Dr. Mark Ballaard, November 15, 2025

This is the most important Three Strands Letter I have ever written. Please read it carefully and prayerfully.

God is at work in ways that this region has not seen since the days of D. L. Moody. People who have never been to church and even some who have been strongly opposed to the Gospel are coming to churches across the Northeast, hearing the Gospel, and turning to Jesus in faith and repentance. We may very well be on the front end of a regional and even a national spiritual awakening.

Though not the only contributor to this movement, the Lord is using NEBC in unprecedented ways. We have the largest student body in our history. It appears that we are on the cusp of even greater and more rapid growth in the coming days, months, and years. Our students are gaining the mind of a scholar, the heart of a shepherd, and the perseverance of a soldier. They are growing in their walk with Jesus. They are being used by the Lord every day to share the Gospel, build up believers, serve churches, and help start new churches across this region. Just this week, two of our students were at the YMCA working out. After their workout, the Lord opened the door to share the Gospel with a man who had been sensing a need for God in his life. This weekend, the man plans to bring his family to the new church plant in Bennington for the first time. These kinds of stories are being repeated daily across the region.

Yet, as of this moment, Vermont still stands as the least-churched state in the country with 150 towns that have no Gospel witness. New Hampshire stands as the second least-churched state in the nation with over 60 towns that have no Gospel witness. NEBC exists to change those statistics, and God is blessing the work with both numerical growth and Gospel fruit.

Shortly after 2025 began, the Lord led me into a 40-Day Prayer Focus seeking His leading for the future of NEBC. As the 40 days neared an end, the Lord showed me a few things. He also let me know that He was leading me to continue seeking Him on this front throughout the year. He would lead me step by step and day by day. The year has been an amazing journey. One day, I may describe the journey on the printed page. Suffice it to say, He has been faithful to lead me step by step.

Today, I am writing to share the most significant steps the Lord has led me to take. With the rapid growth NEBC is experiencing, the growing spiritual impact across the region, the nation, and the world, and with the realities this kind of unprecedented growth brings, He has led me to focus my attention on two primary areas. First, I have appointed a special task force to help me develop the next strategic plan for the college. The Until Jesus Comes Task Force includes administration, faculty, staff, trustees, and alumni. We will prayerfully focus on seeking the Lord’s leading in developing a strategic plan that will guide us to a student body of 300 students and beyond.

Second, for the founding president of the college to properly prepare the college to continue to be firmly planted on the inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture, and faithfully impacting the region, nation, and the world with the Gospel Until Jesus Comes, I must have added leadership support. Therefore, on Saturday November 8^th , I met with our Trustees and asked them to approve a 5-year plan to provide that support. The Trustees added their wisdom to the plan and together, we are confident that the Lord is leading us each step of the way.

Effective Immediately, I have been named the Chancellor of NEBC. In this role, I will provide general oversight of the work of the college, begin a decreasing teaching role over the next five years, and continue to focus on the Until Jesus Comes Campaign. The Trustee Board has formed a Presidential Search Committee to seek God’s man to take over the day-to-day presidential responsibilities. I will maintain both roles until the new president is on board. I am confident of the Lord’s leading in this action and believe that the transition process will provide for a smooth transition and a bright future for NEBC. In fact, I believe that the best days of NEBC are ahead.

Once again, I am turning to you, our Three Strands Partners. We need you to continue to pray, to give, to come on mission trips, and to invite others to get involved. In fact, we need your help now more than ever. To this moment, the Lord has used all of us working together to bring us to this time of unprecedented growth and spiritual impact. He will continue to use our partnership to expand the work even greater than we can imagine.

Please continue to pray with me that the Lord will use our 2025 year-end campaign to move us forward in Phase Two of the Until Jesus Comes Campaign. We are asking the Lord to use His people to meet the following goals by December 31, 2025:

1. 1.       Presidential Partners’ Scholarship Fund – $2,000,000
2. 2.       Dr. Gray Allison Student Housing Fund – $1,136,425
3. 3.       Downtown Campus Fund – $2,000,000

Meeting these year-end goals will set us up to move toward the full completion of Phase Two of the campaign in the coming year.

As you pray, please give as the Lord leads you. There is no gift too large or too small to make a difference. Together, we will move into the future and see an even greater impact for the glory of God, Until Jesus Comes!

Thank you for your faithful prayers, encouragement, and support!

In Him,