FALL 2013 the
EAST COAST COVENANTER A TRIANNUAL PUBLICATION OF THE EAST COAST CONFERENCE OF THE EVANGELICAL COVENANT CHURCH
www.issuu.com/eastcoastcovenanter
www.eastcoastconf.org
faithful & humble in suffering HOWARD K. BURGOYNE SUPERINTENDENT, EAST COAST CONFERENCE
How is your church engaging the sufferings of Christ and for Christ in the world?
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Around the world 100 million Christians are experiencing intense suffering for their identity and practice as followers of Jesus. In countries such as Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, North Korea, China, Iraq and Sudan (among others), it is altogether commonplace for the followers of Jesus to be targeted for persecution – economic discrimination, harassment, loss of property and violence. Political and religious extremism are the masks that cover the personal animosity and ignorance that foment hatred, intolerance and mistrust. For most of us the headlines that bring us this news fails to present it in the full light of the gospel. Suffering for the sake of the Gospel is more than a shocking crime. It is also a Divine witness to the victory of God. It is a privilege not to be sought, but embraced where necessary and unavoidable. Such suffering is a privilege - it is “for him” – that is for Christ. It participates in the mystery of Christ’s suffering which is entered into for the sake of others. Such righteous suffering demonstrates the defeat of the very Evil that animates the Enemy for whom we pray when we suffer persecution. Suffering for the sake of the Gospel is mostly a foreign experience to Westerners. I remember growing up with stories of Christians suffering behind the Curtains of Iron or Bamboo. The stories were powerful, and we felt somewhat guilty for not suffering in any overt way for the Faith. The suffering we focused on were the trials and travails of people’s illnesses, surgeries, and domestic hardships. Most prayer requests in church prayer meetings centered on these topics. Growing up in a middle class suburban culture we seemed so removed from any confrontation that might lead to Gospel suffering. We kept most of our religious activities centered in the church building or in our homes. We did not preach in public squares, march in civil protests, or occupy City Hall.
have a question for howard? Email him at howard@eastcoastconf.org
How unlike the witness of the early church! Where in our context would this text make any sense? “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger.” (2 Corinthians 6:4–5, NIV) As the Gospel advances in an increasingly hostile culture it is inevitable that Christians will be drawn again towards these difficulties, because of the revolutionary nature of the Gospel. Where this is true, do not despair but take hope! With persecution comes the power of the Spirit - purifying, strengthening and preserving the witness of Christ. Join me in praying for the 100 million brothers and sisters who daily suffer persecution for the Faith. Pray not only that they might be delivered from persecution, but also made victorious in the midst of it. On the move,
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.
PHILIPPIANS 1:29 (NIV)
IN THIS ISSUE: Faithful & Humble in Suffering 1 Ongoing ECC Sandy Relief 2 Movement of Vitality 3 Covenant Village Updates 4 Ädelbrook Update 4 Church Vitality Meets Planting 5
Conference Church Plants 5 Tending the Fire (AIL) 6 Retreat Recap (Youth) 6 Seafarers Mission Update 7 Working Alongside The Quichua 8 Conference Transitions 8
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EAST COAST CONFERENCE 52 Missionary Road Cromwell, CT 06416 860.635.2891 www.eastcoastconf.org www.issuu.com/eastcoastcovenanter
one
year
l at e r . . .
ongoing ecc sandy relief efforts
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A year after Hurricane Sandy slammed into the East Coast, recovery and rebuilding is still in full swing amongst many Covenant churches in the affected areas. In late July, 14 volunteers from Evangelical Covenant Church in East Northport, New York were host to 28 youth and adults from Maple Grove Covenant Church (Maple Grove, MN) as well as two volunteers from MERGE Ministries to work together in a variety of locations in Long Island and the Bronx. West End Community Center
Long Beach, NY
The center was damaged with four feet of water during Sandy and hopes to reopen in the Fall. The restoration of the building is almost complete. They serve over 130 children in the community with pre-school and after school programs, and serve the greater community in other ways with programs as well. We spent two days removing four-foot high weeds from the community center's garden and tilling the soil. Prior to Sandy, it had been a vegetable garden planted by the children and the community, and the vegetables were being donated to the local food pantry. We also repaired the fence around the garden which had been damaged by Sandy and restored the flower beds around their entranceway with flowers, mulch and landscape fabric.
