In colonial New England, towns were designed around a common area, with a “meeting house” usually at one end. The meeting house was just that: a building for meetings, both civil and religious. Civil and religious life were deeply intertwined then—sometimes in ways that shared a sense of moral responsibility and mutual care, and at other times in ways that led to exclusion and harm. History has taught us the dangers of assuming that the Kingdom of God can be established through civic power. Instead, we seek to serve the common good and honor God by faithful witness and community engagement.

New England towns often still have commons, meeting houses (most are now churches), and town meetings, but seldom are these meetings held in churches or led by clergy.

On December 9th, I attended my first New England town meeting in Hamilton, Massachusetts. It was a miraculous event.

As one former newspaper reporter stated, “I have (surely) attended hundreds of town meetings in New England as a reporter and this was like nothing I have ever attended before. There was such a . . . well, joyous and cheerful atmosphere. It almost led me to tears.”

It is true. Probably about the first time since the eighteenth century, a few hundred Christians gathered to pray before and during the meeting. For many of us, this was a spiritual town hall meeting. Gordon-Conwell had been in negotiations and discussions with town committees and our neighbors for close to four years on rezoning all 100+ acres of the campus for any future sale of the property. The most important aspect of this particular moment was simply having the apartments zoned for commercial use so we can sell them to pay off all our debt and increase our endowment. Still offering residential theological education with students living on campus, this would be a big fix with one vote.

This necessary pivot for Gordon-Conwell was dependent on this one town meeting on a cold December evening. Nothing was assured.

Years of work by hundreds of people from both the town and the seminary were represented in that evening meeting in a high school cafeteria. So, many of us gathered and prayed. Previously, notes had gone out to friends and alumni across the nation seeking their prayers as well. We entrusted our desires to the Lord as we sought his continued guidance and providence, hoping for an outcome that would bless both us and the town.

Odd (meaning very peculiar) events happened leading up to and during the critical meeting. First, a key person who had been the center of many of the negotiations on the “select board” was in the hospital so she sent a supportive recorded message from her hospital bed. One of the key architects of the zoning we approved was also not able to be present.

Secondly, the important “clicker” voting devices did not work. Citizens had to revert to the old colonial model: “All in favor say ‘aye.’ ”

Thirdly, two or three key questions we thought our lawyer would have to answer were handled beautifully by the town’s finance committee; in a sense, he defended our own message.

Finally, there was humor. A town official had a slip of the tongue, calling us “Gordon-Conwell Theological Cemetery,” which led to a huge round of laughter among over 300 in attendance. I later remarked to the official, “It was true; people are dying to get in!”

At a vote on a different issue, which was a unanimous vote, everyone shouted “aye!” and then the moderator called for those opposed, and one of our seminary toddlers shouted out “nay!!” There was more laughter as the moderator said he was duty-bound to record that as a unanimous vote since the lone negative vote was positive and too young to vote.

A hospitalization. Technological failure. The finance committee sharing facts on our behalf. Humor. And then the rezoning vote. A resounding “aye!!” followed by a faint “nay” from three or four voices.

Those of us shaped by faith see the hand of God in such moments. Through careful preparation, faithful dialogue, and prayer, everything came together in ways that we could not have imagined.

Gordon-Conwell’s long-term future looks much stronger now after a New England town meeting that looked more like the seventeenth or eighteenth- century meetings than our present secular, and often contentious, town meetings. After much work and “importunity in prayer,” it is possible to have a meeting that rises above our present cultural practices of division, getting even, partial truths, and more conflict. This affirmed a hope I hold deeply: that faith, when practiced humbly and righteously, can strengthen civic life and community relationships.

I would like to suggest that in this new year we are at the point of a new beginning for Gordon-Conwell. We placed a paid ad in the local paper that boldly said, “Thank You.” Gratitude.

Some dates self-define: January 6. September 11. July 4. December 7. And now, for Gordon-Conwell, December 9, 2025.

Our new beginning, like the Christian life itself, begins with gratitude. We are grateful for those who worked faithfully to bring about a new beginning for Gordon-Conwell in Hamilton and for the town of Hamilton as a whole. We are grateful for the hundreds (even a Spanish-speaking Hebrew class!) who have been praying daily for this outcome. We are grateful to be invited into this great mission of God to prepare men and women to engage in his mission in the world. This calling that we sense is reaffirmed in the strongest, even vocal manner: “AYE!” It was both a civic decision of unity toward the common good as well as a spiritual affirmation for those of us who are believers.

I pray that Gordon-Conwell as a community will, like Jesus, with great gratitude and joy, bring “good news . . . and proclaim peace,” (Nahum 1:15, NIV) peace with God through Jesus, and peace with one another because of Jesus.

Dr. Scott W. Sunquist, president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, is author of the “Attentiveness” blog. He welcomes comments, responses, and good ideas.