STS Massachusetts
On Thursday, May 7th, 2026, Small Town Summits will host a Summit at Heritage Bible Chapel in Princeton, MA. Pastors and lay leaders from small places across Massachusetts will marvel together at the sin-defeating cross and the death-conquering resurrection of Christ in order to consider what it looks like for ministry to be rooted in Christ’s cross and resurrection.
Christ Our Savior
May 7th 2026
The good news of the gospel is not simply that Christ’s redeeming work is gloriously accomplished and Christ’s person is gloriously awesome. It’s that his whole person and his entire work are ours through faith. The greatest benefit of what he’s done is that we can bask in who he is – eternally. He is ours forevermore. Throughout 2026, Small Town Summits will gather small-place New England churches, pastors, and laypeople to exult in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In our Spring Summits, we’ll focus on 1 Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Paul summarizes the saving gospel by saying ‘Christ died for our sins’ and ‘he was raised on the third day.’ At the beginning of the letter, he says ‘I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified’ (2:2). At the end of the letter, he devotes an entire chapter to Christ’s resurrection, concluding, ‘Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain’ (15:58). 1 Corinthians shows that the cross and resurrection are the focus and fuel of gospel ministry. They give us something glorious to proclaim and the indomitable resolve to proclaim it.
8.30 – 9am - Arrival and registration
9 – 10am - Welcome, Singing, STS Vision, Introductions
10 – 10:45am - Session #1: The Cross of Christ as the Focus of Gospel Ministry and group discussion
10:45 – 11am - Coffee break
11am – Noon - Session #2: The Resurrection of Christ as the Fuel of Gospel Ministry and group discussion
Noon – 1pm - Lunch
1 – 2pm - Breakout sessions
2 – 2.15pm - Break
2.15 – 3pm - Session #3: Panel Discussion and Q&A: What does it look like in practice to ground gospel ministry in the cross and resurrection?
3 – 3.30pm - Prayer
In our first two main sessions, Ben Emberly and Stephen Witmer will speak to the focus and the fuel of gospel ministry in the cross and resurrection of Christ. Our last main session will be a panel giving Summit participants opportunity to ask specific counseling questions for discussion among the panelists and fellow Summit attendees.
Ben grew up in small-town ministry contexts as the son of a pastor who served in Dublin, NH and then Northfield, MA. After graduating with a degree in Bible Exposition from The Master’s University, he married his wife Beth. Together they are the happy parents of three young daughters as well as a precious son who went to be with the Lord in 2021. Ben recently graduated with his MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and serves as a pastor at Community Bible Church in Northfield, MA.
Stephen Witmer is the lead pastor of Pepperell Christian Fellowship in Pepperell, MA. He's a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the University of Cambridge, and serves on the steering committee of the Gospel Coalition New England. He is the author of “A Big Gospel in Small Places.” He and his wife Emma have two sons and one daughter.
Dan Maketansky
The call to preach God’s Word is glorious. But weekly preaching is also a grind under many pressures. To be the regular preacher in a small-town church is to need endurance for the long haul. This breakout session will explore biblical principles and practical strategies for endurance with joy in preaching ministry over many years.
Bio coming soon!
Joel Schofield
One of the challenges of small-town ministry is finding and sustaining people to support congregational singing. This breakout is designed for pastors and church leaders serving in small or resource-limited settings. We will explore practical and pastoral ways to build a sustainable, competent rotation of volunteers that supports congregational singing without relying on a single highly gifted leader.
Joel has served as Senior Pastor of Carlisle Congregational since 2022. He and his wife, Lyndsay, have three children: Sam, John, and Ada. Before coming to Carlisle, Joel served as an elder and led worship through song at Hope Fellowship Church in Cambridge. He grew up in Massachusetts.
Joel Hertzog
There are difficult people everywhere. But in small places, their influence can be oversized and especially challenging. In this breakout session, we’ll discuss strategies to help navigate the unique challenge that difficult people pose—to the health of your church and to your own spiritual health—and strategies to make sure that as we deal with them, we don’t become difficult people too.
Joel Hertzog has served as the Pastor of Cornerstone Congregational Church in Westford, MA since August of 2024. Prior to that, he served as the Pastor of a church in Pennsylvania for 9 years. He graduated from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in 2015 and is excited that God has called him back to New England to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Joel is married to his wife, Jill (a native New Englander), and they have two sons - Ezra and Judah.
Meet the Team
Ethan is the husband to Catherine and father of Henry and Cali. They moved to Sandwich, MA in the spring of 2022 where Ethan has led Forestdale Church, a historic congregation on Cape Cod. Prior to his service in the church, Ethan served active duty in the Marine Corps and then received an MDiv from Westminster Seminary California. If he has a free hour to himself, you can either find him at the gym or on his porch with his corncob pipe and a book.
Ben grew up in small-town ministry contexts as the son of a pastor who served in Dublin, NH and then Northfield, MA. After graduating with a degree in Bible Exposition from The Master’s University, he married his wife Beth. Together they are the happy parents of three young daughters as well as a precious son who went to be with the Lord in 2021. Ben recently graduated with his MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and serves as a pastor at Community Bible Church in Northfield, MA.
