From Salem to Sneads: Road to Restoration

By Duane Littlefield

In 2021, the pastor of the First Free Will Baptist Church in Sneads, Florida, approached the Salem Association Mission Board with a crisis. The church had suffered a loss of membership through death and departure and faced the possibility of closure. The mission board had previously received funds from another church that closed and resolved to do everything possible to prevent the loss of another church. Sneads tested that resolve. The church had a pastor with a servant’s heart, a small number of older individuals, and a building in disrepair.

The Salem Mission Board began by praying and providing the church a quarterly supplement to bridge the financial gap. As the association prayed, God moved! He led a couple to move from the state of Kansas to Sneads, Florida. The couple played a key role in the restoration of the church facility.

It became clear the facilities needed renovation. The building had a 1970s appearance, with dark paneled walls and worn carpet covering the sanctuary. Classrooms and restrooms were all located in a damp basement. This certainly hindered the older members along with any others who attended services. Through a 1980s addition, God provided a large, unfinished area behind the sanctuary ready and waiting to be finished into ADA-compliant restrooms, classrooms, and a pastor’s office.

With the approval of the church, the Salem Mission Board began to develop plans for renovating the sanctuary and completing the unfinished space. The plans called for volunteer labor from within the association. Clearly, the completion of this effort would take dedication and financial support from churches in the association. The association and churches generously gave of their funds to ensure the project could be completed. It soon became clear that through working together, much could be accomplished.

As volunteers from across the association came together, their work brought them closer to one another. Each workday provided another opportunity to learn more about one another and the other churches in the association. This labor of love by the men and women who volunteered resulted in an ongoing time of fellowship, one rarely experienced. Individuals were no longer known only by the positions they held in the association or local church. Instead, volunteers became true friends.

As the work progressed, unexpected obstacles led to questions about how to proceed. Government regulations, unexpected construction issues, and rising costs all appeared to be giants in the way. As each giant arose, so, too, did the answer from God regarding how to address the situation. Whether the challenge was physical or financial, the Lord always provided the solution. Near the completion of the project, the Florida State Mission Board provided a financial gift that carried the work through to completion. It was clear God would see to fruition what He had started.

While buildings are important, the need to restore a Great Commission mindset among the people is even more important. To accomplish this goal, the association invited National Association Moderator Dr. Tim York to host a week of revitalization services at Sneads. Afterwards, the Sneads church and two other churches went through the book Experiencing God, learning how to seek out the places where God was working and join Him in His work. The church learned more about their neighbors through the Know Your Community report. In March, the three churches also participated in The Hope Initiative. The remodeling gave the church hope, and these further activities directed that hope beyond the doors of the building.

The churches of the Salem Association are not islands, struggling alone to survive. They are joined together by love and friendship. We know these congregations have a willingness to aid and assist one another to ensure the gospel message goes forward. Churches of the association proved this by giving physically and financially to assist one of their own and stand ready to do it again if the need arises.

As Dr. Moody states so often: “We are better together.”

About the Author: Duane Littlefield is clerk of Florida’s Salem Association and the Florida State Association of Free Will Baptists. He also serves as pastor of First FWB of Malone, Florida. Read more about how the work of the Salem Association led to a national campaign named Operation Restoration.