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Gerald J. Ryan Outreach Center Wyandanch, NY
Volunteers spent two days sorting through clothing that was donated right after Sandy. They have been so overwhelmed by the needs following Sandy that they were not able to get to all these donations. Now they will be able to get them out to those in need. Hollockville Farm & Museum Riverhead, NY
We helped restore and clear paths for visitors and schools. Located on the North Shore of Long Island, this area received mostly wind damage, but is still getting things back to normal.
to tears. The children and the adults were beyond wonderful. I will always be thankful for all that they have done." Single Family Residence Mastic Beach, NY
We spent two days and nearly finished installing sheetrock in the home of Flo, a senior citizen whose home was flooded by Sandy. Unfortunately, an unscrupulous contractor installed sheetrock over the wet and damaged walls. The work had to be redone, but there was no more insurance money. It is now being repaired by volunteers. She is extremely grateful for the help and said that all these volunteers have "restored my faith in humanity." Vacation Bible School Program Bronx, NY
Fred Shores Beach Club Babylon, NY
Volunteers painted picnic tables and part of a building that had been flooded and destroyed by Sandy and cleaned up the beach area. The president of the beach club sent a thank you email saying in part: "I just wanted to extend a HUGE THANK YOU TO BOTH YOU AND ALL YOUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS... It was such a beautiful thing to do for us all, to come help Sandy victims months and months later when most people have forgotten already the disaster that still looms in our lives every day. Well, it was beyond touching, I was moved
Many of our volunteers went into the Bronx to assist with a VBS/day camp program that was serving 100 children. Their supervision and assistance was much needed and greatly appreciated. Fund information for sandy
received: $80,783.88 paid out: $38,500 Evangelical Covenant Church, East Northport, NY: $1,000 National Latino Evangelical Coalition, New York: $25,000 Promised Land Church, Bronx, NY: $7,500 New Seasons Covenant Church, Bronx, NY: $5,000
Interested in a MERGE trip for your Church? Visit the MERGE website: www.covmerge.org
THE MOVEMENT OF VITALITY in
the
EAST
COAST
CONFERENCE
By Kreig Gammelgard, Associate Superintendent & Director of Congregational Vitality
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The activity of God among our East Coast Conference churches is significant. Not only is He having His way with and blessing the newer churches in our conference, but He is doing His good work among our established churches as well. The Vitality movement is catching on as more of our churches are longing for God to do a “new thing” in their midst. As I have said before, many of our churches desire that their ministry dreams become greater than their ministry memories. Here are a few of the characteristics that I have noticed among the churches on the vitality pathway as I have travelled about the conference:
They are humbly asking the Lord to renew their vision for their community
They are reading and talking together and asking for help
They are having honest conversations about the meaning of their mission
They are putting action steps into place
They are aligning their budgets to reflect their ministry priorities
They are shifting energies from being attractional to being incarnational
They are embracing good questions and experimentation
They are praying and learning how to discern the voice of God together
They are evaluating everything
They are looking with new eyes outside the walls of their church
They are focusing what they do have rather than what they don’t have
They are embracing the pain of transition
They are seeking to become more catalyzers than stabilizers
They are saying “Yes” to whatever God asks them to do
I could think of many other characteristics of our churches that are moving with clear intentionality toward being healthy and missional, and how He is moving them from where they are to where He wants them to be, but that I can save for another time. My hope and prayer is that you and your church will also discover all that God has intended for you. If I can help you discover more or move with greater intentionality in that direction, please let me know. MISSION
The latest churches navigating the vitality pathway:
COVENANT CHURCH
Orange, MA - Pastor Jeff Black
EMMANUEL
COVENANT CHURCH
Nashua, NH - Pastor Whitney Hall
EVANGELICAL
COVENANT CHURCH
Springfield, MA - Pastor Craig Carlson
THE
COVENANT CHURCH OF THOMASTON
Thomaston, CT - Pastor Tim Olsen
