“We knew it would be a place marked by diversity… surrounded by intellectual leaders and a place in desperate need of a thriving local church,” Craft says of the decision to plant in Washington, D.C.
The need for Craft’s kind of intentional evangelism is heavy in the region. With a total population of 66 million, the majority of this number (some 82 percent) is considered lost or unreached. Those serving there recognize that perhaps the unique challenges facing evangelism in the region are what hold back others from stepping into service in the Northeast.
Pastor Won Kwak serves at Marantha Grace in New Jersey, a church planted in the Fort Lee area under the leadership of North Shore Baptist Church located just over the George Washington Bridge in New York City. They work to serve a dense and diverse population, currently operating out of Fort Lee High School. Kwak faced the initial trepidation of planting a church in the large and often impersonal environment of the region.
“Life is extremely fast-paced and the roads and living situations are always congested,” he says of the Northeast. “This makes even the desire to do community tiresome and intimidating for some people because everything is so cramped.”
This crowded environment is typical of the region and the sheer size and nature of it can be overwhelming. The Northeast alone holds 20 percent of the total U.S. population but only 2 percent of the land.
Northeast population to sbc congregation ratio
Top 5 Least Churched
1. RHODE ISLAND - 81,016
2. CONNECTICUT - 76,485
3. NEW JERSEY - 76,384
4. MAINE - 69,384
5. PUERTO RICO - 65,038
Top 5 Most Churched
1. VERMONT - 18,287
2. VIRGIN ISLANDS - 21,950
3. DELAWARE - 26,822
4. PENNSYLVANNIA - 33,434
5. NEW HAMPSHIRE - 44,153
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, LifeWay Christian Resources (e.g. One SBC church exists for every 81,016 people in Rhode Island)
22 Summer 2011 •
onmission.com
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