Grace Harbor Church in New Bedford is the result of prayers being answered, sacrifices being made, and churches partnering together.

The short story is that God answers prayer. Specifically three precise prayers.

First, for many years, the Proudfoot’s were praying that God would call them to serve back home in New England. Specifically, they were praying that God would call them to serve in an inner-city church, and allow them to live in the neighborhood in which they were ministering.

Secondly, Grace Harbor Church in Providence was praying for and desiring to plant a church in New Bedford, but didn’t have a church planter to begin the work.

And lastly, The Village Church, where Morgan was on staff as a Pastoral Resident, had a passion for raising up Pastors to plant churches in unreached areas.

The Lord answered these three prayers which led to a unique partnership between The Village Church and Grace Harbor Church.

Better Together

Both Grace Harbor Church of Providence, and The Village Church in Denton, partnered together in a unique way to plant a church in New Bedford. The Village sent families, and Grace Harbor provided direction, oversight, and finances.

In 2018, the Proudfoot’s and several other families from The Village Church, relocated from Denton, Texas to New Bedford to begin the initial work of planting a church in the city.

A New Home for a New Church

Within six months of arriving, our small little core group was graciously given a historic church building in the city center of New Bedford, and within walking distance of many of our homes.

Though the building was an unexpected blessing, it did not come without its fair share of work. The building was condemned by the city and was in need of major repairs. After a full year of labor by the core group, many from Grace Harbor Church in Providence, a mission team from The Village Church, as well as many others… renovations were finished. God had provided not only all the labor necessary, but all $300,000 needed for the project.

The Birth of a Church

With plans of opening on Easter of 2020, like all churches at the time, we had our plans tossed upside down when COVID-19 swept the nation. It wouldn’t be until June 7th, 2020 that we would be able to hold our first Sunday morning Lord’s Day gathering. And three months after that, on September 6th, 2020 we constituted together as a church, by affirming 17 members, calling a Pastor, and taking the Lord’s Supper for the first time.