In a recent newsletter, Jack Brown, executive director of Grow New England, mentioned Peter and Laura LeDuc. The couple are native New Englanders from the state of New Hampshire. Lord willing, they will be returning to New Hampshire to plant a Charis Fellowship church in the summer of 2022. Pray for them and their five children as they pray and plan for this cross-country move to till the soil of New Hampshire. Peter shares about his family below.
I am a New Englander through and through. I was born during the infamous 1986 World Series; and in 2004, celebrated the historic Red Sox win against the Yankees in game 7 of the ALCS on my 18th birthday. I grew up in the small towns between Portsmouth and Concord, NH, in a blended family with 7 brothers and sisters. My life revolved around sports, the lake, my small Baptist church, garage bands, and the family business. My dad is a painting contractor and I worked with him all over Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts beginning at age 12.
I met my wife, Laura, at a winter camp in upstate New York when I was 17 and she was 16. She lived an hour west of me in NH. After 2 years of college we were engaged at 20, married at 21, and had our first child at 22. We have now been married for 13 years and have 5 kids.
Years ago, after a church split and subsequent church plant, God placed a desire in my heart for preaching and pastoral ministry in the local church. This was unexpected for both my wife and I, but we followed God’s leading to uproot our family and seek training at The Master’s Seminary in Southern California. Our plan was to train for ministry and return to New England after graduation. Halfway through seminary God surprisingly gave us both a desire to be foster parents. This has kept us out in CA longer than we ever anticipated as we await the adoption our 2 daughters. In the meantime, God has led us to Grace Church of Simi Valley. Our extended time here has been fruitful as we have built deep relationships and been invested in. The leadership has been intentional to train and equip us for the next season God has planned for us.
We have been in CA for 7 years now. Our desire to return to minister in New England has never waned. Yes, it is still home, but it is the desperate need that drives us. Because the spiritual landscape is so secular, post-Christian, and un-churched, it is often said that New England is where pastors go to die. Being a native of NH, I believe that my understanding of the culture and the people provides me a unique advantage. I lived there for 27 years. And from my vantage point, I see a compelling opportunity. I see the potential for harvest is great and the need for more workers and more churches is even greater. There is nothing I desire to do more than to spend the rest of my time on earth living out the Greatest Command and carrying out the Great Commission in New England.
By God’s grace, and with the support of Grace Church Simi Valley and Grow New England, I plan to plant a Charis Fellowship church toward the NH seacoast in the summer of 2022. Please pray for the adoption of my youngest daughter and for God to call a core team of families to join mine in this endeavor to reach New England with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
