Less than 10 percent of the 60,000 residents in Oxford County, Maine attend church. But like the shepherd on the hill, God continues to pursue and rescue them, particularly through Moss Brook Church (MBC) in South Paris, Maine. After being a mobile church for 20 years, MBC moved into a permanent building in 2024 and experienced notable growth within the first six months. Pastor Mike Booker, who has co-led Moss Brook with Tim Knowles since 2003, reported the addition of a third service on Saturday evenings beginning in January.
As the services grew, the need for more space became clear. “While everybody was excited to come to church on Sunday mornings and the auditorium was full,” Mike says, “we realized there was no room for anybody else.”
Mike understands this season of growth comes because God is at the helm. “He’s the one who’s building his church and we just want to be a part of it.” Moss Brook is a church with a foundation firmly rooted in the truth of the Bible. Mike believes people are seeking that grounded foundation.
Many newcomers enter MBC after being invited by a family member or friend who attends. Recently, Mike heard one such story after he baptized a mother and her adult daughter. The daughter came to MBC first, gave her life to Christ, then invited her mother. The mother also attended and accepted Christ. She, in turn, invited her cousin, who has since brought a few friends to church.
Several dozen people have been with MBC since its inception, setting up and tearing down each week, shoveling snow off the tent as their building was being constructed, and showing up however they needed to. “Tim and I see very clearly, we’ve got a group of people who’ve been doing this for 22 years, doing whatever it takes to make sure this happens.”