Additional resources available on the Conference's Vitality website: www.covchurch.org/vitality
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church vitality
CONFERENCE
meets
church plantS
church planting
New City Covenant Church and Covenant Congregational Church Partner Together to Reach Boston
Highrock Quincy
Highrock Brookline
Highrock Salem
Evergreen Covenant
Hope Church
Worship Frontier
Sanctuary Providence
New York, NY metrohopenyc.org Jose (& Myra) Humphreys
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Pastor Fred Elliot-Hart has been leading “The Boston Church” (Covenant Congregational in Jamaica Plain, MA) through the vitality journey for almost two years now, and has seen significant blessing from God in the church's focus on reaching, touching, and serving their city for Christ. Their tagline is “Giving Boston a taste of the goodness of God,” and they are blessing many lives in their city as they have been so intentionally focused on their mission. Pastor Fred has taken seriously the biblical mandate of “blessed to be a blessing,” as he has inherited a rich heritage at a church that has carried that mantle well for decades. So, when New City Covenant church planter, TC Moore, approached some of the Boston churches to partner with him to reach another part of the city, Fred was willing to listen (as were the other Covenant pastors). At first their partnership came in the form of a financial gift that was earmarked for “local ministries." But, as Fred and TC got to know one another, and as they began to see how they shared a heart for their city, Fred was willing to tithe not just money, but people as well. In short, he let TC “go fishing” in the blessed sanctuary of Covenant Congregational Church. Those deeper waters had some pretty nice fish, and Fred had to determine if he was going to let any of those prize fish get away. But he has come to realize through the vitality journey, that God blesses us to be a blessing, and God provides all that we need to accomplish what He calls us to do, and that there is no better posture to be in than that of humble obedience to the promptings of the Lord… and so Fred stood up before “his” congregation, acknowledged that it was “His” church, and that if anyone wanted to be a part of his and TC’s shared vision, they could go (with Fred’s blessing) to be a blessing to another neighborhood of Boston. The vitality journey has changed Fred. It has changed Covenant Congregational Church. And, it is changing and blessing New City Covenant Church as well. Look out Boston! You’re about to get a taste of the goodness of God!
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Metro Hope Community
Brookline, MA highrockbrookline.org Josh (& Minhee) Throneburg
Sanford, ME evergreencovchurch.org Frank (& Austin) Catalano
Quincy MA highrockquincy.org Stephen (& Katheleen) Sharkey
Salem MA highrocknorthshore.org Aaron (& Ariel)Engler
Astoria, NY hopechurchnyc.org Drew (& Christine) Hyun
Lexington, MA worshipfrontier.org Kiho (& Sungseong) Lee
Providence RI sanctuaryri.org Andrew (& Corrie) Mook
Life Covenant
New City Covenant Church
Promised Land Covenant Church
Church of the Resurrection
Sudanese Evang. Cov’t Church
Charm City Church
Elements Church
Dust Church
New Season Church
Greater Boston Christ's Mandarin Church
Morganville, NJ. lifecovenantchurch.org Derrick (& Linda) Jackson
Bronx, NY facebook.com/PLCChurch Michael (& Liz) Carrion
Manchester, NH sudanesechurch.com Monyroor (& Amou) Teng
Bronx, NY elementsbx.org Efrain (& Erika) Alicea
Bronx, NY facebook.com/newseasoncc Phil (& Betsy) Bonano
For a list of ALL Conference churches, visit: http://eastcoastconf.org/churches
Boston, MA newcityboston.org TC (& Osheta) Moore
Harlem, NY facebook.com/resurrectionchurchnyc Kimberly Wright
Baltimore, MD facebook.com/CharmCityChurch Eli (& Yazi) Hernandez
Blacksburg, VA dustchurch.com Don (& Tana) Schiewer
North Quincy, MA gbcmc.net Chih Lung "Paul" (& Lee) Lin
CVOC UPDATES www.covenantvillageofcromwell.org
New multi-use building to open in 2014
CVOC is looking forward to “moving into” its new community meeting space in early December. Construction is on schedule for this 4,400 square foot facility. The building, attached on the east end of the Morningside residential building, contains a 200+ seat auditorium, smaller meeting space, and other amenity spaces. The auditorium itself will contain a stage and video/sound equipment to meet the community’s needs for many years to come. This building is a welcome addition to the campus’ facilities. It will provide much greater flexibility in resident-directed programming. It will be a resource to other Cromwell community groups and will be available for events of the East Coast Conference and its nearby churches.
