Dear First Baptist Church Members, Participants, and Friends,
As many of you have already heard, First Baptist Church leadership has spent some time meeting with leadership from Maplewood Baptist Church. As a result of those conversations, we have invited Maplewood Baptist church to begin worshiping jointly with us each Sunday morning, in our building, with worship led by Maplewood’s minister, Rev. Gary McClenthen. We hope you will be able to attend the first joint worship service on November 20th, 2022.
It is planned that Pastor Gary will initially provide worship leadership each Sunday. He and Maplewood Baptist Church are agreeable to increasing his pastoral duties if that is something First Baptist Church wishes to pursue. The Deacons have expressed a desire to resume Bible Study, and so we envision these pastoral duties expanding in the coming weeks and months.
This arrangement with Maplewood comes out of a desire for both congregations to think about new ways of “being church” and to discern what God may have in store for ministry in Malden and beyond. Both congregations will evaluate this arrangement on an on-going basis, with opportunities to assess and reflect.
Over 150 years ago, God called some faithful and obedient members of First Baptist Malden to form a new church closer to their Maplewood community. With the prayerful support and encouragement from its parent church, Maplewood Baptist Church was born out of a desire and call to better serve those who lived in the Maplewood area with the love and hope of Jesus. In 2022 both congregations enter into a time of joint worship services with prayer, praise, and hope for renewal.
May God’s peace be upon us all,
Michael Huddy was elected Church Moderator* in 2019, after serving as Vice-Moderator for several years. He also is Chair of the Board of Property Trustees. A lifelong member of First Baptist Malden, Michael is grateful for the church officers, the Church Council, and all the members and friends that comprise the church community. Michael was involved for many years with the American Baptist camping ministry at Oceanwood, in Ocean Park, Maine. While serving in this ministry he earned a Master of Theological Studies degree at Bangor Theological Seminary. He received his undergraduate degree in Sociology from American Baptist-related Eastern University in St. Davids, PA.
* The Church Moderator chairs the Church Council meetings as well as presides all business meetings of the Church.
We welcome to our pulpit Rev. Gary McClenthen. Pastor Gary has been serving Maplewood Baptist Church for almost 10 years, having worked in multi-staff churches over a few decades in the areas of youth ministry, musical worship and discipleship. Gary loves teaching God’s Word, book by book; verse by verse. Gary loves watching people grow in the Lord and has learned from years of experience that no one is so far gone, that he can’t be radically transformed, put back together by the power hidden in the grace of God! Pastor Gary has been married to his wife, Tami, for more than 25 years, is a father to six children, and believes strongly in adoption, and what that process can do to turn a kid’s life around for good!