CBM church planters Dan & Vicki Benton have dedicated 35 years to their labor of love. The ministry at Berean Baptist Church, Watertown, Connecticut, has experienced many changes, guided throughout by the Lord’s faithful hand. Their labor and God’s goodness led to the graduation of Berean Baptist Church at the end of August.

Over the years, the church plant shifted from a “nomadic” presence, with at least five temporary meeting places between 1984 and 1999, before finally getting their own building.

The church started praying over 20 years ago for an assistant pastor who would eventually become the lead pastor. They didn’t realize it, but they had been praying for Brandon Fernandes almost his entire life. God was preparing Brandon as an answer to the church’s prayers.

When it was time for Pastor Dan’s cataract surgery in 2022, pulpit supply was needed; the church contacted a nearby Bible college. The person who arrived brought other students with him each week, including Brandon Fernandes. Brandon continued to attend Berean and helped restart the youth group. An internship followed in the summer of 2023. In December 2023, Brandon was called to be Assistant Pastor, and through the Lord’s guidance, he became Senior Pastor this past summer.

Pastor Brandon’s vision for Berean is to achieve both spiritual and numerical growth, building on the current foundation to better reach the community for Christ.

Dan and Vicki will stay until the turn of the year, helping the church and Brandon in any way they can before moving south to be closer to their children. Regardless of where they are, Dan and Vicki’s hearts will be in New England and with Berean Baptist Church in particular.