director johnson retires
Burt Johnson, the executive director of Covenant Village of Cromwell has announced his retirement. He will conclude his responsibilities at the end of November. Johnson stated “Serving as executive director for the past seventeen years has been a tremendous privilege. I am so grateful for the unwavering support of both residents and staff. Similarly, I have deeply appreciated the longstanding confidence that Covenant Retirement Communities has placed in me.” Burt is looking forward to the slower pace of life, pursuing many personal interests, and finding places to serve. The search for an executive director came to an end early November, when Pamela Klapproth accepted the position - beginning her duties in December 2013. Pamela comes to CVOC with more than 15 years of leadership experience serving in senior living communities in Indiana, Massachusetts and Connecticut. She resides with her husband Tim in Ellington, Connecticut.
ÄDelbrook a d d s " t h e l ea r n i n g c e n t e r "
Ädelbrook, formerly "The Children's Home," has added The Learning Center – Manchester, a preschool and elementary school for students ages 3-10, to its educational continuum. The Manchester facility opened on September 2, 2013, and already has children enrolled with more referrals coming weekly. The school provides intensive learning experiences for students with autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities. It is one of three programs that are part of Ädelbrook’s educational continuum for students ages 3 – 21 years of age. In addition to the Manchester facility, they have The Learning Center – Cromwell for 9 – 21 year olds, and the Transitional Academy. The Transitional
Academy is a community based vocational program for students who have completed their academic requirements for high school, but may remain in school until age 21. The developmentally appropriate curriculum in Manchester focuses on helping students develop social, cognitive, physical, and communication skills in a student-centered and supported environment. For students who need more individualized programming, Discrete Trial Teaching and Applied Behavioral Analysis methods will be utilized under the direction of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
The integrated preschool classrooms are created to engage students in activities that are designed to foster their emotional, physical, social, language, and cognitive development. Having typically developing peers included with special education needs students enhances the social-emotional growth for all students and provides incidental learning opportunities. Additionally, the staff provides education and training for parents around strategies for each specific child. They will assist parents in identifying community resources and connecting them with other relevant supports. Visit www.adelbrook.org for more info.
CONFERENCE news & updates
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RETREAT RECAP: EAST COAST YOUTH WORKERS
TENDING THE FIRE IN OUR LIVES By Dave Cairns, Executive Director of Pilgrim Pines Conference Center
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Being woken up at 1:30 am is not exactly my idea of fun, but I must admit, I was looking forward to it. The gentle push and quiet voice telling me to wake up meant that it was my turn to tend the fire. The fire had been burning for the previous 3 hours and was being tended to by students and leaders attending the East Coast Conference Adventures in Leadership PILOT program. After spending 3 days canoeing through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota, we each spent 30 minutes on the final night tending the fire by adding small branches to keep it going. It was a time to be alone with God and reflect on all that we had experienced in the previous week. Adventures In Leadership (AIL) has successfully trained high school students in leadership development in Minnesota for nearly 20 years. A partnership between the Northwest Conference and Adventurous Christians (a ministry of Covenant Pines Bible Camp) has solidified its consistency. Recently the denomination asked if the NWC would be willing to develop pilot programs for other regional conferences. In 2012, the Central Conference and Canada Conference participated in pilot programs and then ran their own version of AIL in 2013. The East Coast Conference, through Camp Squanto, participated in a pilot this summer. Our two leaders and four students flew from Boston to Minneapolis before driving to Adventurous Christians. Andrew Sturdy (Youth Pastor at Bethany Covenant; Berlin, CT) and I are both native Minnesotans, while
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our four students had never been to the state. The travel and new experiences added to the sense of adventure. While at AIL, we were presented with various models of Christian leadership; we took a simple and yet insightful personality profile; we explored different spiritual disciplines; AND we spent four day putting our leadership lessons into practice while canoeing through the BWCA. Each student was given the responsibility of “Leader of the ½ Day.” They were tasked with leading our group through orienteering our course, setting up and taking down camp, cooking meals and leading devotions. I have met with two of the students and their youth pastors since returning. They speak of the way God challenged them physically, spiritually and emotionally while at AIL. They also shared of how they want to take the lessons learned and use them as leaders (and followers) at school and church. We are currently making plans for an East Coast AIL during the summer of 2014. Pastors and youth pastors will be encouraged to seek out leadership students from their churches to apply. AIL is intentionally small in size (10-12 students) to maximize the leadership opportunities for the students. As I sat by the fire, I reflected on my personality type and how it impacts my leadership style. I prayed that God would be active in my leading and in my life. I gave praise for the beauty of his creation expressed through the stars reflecting off the water. May we each take time from the busyness of our lives to “tend the fire” and feel God’s presence.
