Jesus’ mission for our churches is to baptize, teach, and disciple people for His kingdom. Gary Blanchard, Northern New England Conference president, set forth two Sabbaths, April 8 and October 14, to “Fill the Baptistry.” A play on a common phrase, “If you fill it, they will come,” rang true on April 8 as several churches followed the plan to give the invitation.
Members of the Three Angels church in Whiting, Maine, which has been without a baptism for more than 10 years, dedicated themselves to prayer. They had no one in mind for the baptism, but the baptistry was filled, and the appeal was made by Dorrin Patillo, pastor of the district of Ellsworth, Calais, Three Angels, and the new Spanish church plant in Cherryfield. The week following that special Sabbath, a couple came to the pastor who were impressed by the Holy Spirit to be baptized. “What a blessing this was!” remarked Patillo, who had encouraged all of his churches.
In Nashua, New Hampshire, at the end of the revival series that Blanchard was holding there, three people were baptized, including a mother and her daughter who had recently started coming back to church. The Portsmouth church filled their baptistry. “Even though there were no baptisms that day, we all saw the importance of ‘Filling the Baptistry,’ ” said Jefferson Kern, Nashua and Portsmouth district pastor.
The Oxford church in Maine filled the baptistry on April 8. Zeb Chouinard gave his heart publicly to Jesus and was baptized. “It was so special,” reported Tony Cuffori, the church’s pastor, “because two others, who were recently baptized and had studied with Chouinard, joined him in the baptistry as he was being baptized.”
In the Concord church in New Hampshire, Samuel Nzoikorera, associate pastor, baptized Delphine Niyukuri on Sabbath, May 13, adding to the “fruit.” This was very inspiring to the members.
On May 7, the Saco church hosted a very successful community “Tea Party” to build friendships with the ladies in the community.
Michael Fitch, Searsmont church’s Bible worker recently introduced and interviewed a new Bible study contact who came to the Sabbath worship service for the first time. With all of these churches making the “Fill the Baptistry” Sabbath a “high Sabbath,” Jesus’ mission for us is remembered and emphasized. This allows the Holy Spirit to do His job, which encourages all of our members, and oftentimes more baptisms follow.
