Ministry Update: First Baptist Mercer, ND

Mercer, North Dakota

Population: <100

Recently I had the chance chat with Ed Gullet, Pastor of First Baptist Church in Mercer, ND and hear how God has been at work in their church and community.


“My goal is to challenge our people to think outside of the box,” says pastor Ed Gullett.

So what does that look like? What does thinking outside the box look like in Mercer, ND?

  • Free community breakfasts from the spring into summer, scheduled twice a month on Sundays before Sunday school. No strings attached. No money. No commitments. “We just want to remind the community we are here, we love them and, more importantly, Jesus loves them.”
  • A Blessings Box placed for anyone in need to pickup nonperishables and personal hygiene products. Ed’s “liberal Buddhist friend” built the box. Together they set it in front of the church. She has begun to be open to hearing Ed share about the good news of Jesus.
  • Being part of a community food pantry in the nearby town of Turtle Lake (along with another Baptist, a Methodist, a Catholic, a Seventh Day Adventist and two Lutheran churches). The food pantry is open two days a month, with Mercer Baptist volunteering two months each year. “Although we have differences in theology, we have the same idea of loving on people as Christ did.”
  • Inviting people to be part of a mission trip to Belize. Ed and his wife, Jamilaih, were missionaries for a time in this Central American country. They plan to take a group from their church this summer. Fundraising for the trip is the current emphasis.

“The desire to serve our Lord in various ways is strong within our little congregation. My greatest desire when I first came here was to get everyone to see that the love of Jesus extends beyond the four walls of a building. I’m so thankful and honored that the Lord has placed me in this place.”

“We will never change the Gospel, but we can the way we deliver it. People are still responding to the saving grace of our Lord. I’m just thankful our congregation has such a desire to get it out there.”


My only comment is, “AMEN!”
Blessings!
Randy Jaspers, Northern Plains Regional Minister