Visit Pilgrim Pines : www.pilgrimpines.org
By Kevin Kokx, Youth Pastor Monadnock Covenant Church, Keene, NH
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This past September the East Coast Youth Workers hosted a retreat for youth pastors and youth workers at Camp Squanto in Swanzey NH. During our time together we were able to connect with other youth workers in the East Coast Conference, discuss how we can serve teens more effectively, and meet with our youth ministry teams from our Covenant churches. Our Speaker, Ben Kerns from Marin Covenant Church in San Rafael CA, encouraged youth workers to understand that our role is to be the fragrance of Christ to those around us (2 Cor. 2:15). He also encouraged us to understand today’s youth culture and to create an environment that is welcoming, truthful, and transformational with the students we work with.
For our first youth worker retreat there were close to 40 youth workers participating from all over the East Coast. People walked away from the retreat encouraged, challenged, and excited about being the fragrance of Christ to teens in their community. We look forward to having another youth worker retreat in fall of 2014.
Visit Camp Squanto : www.pilgrimpines.org/campsquanto
UPDATE: NEW ENGLAND SEAFARERS MISSION By Steve Cushing, Executive Director of New England Seafarers Mission
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Today I said goodbye to an old friend. Three ships were docked alongside Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in South Boston – the Caribbean Princess, Norwegian Gem, and the stately Queen Mary 2, and the pier was a commotion of passengers, dock workers, taxis, buses and seafarers. Outside the New England Seafarers Mission front door, crewmembers from all three ships gathered like a global town square. Scores of nations were represented and conversations in their native languages rang in the air. Some seafarers were crossing paths with old friends and even family members – sharing stories and catching up on the news of lives separated from home and each other. Out of this tide of humanity, Mr. Brown came into the mission to see me one last time. I have known him since I first started at the NESM 15 years ago. He has been working at sea for 24 years, returning home to his native Jamaica for vacations that were too infrequent and short. But this time he said he was leaving one last time and not coming back. These past few weeks he has been ordering books from us to help him in his lay ministry at home. He loves to teach in his home church to young adults and to his men’s group. He ordered concordances, Bibles and study books, asking me to purchase them and have them shipped to the mission. I had one copy of the new Jamaican New Testament (translated into Patois), which I gave to him. He returned the next week and said he needed 10 more for his compatriots back on the ship. Nevertheless I was saddened to hear that he would not be returning. I cross paths with thousands of seafarers, never sure if I will see them again, yet never surprised when I do. Mr. Brown was just one of hundreds who have said, “We always know there is an open door and warm hearts to welcome us back to Boston.” Such is the nature of this maritime ministry. We provide a necessary tent of refuge and hospitality for these travelers.
This past summer alone, we have met and provided care and hospitality to more than two-dozen cruise ships calling into Boston more than 100 times. Each vessel has an average of 700–1,000 crewmembers, men and women from scores of nations. Add those numbers to the 350 industrial ships in Boston harbor and the 400 ships in Narragansett Bay and the totals are staggering. The result is thousands upon thousands of interactions with people from nearly all the nations of the world. And it is not just our chaplains who visit with these crews. The NESM Cruise Ministry will have enjoyed the generous help from 325 volunteers this year. From middle school, high school and college-aged to retirees, our volunteers have answered the call and been the voice and hands of Christ in helping the seafarers at our door. Each of these volunteers left the Mission with a little more in their lives than when they came. As Mr. Brown was preparing to head back to his ship, he made sure he made one last visit to the Mission office. “If our paths cross again,” he said, “I will be glad because it will mean your journey has brought you to my front door and you will find that door always open, my friend.”
