‘Portable’ church offers message of hope, love in PI
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A new non-denominational church has been holding services in the Star City since last August, and according to Pastor Paul Howlett, is bringing a message of hope to those in need.
The Freedom Church held its grand opening Nov. 16, 2014. Services are held at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at the Presque Isle Inn & Convention Center.
“We’re a church for people who don’t like church,” said Howlett, who co-founded the Freedom Church with his wife, Charity. “We know that Aroostook County has a lot of churches and that’s great; we celebrate with other churches, and we believe in them, but we feel the area needs a different kind of church … one that appeals to people who may feel like they’re on the outside and for whom church has been irrelevant in their lives.
“Those are the kind of people that we want to influence and reach,” he said. “We believe that through the message of the Bible, the church can bring hope to them.”
Attendance is “definitely building,” Howlett said.
“We have about 25-30 people who regularly attend,” he said, “and new people come every week to check it out, and that’s OK. It’s a new thing and people want to find out more.”
A typical Sunday service consists of both a message and music.
“Our music isn’t what you would typically think of as ‘church music,’” said Howlett. “We’re outside of that box and provide contemporary music. In addition to music, we have a sermon, a kids’ service for children ages 3 up to grade 5, and we’ll be looking to start some new student groups in the New Year.”
Originally from Mars Hill, Howlett said long-term plans include a more permanent structure.
“I’m an outside-of-the-box thinker, so the church building may not necessarily be your typical church look. I’m looking at all kinds of different buildings and possibilities. We want to be able to tear down any walls that may keep people from going to church, and sometimes the way churches look can play a part in that,” he said. “We would like to have a permanent place in the long-term, but I’ve led ‘portable churches’ for five years already, and I have no problem with that.”
Howlett, the son of Paul and Amy Howlett, received his bachelor’s degree in Bible from Zion Bible College in Rhode Island in 2000.
“I’ve been in ministry for close to 20 years now,” he said, noting that for about half of that time he was involved in youth ministry. “I was a youth pastor in Caribou once I graduated, have worked in western Massachusetts, and for the last five years I’ve been leading portable churches.”
Despite living in Mars Hill, Howlett said launching the Freedom Church in Presque Isle made the most sense.
“Presque Isle is the hub of the county, so people come to Presque Isle,” he said. “There’s close to 10,000 people here, and a very small percentage of them go to church. We felt that since this is the hub and it’s a college town, this would be the best place to spread the message of hope and love.
“We are here to help our community. It’s not just about being in a church building; we want to help make Presque Isle — and The County — better. We want to help people, so we’re going to find ways to do that,” said Howlett. “If people are already doing it, we want to come alongside and support them. That’s why I got involved in the Rotary Club. We’re not just about having another church; we want to influence our community and make it better. It’s all about helping people and showing them God’s love.”
Howlett and his wife have four children: Brooke, 12; Madison, 10; Caleb, 8; and Abigail, 6. They reside in Mars Hill.
