Boothbay Baptist Church is an independent Baptist church (in fellowship with the Conservative Baptist Association) on the Boothbay peninsula in Lincoln County on the coast of Maine, an hour northeast of Portland and 50 minutes south of Augusta. Strategically located on a state road in Boothbay Center, it draws worshipers from several mid-coast towns.
The Boothbay region, comprising Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb and Southport Island, is a fishing and boat-building community which has long attracted tourists and summer residents to its scenic shores, woodlands and islands. With a year-round population of around 7,000, it swells nearly ten times in summer as hotels, inns, campgrounds and seasonal colonies fill up. The peninsula is home to Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, a world-class oceanographic lab; the Boothbay Harbor Coast Guard station; renown shipyards that build mega-yachts and tugboats; Boothbay Region Land Trust with miles of hiking trails on woodland and shorefront preserves; Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, the largest botanical garden in New England; and one of the best-equipped YMCAs in the state of Maine as well as St. Andrews urgent care center and St. Andrews Village, a retirement community. Because of these amenities, the plethora of active clubs and organizations, the retirement village and the natural beauty of the area, the Boothbay region has drawn a large population of retirees to settle here.
The church building itself is a picturesque New England-style white clapboard structure with tall steeple facing the Boothbay Common which is the scene of craft fairs, farmers markets, band concerts, art shows, barbecues, parades and holiday festivities.
In February of 2009 Boothbay Baptist Church marked its 200th anniversary as an organization of Bible-believing Christians in Boothbay. God has surely preserved and blessed this body as a vital and vibrant part of His church (see The History of Boothbay Baptist Church 1809-2009). A special worship service and dinner celebrated this milestone, giving glory to God for His faithfulness.
The church is led by the Board of Elders whose members, including the pastor, serve as spiritual leaders. The Boards of Deacons and Deaconesses assist in shepherding and ministering to the flock. The Christian Education Board oversees Sunday School, youth groups and Vacation Bible School. Other committees include Buildings and Grounds, Stewardship, Missions, Hospitality, Fellowship, and the Worship Committee. The business of the church is conducted at quarterly and annual meetings by voting members.
Sunday morning worship services are intimate and informal and feature a variety of musical styles from traditional hymns to contemporary praises. Special music is frequently offered by member musicians, vocalists and a children’s choir. People’s attire in church ranges from jeans to more dressy.
Boothbay Baptist Church is a missions-minded body which not only supports a dozen full-time missionaries but also has sent out teams on short-term mission trips to Uganda, East Africa where they minister to a needy village. Several teams have traveled to Uganda over the last many years to build homes for widows and orphans, build schools, take medical supplies and treat hundreds of sick villagers. Individual church members with a heart for mission work have traveled on their own to Russia, Korea, China, Japan, Peru, and other countries. And many members are involved in local ministries in Maine prisons, soup kitchens and the Boothbay Region Food Pantry. A missions conference is held annually at the church in early spring.
For more information on our church we invite you to browse the website, call us at 207-633-7378 or e-mail us anytime.