First Baptist in Medina has new name, new hope and more attendees

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Mike Wright, left, a deacon and 40-year member of the First Baptist Church of Medina, and new pastor Randy LeBaron stand by the sign announcing the church’s new name, New Hope Community Church.

MEDINA – After serving the people for nearly two centuries, the First Baptist Church of Medina is going forth with a new name.

The Rev. Randy LeBaron, former pastor of the Albion Free Methodist Church, assumed pastoral duties at First Baptist Church in September 2023.

He recently announced a name change for the church – New Hope Community Church.

The First Baptist Society was formed in Medina 195 years ago. The historic sandstone building was erected 151 years ago, having been dedicated Jan. 8, 1873, according to Mike Wright, a deacon and member of the church with his wife Joyce for more than 40 years.

Like many mainstream churches, attendance at the First Baptist Church had been declining.

“When I first started here, there was a core group who were casting a vision for the church,” LeBaron said.

“We wondered what we were going to do,” Wright said.

LeBaron grew up in Chautauqua County, attended Central Christian College in Kansas, then transferred to Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester. His first assignment was as assistant pastor in Warsaw, then lead pastor in Niagara Falls.

“When they asked me to come to Albion Free Methodist Church, I didn’t know where Albion was,” he said.

It was 2004 when he moved there with his wife Sheryl and children Ashlyn and Brendan. Two more daughters, Madison and Jillian, were born later.

(Left) The church has collected toys in the annual Red  Barrel Drive. (Right) Randy LeBaron holds a cake celebrating the name change from Frist Baptist to New Hope Community Church.

In 2019, LeBaron shifted his ministry to become a Free Methodist Conference evangelist. During that time, he founded and became president of Go Scatter Ministries, with the goal to equip Christians for everyday evangelism. He traveled and spoke to more than 100 churches in 22 denominations. He preached, presented workshops and started posting Refill with Randy videos on his blog. That led to a bi-weekly column. One received more than 18,000 shares in more than 32 countries.

“I still felt very much connected to ministry in our county,” LeBaron said.

While running Go Scatter Ministries, LeBaron became involved with other agencies, such as a volunteer with Hands 4 Hope, a counselor at Care Net and chaplain for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department. He went every other week to different churches, preaching messages on evangelism. In January 2022, he joined Hospice.

“I was just going to be there five hours a week,” LeBaron said. “But three others left for various reasons and I became spiritual care and bereavement counselor for all the grief support groups in Orleans County.”

About that time, he was asked to help as interim at North Point Chapel, at the former United Methodist Church in Albion, then other Free Methodist churches and the Albion First Baptist Church. He actually helped to bring the pastor, Marsha Rivers, to the Baptist church Jan. 1, 2023.

“Then one day Mike Wright gave me a call and asked if I could fill the pulpit of the First Baptist Church in Medina, and help them with their pastoral search after the Rev. Michael Stephenson left,” LeBaron said. “They had quite a few candidates apply, but the more I saw the heart of the people here, I felt called to put my name in.”

The Covid pandemic hit in March 2020 and churches weren’t able to do in-person services for about three months. Full attendance didn’t come back immediately when the churches reopened.

“Covid really hurt our attendance,” Wright said. “It was demoralizing – a very dark time for us, and we didn’t have the resources we needed. A lot of pastors who came to fill the pulpit had some really good messages. Buffalo pastor Rebecca Allis asked if we were not here, would people miss us. She said if the answer is ‘No,’ then you’re done. But if the answer is ‘yes,’ then you need to get involved in the community.’ And we hired Randy. He had so many contacts.”

Randy LeBaron sits at the altar of New Hope Community Church, where he preaches his sermons since becoming pastor of the church.

LeBaron started as interim Feb. 20, 2023, and was hired as lead pastor that September.

“I didn’t know if I’d fit in theologically,” LeBaron said. “A decade ago, the American Baptist denomination switched to North American Baptist Association, which now serves us more regionally and are much more mission-oriented.”

They picked three things they wanted to become involved in: Hands 4 Hope, Care Net and Campus One-80. The Campus One-80 became so popular, two young students joined and are now leading campus ministries in their college.

“When I first started here, there was a core group who were casting a vision for the church,” LeBaron said.

“But we didn’t know what to do,” Wright said.

LeBaron said when he first filled in, attendance was down and the atmosphere was dire.

“Then, suddenly there was new hope,” Wright said.

Changing the name of the church is meant to reflect that hope and give new hope to others, LeBaron said.

They had a long meeting with the congregation about changing the name. Some looked at it as “breaking my heart,” but the majority favored the change.

“We are still a Baptist Church,” LeBaron said.

 “The Lord continues to bring people he wants here and people continue to come,” Wright said. “One or two at a time, and they don’t just attend, they want to join.”

When LeBaron first came to the church, attendance averaged eight to 10 people. Now they are happy to share attendance has increased to 50 to 60, and they have performed a dozen or more baptisms.

“We are a very casual, contemporary Christ-centered church,” LeBaron said.

They meet every Sunday after church for coffee and conversation. There were a number of attendees who didn’t believe in anything, and now they want to be involved in everything, LeBaron said. Even a former atheist who now leads the new men’s group and helped carry the cross at Easter.

Their community involvement includes sponsoring a free garage sale every June, where the church basement is filled with merchandise, which people can just walk in and take. They give away hot chocolate during the Parade of Lights and coats during the winter.

A sunrise service every Christmas at 7 a.m., followed by breakfast is a tradition more than 100 years old.

Sunday worship is at 10 a.m., and this week begins a new sermon series, “Advent 2 Christmas,” to which everyone is invited.