WHERE WE STARTED

The Story of City United Church

Always Pressing Forward

The church was established with one mission to reach a local community with the gospel. In 1974, God moved church planter Pastor Erven Burke and his young family to Leominster and used them to plant Twin City Baptist Temple. Over time, they purchased land in Lunenburg.

In that time many building projects were accomplished, and many lives were touched through a Christian school, radio station, daycare, bus ministries, and many other activities and programs. However, in its latter years, Twin City Baptist Temple faced some tough times, and the organization found itself in a difficult financial situation.

In 2013, God called Pastor Gary Moritz and his family to Twin City Baptist Temple to begin a two-year transition of taking over the church in the midst of bankruptcy.  On October 4, 2015, Pastor Erven Burke and his wife Sue were honored for planting and serving at Twin City Baptist Temple. They retired after 41 years of faithful service, and Pastor Gary Moritz assumed the fiduciary responsibility of revitalization, replanting, and working through hardship to bring the organization back to its feet again. The church began to grow and flourish again, and in 2016, the church emerged from bankruptcy.
Pastor Gary realizes that a Christian’s faith is built on the faith shoulders of others.  Through hardships and struggles, his efforts towards replanting and revitalization began to bear fruit only by the grace of God. The church began reaching the community again and a new vision to reach New England was born. After three years as lead pastor, the church was writing a replant and revitalization story that would touch many people across the community and nation. What seemed from the start to be an impossible revitalization according to the experts, the Lord made known that it is His work and for His honor.

Now, the church is known as City United Church, still holding true to their Baptist roots and doctrine. The church is focused on the next generation by training and making disciples who make disciples. They remain on the same campus to show that God is always faithful in this neighborhood and community. The name City United reflects the church’s vision to plant churches and more campuses in the surrounding area to become cities united in Jesus Christ (Romans 6:5).

God is still working.  He is not finished with us. The story continues, and we believe the best is yet to come as long as Jesus is first.