New Hampshire history

New Hampshire

Historically, New Hampshire has been a difficult state in which to establish assemblies. In the far past, assemblies have existed at Nashua, Keene, and Manchester. However, in 1953, there were no assemblies in the state. Arthur Dewhurst pioneered extensively in New Hampshire, seeing quite a few saved, but little assembly activity. Four assemblies are listed in recent Walterick Address Books.

An assembly developed in Barrington probably in the early 1950s. It grew out of the Sunnyside Christian School and was started by Mr. and Mrs. Phillip E. Strout. About 25 gathered to Remember the Lord on Sunday mornings. People came from long distances to attend the Barrington Assembly, which also attracted a few students from the University of New Hampshire and the Sunnyside School. The assembly continued for perhaps two decades.

• * * * * * *

Concord has had an assembly since the late 1960s. While living in Honduras in 1962, William (Nick) and Barb Houston met missionaries Bill and Kay Tidsbury in a home Bible study. The Houstons were young Christians and were instructed by the Tidsburys in the way of the New Testament church, and soon the Houstons were in fellowship in a Spanish-speaking assembly in the city of Progreso. The Houstons began using their home as a hospitality center for missionaries in Honduras.

In 1964, the Houstons decided to return to their home area of Contoocook, New Hampshire and spread the Gospel to their friends and families. Arthur Dewhurst came up from Massachusetts to help with Bible studies in their home. These studies grew to about 30 persons in regular attendance, and a few were saved. Mr. Dewhurst wanted an assembly established there, but the Houstons felt they needed to go back to Honduras to work with the Tidsburys and other missionaries and to work with the assemblies there.

However, in 1964, the Tidsburys returned to their home area of British Columbia to help establish an assembly in Dawson Creek, and the Houstons joined them there. The assembly work in Dawson Creek went well and grew to about 30 believers. In 1968, the Houstons returned to New Hampshire, to the Concord area where Arthur Dewhurst was working with three families in establishing an assembly meeting in the Pineconia Grange Hall Assembly on Ormond Street in Concord. The Houstons joined in the effort, and the Lord added more Christians.

For several years, the assembly took no name as they continued to meet at the Grange Hall. The Houstons were active in pastoring the assembly, which was growing slowly. After Mr. Dewhurst became elderly, James and Janette Harvey came and were valuable in the assembly. Jack and Nina Pollard and Dave and Ron Ward from Massachusetts gave significant help. Bruce and Cindy Lawson joined the fellowship in the 1970s and were active leaders. Bruce Lawson was an elder for about 20 years.

In the late 1970s, with the help of a loan from Stewards Foundation, the believers purchased an acre of pine grove on the east side of Concord and put an A-frame building on it. At that time, they took the name Pine Grove Bible Assembly.

The Dale Gagnons arrived at the assembly after that, and helped in several ways, including pastoring, administration, music, and hospitality. Mr. Gagnon became one of the leaders, along with William Houston, Jim Blanchard, and Pete Stohrer, although the assembly had no recognized elders at that time. Many gifted believers were added in that decade.

A split over leadership issues occurred in 1979, with some families staying at the Pine Grove facility, and others meeting in the Houston home. The latter group soon began renting the city’s Ward Seven Building on West Street for assembly meetings. Midweek Bible studies met in various homes. In 1986, this fellowship purchased a small church building at 21 Dunklee Street on the south end of Concord where it continues to meet as the Concord Bible Fellowship. The church has grown to about 100 in fellowship, half of which are young adults and children.

• * * * * * *

His Mansion Ministries, formed in 1971 to help reclaim the lives of troubled youths, moved in 1979 from Wauregan, CT to Deering, NH, northwest of Manchester. Before long, people from the area began to meet for worship with the Mansion family, and so in October 1979, the Christians formed Wolf Hill Chapel in Deering, in which Stan Farmer, Hal Moore, and Tom Turi were the founding elders. Later the name was changed to Long House Bible Chapel to reflect the commonly used name of the property.

In 1981, desiring more visibility to the surrounding towns, they moved to nearby Hillsborough and met in the Hillsborough-Deering High School cafeteria, giving their assembly its present name of Contoocook Valley Bible Chapel. Rob Christenson joined the leadership team in 1982. The church grew and needed larger facilities. The abandoned Contoocook Valley Inn, a historic coach inn in the center of town, was purchased in 1983 and renovated. The church first gathered there in 1985. Contoocook Valley Bible Chapel is very much a community church and because of its origins, young people have tended to be a significant part of its composition. About 130 persons attend services each week. Contoocook Valley Bible Chapel has an active interest in missions, commending several of its members to serve the Lord at home and abroad, on short and long term missions.

• * * * * * *

Calvary Bible Fellowship in Westmoreland in southwest New Hampshire began in 1993, not having derived from another assembly. David Calhoun, Robert Rummell, and Dale Hubbard were those who started the meeting, and are the recognized leaders, waiting for the time when the assembly will be able to recognize elders. About 40 adults and youngsters attend the meeting.

Sources

• Questionnaire responses and other correspondence
• Letters of Interest, October 1953, p. 5; May 1957, p. 3