Shaping the Nation: Politics and the Family
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2008 CONVENTION MEETS IN CHARLESTON, west virginia
Meeting in the Mountains
Seventeen years after what many consider “the greatest national convention,” Free Will Baptists returned to Charleston, West Virginia, to see if God would do it again. The same genuine warmth and enthusiasm met Free Will Baptists at the door as nearly 6,000 delegates ignored $4 per gallon gas prices and converged deep in the Appalachian Mountains for the annual Free Will Baptist convention. Read more...
The 2008 Convention News
restoring the "church on the ridge"
FOR NEARLY 200 YEARS, the
Church on the Ridge has stood above the town of New Durham, New Hampshire, as a monument to the early days of the Northern Free Will Baptist movement. The simple frame building, constructed in 1819, was home to the congregation started by Elder Benjamin Randall in 1780. The building is the oldest standing Free Will Baptist church in America. It lies just over a mile from the Randall family cemetery where Randall is buried.
Over the years, thousands of Free Will Baptists have visited the historic site to catch a glimpse of their legacy. In recent years, despite consistent maintenance efforts of First FWB Church in New Durham, the building has fallen into disrepair. The affects of time have caught up with the aging landmark.
Delegates to the 2007 National Convention in Little Rock, Arkansas, voted to fund efforts to restore the Church on the Ridge and to establish a perpetual fund to
provide ongoing upkeep. Master’s Men Director Ken Akers will work in conjunction with the church in New Durham to coordinate teams of volunteers to complete the task.
The first step in the process began in July 2007 when a team of volunteers began the arduous task of removing the existing roof, replacing sagging rafters, providing additional framing, and replacing the deck and shingles.
Volunteers also removed the crumbling chimneys and rebuilt the newel posts of the pinnacles and railing around the belfry.
Planning for stage two of the restoration is now underway. The full restoration process will include:
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Painting the exterior.
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Painting the interior after repairs to the plaster walls and ceiling.
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Inspecting and replacing faulty
wiring.
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Repairing deterioration in the stone foundation.
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Replacing carpet in the foyer, aisle, and on the platform.
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Repairing windows.
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Restoring the Randall cemetery.
To participate in the restoration of The Church on the Ridge, contact Ken Akers at (877) 767-8039 or visit www.fwbmastersmen.org. To help underwrite the cost of the project, call the Free Will Baptist Executive Office at (877) 767-7659 or visit www.nafwb.org.
ONE MAGAZINE REPRESENTS THE FOLLOWING FREE WILL BAPTIST ORGANIZATIONS:
The Executive Office (nafwb.org)
Free Will Baptist Bible College (fwbbc.edu)
Free Will Baptist Foundation (fwbgifts.org)
International Missions (fwbgo.com)
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