Via, Steve’s wife of 35 years still has hope for the area and summed it up this way:

“We came to Helena with the good seed of the gospel. In five years we have found the seed is still good. The condition of the soil makes the difference in how well a seed grows. This is hard soil that requires cultivation before planting and growth can occur, and we see all kinds of ways God has and can use the Bostroms to dig away at the Helena soil so that there may be true fertility for God to reap a harvest in Helena.”

‘Church planting is still the most effective form of evangelism under the sun. We need to have the courage to grow, recruit and deploy pioneering leaders all over the place. Even with the best systems there will be a price to pay. It’s the same price others have paid to get the gospel to us. It’s the price of following Christ and the rewards are out of this world.” Steve Addison, director of Church Resources Ministry.

The harvest of the All Souls Community Church effort is measured in fives: 5 years, 5 baptisms, 5 professions of faith in a part of the country that has the fifth highest rate of poverty in the nation. By all measures, this church plant in Helena (MT) should have been a thriving success.

Senior pastor Steve Bostrom is a leader who knows how to work hard. He is experienced, committed and loves the Lord with such passion that he uprooted his family that includes 8 children from the East Coast security of Cary (NC) to the Pacific Northwest region known for limited opportunities and high rates of suicide.

Despite five years of study groups, services and outreach efforts that included hosting multiple Arts Festivals and hospitable “Soups On” gatherings, the Rocky Mount Presbytery Mission to North America (RMP MNA) voted to shutter the All Souls Community Church by December 31, 2011. With less than 60 people in regular attendance and nearing the end of financial resources, the church failed to meet Presbytery’s stipulations.

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