 My name is Derek Bass, and my wife Elizabeth and I are delighted to be part of the NETS Residency Program. My heart burns within me whenever I read of the Apostle Paul’s passion to preach the Gospel not where Christ has already been named, lest he build on another man’s foundation. Paul desired to proclaim Christ to those who had never heard that they might see and understand (Rom 15:20-21). For a long time now, my desire has been to take the Gospel to a difficult area, whether in the US or abroad. Perhaps my reasons are prideful—I don’t want to build on another man’s foundation. But I think, as well as I know my own sinful heart, that my desire is grounded in a deep abiding joy that comes from preaching Christ and Him crucified. I want to see the Gospel work powerfully in a difficult area where the only explanation for the transformation in people’s lives is the power of the Gospel. New England in general and Providence, R.I., in particular, provides an amazing opportunity for us to rejoice in the power of the Gospel.
Roger Williams established the first Baptist church on American soil in Providence, R.I., in 1639, so there is a sense in which a foundation for the Gospel has already been laid; that church still exists in Providence today. But with less than two percent of the population attending evangelical churches, there is a need to lay a foundation for the Gospel yet again. I have great joy in pondering the prospects of God working through his glorious Gospel to redeem many for himself; to take rebels with no care for the things of God and transform them into worshipers, to deliver many from the domain of darkness and transfer them into the kingdom of his beloved Son. Yes, there is great joy in pondering the possibilities of Gospel proclamation in Providence, Rhode Island.
For information about our Providence Church plant, please call Derek Bass at the NETS office at 802-878-9922 .
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