About Us

Our History

A Biblical Baptist Church in Brunswick, Maine

Mid-Coast Baptist Church was founded in 1999 through the service of church planter, Bob Mitchell, Sr., and his son, Pastor Bobby Mitchell. They were sent to Brunswick by a New Testament Baptist church in Virginia.  As co-founders of the church, they have worked together in the role of co-pastors, with Pastor Bobby Mitchell serving as lead pastor since 2002.

Over the years, as the church has endeavored to honor and to obey the Lord Jesus Christ, He has added to His assembly according to His wisdom and purpose. Just as the Scriptures promise, each member of Mid-Coast Baptist Church is gifted to serve the Lord and His church.

The goal of Mid-Coast Baptist Church is simple: Glorify God. The Bible reveals that God is glorified by praise and service to Him that is offered according to the commands given in Scripture and from willing hearts made willing and able by His grace.

Some of the ways in which the Lord is praised and served by Mid-Coast Baptist Church are:

Scriptural Singing of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
Church Orchestra
Tithing and Sacrificial Giving to Missions
House-to-House Evangelizing
Expositional Teaching and Preaching in the Assembly
Keeping the Ordinances of Baptism and Communion
Regular Prayer Meetings
Holy Living in the Home and Society

God has wonderfully blessed this church, and we praise Him and thank Him continually for what He is accomplishing. “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it” (Psalm 127:1).

Doctrine

We believe that every Bible doctrine is important, and we take seriously the command of Jesus to teach His disciples “all things” that He commanded (Matthew 28:20). Because of this, we want to be very clear that the following is not meant to be an exhaustive statement of faith but simply a brief summary of some of the Bible doctrines that we hold to.

We believe that the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God. We believe that God not only inspired His words as they were originally given (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21), but we also accept His promise that He has preserved them perfectly for every generation including ours (Psalms 12:6,7; Proverbs 30:5,6; Matthew 24:35). Based on the teaching of the Bible and the testimony of history, we are persuaded that the King James Version is the English translation of the inspired and preserved Words of God that still exist in the Hebrew Masoretic Text of the Old Testament and the Textus Receptus of the New Testament.

We believe in the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that They are equal in every divine perfection, and that They execute distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption (Deuteronomy 6:4,5; I Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6; I Timothy 1:17; Matthew 28:19; John 15:16,17,26).

We believe the Genesis account of creation. We accept it as literal, not allegorical or figurative. We accept that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness, that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution, or evolutionary changes of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:11; Acts 4:24; Colossians 1:16,17; Hebrews 11:3; John 1:3; Revelation 10:6; Romans 1:20; Acts 17:23-26; Jeremiah 10:12; Nehemiah 9:6; Genesis 1:11; Genesis 1:24).

We believe that man was created in the image and after the likeness of God but, by voluntary transgression, fell from his sinless and happy estate. We accept the Bible teaching that the consequence of the Fall is that all men are now sinners by nature, choice, and practice. Therefore, unbelieving sinners are under the just condemnation of God, without defense or excuse (Genesis 3:1-6,24; Romans 5:12,19; Romans 3:10-19; Ephesians 2:1,3; Galatians 3:22).

We believe in salvation by grace alone through faith alone. We accept that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Savior from sin and Hell. (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; I Timothy 2:5). We believe that He died for the sins of all mankind as the sinless, suffering, sacrificial Lamb of God (I John 2:2; I Timothy 2:4; I Peter 2:21-24). We reject any other “gospel” that includes works or man’s ideas.

We believe in the literal death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We accept that as the Gospel, and we preach it as the power of God to save souls (I Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 1:15-17).

We believe that Jesus is coming again. We accept the personal, imminent, pre-tribulation and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones, and His subsequent return to earth with His saints to establish His Millennial Kingdom. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Zechariah l4:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16; Revelation 20:1-6; Revelation 3:10).

We believe that it is the responsibility of every born-again believer to be scripturally baptized into the body of a New Testament church. We believe that each and every New Testament Baptist church is the body of Christ, the temple of God, the house of God, the pillar and ground of the truth, and the organism through which God is reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that it is the responsibility of every New Testament church to be working to fulfill the Great Commission, because the Great Commission (preaching the Gospel, baptizing converts, and establishing churches) was given to the church. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:38,41; I Corinthians 12:27; I Corinthians 3:16-17; I Timothy 3:15).

