospel movements in America, the region is now home to five of the six most unchurched states in the country.

“When I think about New England, I think about a place where the walls are broken, the gates are burned, and the people are scattered,” Owens said, referencing Nehemiah’s account of Jerusalem’s destruction. “There are certain places that people would have to drive an hour and a half if they wanna hear the Gospel.”

Owens calls on churches across the country, especially in South Carolina, to take part in restoring Gospel presence in New England. However, he stresses that partnership goes beyond financial support. “We’re talking real partnership—real relationships that lead to real ministry,” he said. “We need you to go to your congregations and call out the called and then cast the vision for people to leave the comforts of where they are and to come to a place that’s so forgotten.”

South Carolina Baptists Step Up

Churches in South Carolina are answering the call. Greer First Baptist Church, led by Pastor Doug Mize, has been partnering with Vermont church planters for three years. “We’ve loved the partnership—praying, supporting, and sending teams to work with leaders like Tim Owens,” Mize said. “To pastors and churches that are praying for a new work to plug in, pray about Vermont. It’s not just a beautiful place, but a place where the Gospel is desperately needed in one of the most unreached states in all of the country.”

Deborah Guest, Mission Mobilizer at Lake View Baptist Church in Hartsville, South Carolina, traveled to Vermont to explore a new partnership for her church. The church has global and local mission efforts but felt they lacked a national partnership. “The thing that has just been confirmed for me is the need and the lostness,” Guest said.

Guest encourages South Carolina churches to get involved at any level, whether through prayer, sending encouragement, or actively participating in mission work. “However small or big, just get involved,” she urged, “whatever that means for your church, get involved.”

Moving Forward Together

The Gospel is advancing in Vermont, but the need remains great. SCBaptist churches looking to join the movement can partner through prayer, financial support, mission trips, and even sending individuals to serve long-term. Vision trips are available for pastors and mission leaders to experience the work firsthand.

“We can’t do this alone,” Owens said. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. My prayer is that more South Carolina Baptists will join us in this Kingdom work because together, we can change the story of New England.”