To
welcome
the
stranger
is
to
acknowledge him as a human being made in God's image; it is to treat her as one of equal worth with ourselves - indeed, as one who may teach us something
out
of
the
richness
of
experiences different from our own.
- Ana Maria Pineda
See what the New England Seafarers Mission is all about: www.neseafarers.org
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WORKING ALONGSIDE THE QUICHUA PEOPLE By Doreen Espeseth, Short Term Missionary - Cape Cod Covenant Church
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It is with great joy to share with you that Covenant World Mission has invited me to work as a short term missionary (STM) in Ecuador from 2014-2016. I will be working with at-risk children in the Cayambe region of Ecuador. The children come from abusive homes, have been abandoned or are in situations of forced labor working in the fields. Along with missionaries Joel and Kim Delp, we will help them get to homes that are safe for at-risk children.
broken hearts. I will assist the church there to use their horses to help heal abused children.
Another area of my mission is to work alongside the Ecuadorian Quichua people in their first mission trip outside Ecuador to the high Andes mountains in Peru. The mountain region in Peru is called Apurimac and the people there live in abject poverty. The Ecuadorian Quichua want to model Christ’s love and also teach work skills such as cheese making, woodworking and cattle raising to help ease the burden of the Peruvian’s poverty. This may take some time to develop, but the people that I met with in May of this year are very excited!
If you are willing, here’s how you can help. Please pray. Write me in your calendar on a specific day in the year and pray for the needs and challenges that I will face. You are welcome to email me at doreen. espeseth@covchurch.org and let me know which day you choose, beginning in January of 2014. Also, if you would like to be on my email list to receive newsletters in the future, just let me know! Thank you brothers and sisters in Jesus!
From Psalm 37:4 - "Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." Just imagine of all the Covenant churches in the world, and I will be near probably the only one that actually owns a ranch! How amazing is our Lord!
In His Amazing Love,
Also, a Covenant church in the Ecuadorian mountains called La Magdelena owns a ranch with 45 horses. Some of you may know that I have worked with horses much of my life. I have seen how these graceful animals can be used therapeutically to help heal children’s
Transitions
COMINGS & GOINGS WITHIN THE CONFERENCE
Doreen Espeseth STM FROM CAPE COD COVENANT CHURCH
the EAST COAST COVENANTER
Craig Carlson from retirement to Springfield, MA (Transition Pastor) Christopher Adams to Worcester, MA (Bethlehem, Pastor)
CONTACT THE COVENANTER: EMAIL US AT:
Paul W. Kahn
Robert Reed from World Missions, Spain, to Keene, NH (Senior Pastor)
EDITOR / GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT / WRITER
Dale Kuehne from Keene, NH (Interim Pastor)
eastcoastcovenanter@gmail.com
Alicia Sturdy
Ryan Sarenpa from International Falls, MN to Lunenberg, MA
EDITOR
Jay Fast from Attleboro, MA (Associate) to Harbert, MI (Pastor)
Howard Burgoyne
Ken Lucas from Princeton Seminary (student) to S. Plainfield, NJ (Pastor)
PUBLISHER
Abraham Kim from Englewood, NJ (Associate) to Compass Christian Center, Federal Way, WA (Pastor) Eli Hernandez to Baltimore, MD (Church Planter) Don Schweier to Blacksburg, VA (Church Planter)
www.issuu.com/eastcoastcovenanter
Paul Chih Lung Lin to Quincy, MA (Church Planter) neil botts from Eagle River, AK (Staff) to E. Greenwich, RI (Staff)
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EAST COAST CONFERENCE
52 Missionary Road, Cromwell, CT 06416 (860) 635-2691 FAX: (860) 398-5071 www.eastcoastconf.org
SUPERINTENDENT:
Howard K. Burgoyne
DIR. OF CHURCH PLANTING:
Jason Condon
DIR. OF CONGREGATIONAL VITALITY:
Kreig Gammelgard
OFFICE MANAGER:
Alicia Sturdy
FINANCE MANAGER:
Robin Jones