PLYMOUTH – Saturday afternoon is not typically a busy time at the Emmanuel Bible Baptist Church, located in the center of Plymouth Village.  Last Saturday, however, this was not the case as over 200 well wishers and supporters gathered to honor Pastor Bob Emrich, the founder of the Maine Jeremiah Project.
   Initiated in 2004, the Maine Jeremiah Project seeks a return to the “application of biblical principles and historical precedents to Maine culture.”  According to Emrich, the objective of the Maine Jeremiah Project is not to become the figurehead of the Christian movement in Maine.  The organization seeks to encourage and support the existing Christian organizations within Maine to work in their own communities to redirect our cultural climate back toward the biblical and historical underpinnings on which our society was founded.
   Saturday’s event was a surprise to Emrich, a soft-spoken man who was both honored and humbled to be the focus of so much attention.  He suspected that “something was up” when his parishioners were observed setting up tables in the church’s fellowship center, and members of his family arrived from out-of-town for an overnight visit.  He, correctly, surmised that nobody would tell him anything anyway, so he elected not to ask.  Saturday afternoon, as he was approaching the church with former state Senator Paul Davis, he noticed the plethora of cars and suddenly thought “Oh no, I’ve forgotten a wedding or something!”
   Entering the church, Emrich was greeted by the assembled congregation of supporters and well wishers.  Several speakers throughout the two-hour event shared humorous anecdotes and other stories of how they came to know the Pastor and how they were recruited into the Jeremiah Project.  The communal objective of the gathering was to thank Emrich for his service, and to encourage his continued efforts.
   While honored and humbled by the celebration, Emrich expressed concern that a celebration of this nature emphasizes the accomplishments of an individual or an organization, and that is not what he, or the Jeremiah Project is about.  He stated that he has never been comfortable with the concept of a spokesperson representing the views of all Christians, and he and this organization are not seeking that role.  The purpose of the organization is to support local ministries as they work within their communities to reclaim the biblically-based culture that has turned to liberalism over the last 50 years.  Once a foundation has been laid, a new generation of leaders will, hopefully, be well founded in Biblical teachings as they prepare to lead our communities, our state, and our nation.
   A complete video recording of the event may be seen on our web site at www.svweekly.com. Pastor Emrich is also our guest columnist this week on page b7 with Reflections: Thoughts of Faith.