Missions
Sharing the love
Missions and service are very important to the life of First Baptist Church. We have a rich history of supporting individuals and organizations who work to share Christ’s love with the world and meet the needs of the “least of these.”
In 2020 we developed mission advocates, people who commit to developing relationships with a specific ministry or missionary on behalf of First Baptist Church. The mission advocate learns what the individual or group does, what they need, and how we can pray for them, and then shares that information with Pastor Dan and the missions team. It is our way of deepening the connection with those we support financially.
Local hands-on mission support
Chester County Migrant Ministry
Family Promise of Southern Chester County
Gideon’s International (Mission advocate: David Freeman)
Habitat for Humanity (Mission advocate: Pam Eppinger)
Kacie’s Cause (Mission advocate: Pastor Dan)
Kennett Area Community Service (Mission advocate: Sharon Chambers)
La Comunidad Hispana (Mission advocate: Rachel Dorman-Wells)
YoungMoms (Mission advocates: Nancy Nicewonger and Barbara Miller)
American Baptist Churches targeted missions
The following missionaries serve through International Ministries (formerly the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society):
Corenne and Phillip Smith: Corenne and Phil minister to children in Brazil who are part of a residential program that rescues homeless street children and youth ranging in age from 8 to 18.
Glen and Rita Chapman: Glen and Rita have been instrumental in transforming the Kikongo pastoral training school into the Baptist University of Congo (UNIBAC).
Tim and Patti Long: Patti and Tim serve in Baja California, Mexico. Patti ministers as a special education teacher and resource specialist at the Monte Horeb Baptist Grade School in Tijuana, and Tim serves in leadership development with the Baja Baptist Seminary of Mexicali.
Dwight and Barbara Bolick (Mission advocate: Barbara Miller): Barb and Dwight minister among the Mapuche, an indigenous people group in Chile. The goals of their ministries with the Mapuche churches and communities are, first, recovery of identity as a people made in the image of God; and second, discovery of vocation as productive stewards of God’s creation.
Jeni Pedzinski (Mission advocate: Nancy Brower Johnson): Jeni serves on the leadership team at the New Life Center Foundation (NLCF) in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Established in 1987, the New Life Center serves young ethnic minority (tribal) women who are at risk for, or survivors of, human trafficking, forced labor and sexual abuse. In 2020 Mission Advocate Nancy Brower Johnson helped us partner with New Life Center to support the Meals for the New Life Center Foundation.
Non-American Baptist Targeted Missions
New Life Ministries
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- We support the work of the Thomas family in Haiti. They support local churches by sponsoring pastor training seminars and working to build the spiritual health of churches.
Mission Experience Support
Roatan
From Aug. 7-14, Rayann Nicewonger is planning to partner with Live Again Ministries to lead a small team from First Baptist Church to Roatan. Rayann has been serving with Live Again Ministries on Roatan for the past five summers.
Roatan is a small island off the coast of Honduras. It is a picture of contrast. On one hand there is amazing wealth as tourists come for all over the world to experience amazing resorts and some of the best diving found in all the world. At the same time a significant part of the island lives in extreme poverty.
Read more about the Roatan food bank that is helping residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more about the water purification project with which Rayann and the First Baptist group will be assisting during their trip.
Togo, Africa
In November 2019, Chris Wells and Nick Goble journeyed to Togo for nine days to explore a relationship between the evangelistic ministry of the Rev. Anemassou “Raymond” Afangbedjee and First Baptist Church. Part of their time was spent building a connection between American Baptist International Ministries in Togo and the Rev. Afangbedjee’s ministry.
Our relationship with the Rev. Afangbedjee began in November 2016. In 2018 First Baptist purchased 50 Bibles (in West African French) from the Bible Society of Togo for his ministry. In 2020, First Baptist and Good News Baptist Church in Togo have partnered for “21 Days of Prayer and Fasting.” Read more here.
FBC missions trip support
We encourage all our members to be involved in short-term mission projects, whether here in the United States or in another country. Jesus said, “He who will lose his life will find it.” (Matthew 16: 25-27) We believe that truly “Mature Followers of Jesus” are those who have “lost themselves” in service to God, the building of the Kingdom of God, and the people who God has invited us to journey through life with.
There is a short-term missions policy and application that guides the distribution of these funds.
