Why Elkton?
Cecil County Maryland has seen steady growth in the last twenty years. In 2000, there were 85,951 people, in 2020 there were 104,600, and the population continues to rise. Elkton, the county seat, is a key player in that growth. Midway between Baltimore and Delaware, people are flocking there for access to economic opportunities while maintaining the feel of small town living. Church growth has not kept up with population growth. There are very few Bible believing and gospel preaching churches in the area. Many people do not yet know Christ as their Savior. Many brothers and sisters in Christ need to drive far to find a doctrinally solid church.
Why Steve Morton?
Pastor Steve Morton has felt the Lord calling him to the ministry of church planting. He has been serving as a pastor at Bible Fellowship Church of Newark DE since 2004. He has been the Pastor of Outreach and Missions since 2016. Steve is married to Niki. They have four children.
The Plan
Steve and Church Extension Ministries will do demographic studies of the Elkton area to find the right spot for a Mission Church. They will talk to people in the community to determine what needs people have and how the Mission Church can meet them. A core group of people will gather together to pray, plan, and begin Bible studies and worship services in the area.
The Next Step
Steve Morton, with the blessing of his elders and his family, is praying for God to provide prayer and financial partnership for this new mission church. Once the partnership is in place, Steve will move from ministering at BFCN to church planting in Elkton.
How can I be involved?
You can be involved in the Elkton, Maryland Mission Church in many ways:
- Visit: Contact Steve and schedule a time to have him tour you through the Elkton area. Hear what God has laid on his heart. Interact with people in the area and get a feel for what church planting ministry in Elkton can look like.
- Pray: Let Steve or Church Extension Ministries know that you would like to be added to his prayer list and receive regular prayer updates. You can email Steve at stevemorton@bfcnewarkde.org or email Church Extension at Office@ChurchPlantingBFC.org. Let us know whether you would like snail mail or email updates.
- Give: Recurring gifts are a blessing for the planning of a mission church. Give a monthly, yearly, or one time financial gift for Steve Morton and the Elkton area. You can donate online here. You can give by mail with a check to Church Extension Ministries, PO Box 3534, Allentown PA 18106
What is Church Extension Ministries of the Bible Fellowship Church?
The Bible Fellowship Church is an expanding fellowship of churches, united to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Over 10,000 people gather for worship in our churches every week. We originally began in the 1850s in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania and were known as Mennonite Brethren in Christ. Since then we have expanded to New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Florida, New Mexico, and Mexico. We changed our name to the Bible Fellowship Church in the 1950s to more accurately reflect who we are and what we believe.
Our doctrinal distinctives include:
- salvation by grace alone through faith alone
- believer’s baptism by immersion
- a premillennial view of Jesus Christ’s earthly return and reign
- local churches self-governed by a Board of Elders elected by the congregation
Our Bible Fellowship Churches are connected for accountability, fellowship, and collaborative efforts to share the gospel including church planting. Find out more about the Bible Fellowship Church on our website.
Church Extension Ministries is the church planting department of the Bible Fellowship Church. David Gundrum is the director of Church Extension under the guidance of the Board of Church Extension. Church Extension plants new Bible Fellowship Churches, coaches church planters, and connects with existing churches who wish to be part of the Bible Fellowship Church. You can subscribe to our weekly email updates, The Antiochan Report, here.