Bill Roberts

My mother carried me into this church in 1932 and I've spent most of my life here. This church has seen a few significant building projects in the past. From 1954-1957 we expanded by adding the basement and the Education Building . Our church grew significantly during this period. I have been here half the life of this church and am excited to see how the new building has great potential for increasing our youth work and talking care of the crowded Pioneer program. I'm also excited to see what we can do for the community and what God has in store for us through this new building.

Dottie Roberts

When I first came to this church, there were Sunday school classes all over the sanctuary. The younger students were in Sutphin Chapel and there were classes in the balcony, on the top of the staircase and even in the Baptistery. Then we expanded by adding the basement and the Education building. It was wonderful how the Lord blessed with the building boom in Middletown and the new space allowed us to grow. We had many new families come in at that time and we were able to handle it with the added space. I am looking forward to the new building. It will help our congregation to have some meetings, lunches, dinners and programs that will help us get together and fellowship together. I think one of the drawbacks of having two services is that we don't get to all be together. I am looking forward to some church activities that will provide that opportunity. Also, I am looking forward to the outreach opportunities into the community that we will be able to do.

Ruth Eby

We first came to New Monmouth Baptist Church in 1953 with our small children. They had no nursery so the kids were with us in church. My children enjoyed their growing up years because of this church and all the wonderful activities we have always had for the children. We love our young people and always have – they are very important to us. Please don't let them down – they need space for guidance and for fun.

Carol Finlayson

My husband and I grew up in this church and we participated in Sunday school programs and have truly been blessed by the foreknowledge of the members of this church who came before us. They had the foresight to help us expand. Now we need more space again. We need this new building where children in our Pioneers program can meet. The program has about 60 kids but can grow to 120 on a special events night. Our classes meet all over the campus. To have this new building where children can meet will certainly be a blessing and will be great for recreation, not to mention the fact that the kids will be safer. It will be a great thing when they can all meet together.

Pastor Allen Briggs

I love that this church has a commitment to grow in evangelism and a commitment to be a light in this community. When I first got here – I realized right away the need for space. We do a great job, especially with the youth program, of reaching out into the community. But, we have a real physical problem which prevents us from ministering like we would like to. We have been praying for a new building so that our youth ministry will be more effective. This building will translate into ministry – it will enable us to do things we simply cannot do now like concerts, sports leagues, drama. I think that once this building is built, our attendance and effectiveness in our evangelism will soar. I am excited about the world of opportunities this building will give us – not just for our own kids but for the community kids as well.

John Large

I'm hoping the new building will help the men's ministry get together more and help us to have different functions we can't do in the basement. Added space will allow us to open functions to the community. I pray that God will bless us through this building and I am grateful I am here to see it happen. I also pray that God will use it for his glory.

Carol Newcomb

My kids grew up in the youth programs here – they have attended Pioneers from the moment they could. As long as we can all remember, we have been talking about building a new building for our youth. My daughter Jennifer is 16 now and remembers the big campaign to build space for the children when she was in 4th or 5th grade. She will be graduating high school and probably won't take too much advantage of it at this point. It is important to expand our awesome programs. Now we have to limit the number of kids we bring in from the community, which is a shame. With the new building, we won't have to limit, which will be great.

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