In November of 1996, God called Loren and Kathryn Robinson to start a church in the New Palestine community. Previously Pastor Loren served as the Associate Evangelism Director for the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana (Southern Baptists). He is married to Kathryn McIntyre Robinson of Coffeeville, Alabama. Kathryn, a teacher of nine years, is now a homemaker and ministry team leader at New Faith. Loren and Kathryn have been blessed with five daughters – Kimberly, Natalie, Olivia, Tabitha, and Sophia.
Pastor Loren is a graduate of Mobile College, Mobile, Alabama, with a B.A. in Religion. He went on to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, Texas and received a Master of Divinity in Biblical Languages. While in Seminary he served as the pastor of Midway Baptist Church in Springtown, Texas.
Commissioned as Southern Baptist Church Planters, Loren and Kathryn began preparations to move to New Palestine in 1997. The name New Faith Community Church was chosen because it communicates a daily vibrant faith in the Lord Jesus Christ: “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” Philemon 6.
After a Summer of Door to Door and telephone surveys, neighborhood Bible clubs, and Saturday Evening Coffeehouse at Doe Creek Middle School; New Faith began its Sunday Morning worship service on September 7,1997. In May of 1998 New Faith moved to its former location on Hwy 52 across from Gas America. The vision of 20 acres by the year 2000 was realized when New Faith signed the contract on December 31,1999. We believe that the 20 acres is strategically located so that New Faith will be able to effectively impact this community with the message of Jesus Christ.
In May of 2001 New Faith built a 24 x 32 Chapel addition to the former facility on Hwy 52. This has allowed us to develop Sunday School for all ages which began in September of 2001. Our Sunday School averages 35 with a high attendance of 45. This was as many as our facilities would hold. Our average attendance for Sunday Morning Worship is 75 and a high attendance of 118. Our membership is 71 with 20 others as regular attenders.
At the end of 1996 New Faith paid off the land debt of $160,000.00 and finalized the process of securing a loan to build on the property. It took two years to work out the drainage problems and get the building permit. In May of 2009 New Faith broke ground and a team of 80 Builders for Christ based out of Auburn Alabama built the shell in one week! Over the next several months the inside was completed.
On November 1, 2009 New Faith moved into its new permanent facility.
This September New Faith will celebrate 14 years of ministry in New Palestine.