Pastor Bobby Mitchell

In 1986, just two days before his 12th birthday, Pastor Bobby Mitchell was saved by the grace of God. A few weeks later he was Scripturally baptized into a New Testament Baptist church where his father, Bob Mitchell, Sr., served as pastor.  The Lord immediately placed a desire in Pastor Mitchell’s heart to preach the Bible. At the age of 15, he began to fulfill that desire at every possible opportunity.

During those early years of preaching, he earned money delivering newspapers and mowing lawns. Later he worked on a farm, in a cabinet factory, as a waiter, and then for a small construction company. At 23, after assisting his father in the start-up of Central Baptist Church in New Hampshire, he was sent by his home church to work with his father in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) in Brunswick. The Lord blessed their efforts and Mid-Coast Baptist Church was established in 1999. Since his ordination on November 2, 2002, Pastor Mitchell has been the lead pastor at MCBC.

In October of 1997, just before he was sent to Maine, the Lord blessed Pastor Mitchell with a faithful and loving wife, the former Daynna Whetstone. God has given them 7 children to raise for His glory and they rejoice in the opportunity to train up their children in the will of God.

He received his pastoral training in the Biblical way (2 Timothy 2:2) as his father taught him the Word of God and trained him in the context of the New Testament church. That pattern continues as father and son are training other men at Mid-Coast Baptist Church who also are surrendered to serve as pastors.

Pastor Mitchell is a Biblical preacher who preaches for the glory of God, the salvation of the lost, and the edification of the local church. He enjoys preaching and teaching through books of the Bible and seeing lives transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God.

Pastor Mitchell doesn’t just preach.  He takes seriously the duty of pastors to shepherd the flock of God. He understands that the church he leads does not belong to him. It belongs to the Lord. For this reason he studies and works hard to ensure that he and the church operate according to the Lord’s commands that are clearly given in the Bible. He is regularly involved in personal discipleship and counseling of the members of Mid-Coast Baptist Church. He loves the Lord and the church that he is responsible to lead, and it shows in his zeal and commitment to the ministry.

A favorite Bible passage that Pastor Mitchell is often heard quoting is Proverbs 3:5,6: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Pastor Bob Mitchell, Sr. and Pastor David Minott also serve Mid-Coast Baptist Church alongside Pastor Bobby Mitchell.

FAQs

What should I wear?

We have found that most folks tend to dress up when they go to an event that they consider to be special. Our pastors and teachers, as well as those who are members of the church, wear the traditional “Sunday best,” because we are convinced that there is nothing more special or more important than gathering together to worship the Lord. If you don’t feel like you have “nice enough” clothes to attend and hear the Word of God preached, please don’t let that keep you away. Your first concern needs to be whether or not you have been saved by the grace of God.

Where do my children go?

Our children join us for church-wide prayer time in the auditorium at 10:00 Sunday morning. They are then dismissed to their own Sunday School class. Just like the adults, they are taught through books of the Bible by competent teachers who serve under the direction of the pastor. During the morning worship service preaching time, children ages 4-8 participate in a special singing, teaching, and preaching time in the fellowship hall. All ages are present for all aspects of the Sunday and Thursday evening services.

During every service there is a safe, clean, well-staffed nursery for children three and younger.

Am I expected to put money in the offering?

If you are visiting with us, we don’t expect you to put money in the offering plate, and you are welcome to just let it pass you by.

What Bible Version do you use?

Based on the teaching of the Bible and on the testimony of history, we are persuaded that the King James Version is the English translation of the inspired and preserved Words of God that still exist in the Hebrew Masoretic Text of the Old Testament and the Textus Receptus of the New Testament. If you do not have a copy of God’s Word in English (KJV), we will be happy to let you use one of our many “pew” Bibles here at the church building.

Will I have to stand up and tell my name or say anything publicly?

You will not be called out to introduce yourself, and you will not be pointed out by anyone from the platform.

Other questions?

If you have other questions about the doctrine and practice of Mid-Coast Baptist Church, you are invited to call the church office at 207-373-0818 or email Pastor Bobby Mitchell at pastor@midcoastbaptistchurch.com.