On May 1st, 21 students and staff from Northeastern Baptist College took part in the spring BENEATH trip (Believers Exploring New England’s Awesome Theological History). The theme of the trip was the life of D. L. Moody, visiting historic sites honoring the great evangelist and his ministry. 

The trip’s first stop, fittingly, was at Moody’s birthplace in Northfield, MA. The house, built by Moody’s own family, now serves as a museum to his life, including a room dedicated to artifacts from his many years proclaiming the gospel wherever he was called.

These mementos to his life ranged from an audio recording of Moody reading the Beatitudes, his Bible Conference pulpit, a portable organ used by Ira Sankey in the Moody meetings, innumerable letters, pictures and documents covering his many years of service to Christ.

After contemplating the history all around them, the students and staff posed for a group photo, then set out again.

Following a brief stop for lunch, the next destination was to Northfield Mount Hermon School, originally founded by Moody himself in 1879.

At the school’s library, the group heard from the library’s archivist about Moody’s founding of the school. He showed the students and staff C.H. Spurgeon’s Bible, given to Moody, by Spurgeon’s wife upon his death.

They also saw a Bible that Moody gave to a student, which was later returned to the Northfield Schools, and had been signed by historical figures such as Winston Churchill and Chiang Kai-shek.

Finally, after departing Massachusetts and heading back towards Bennington, the trip made a final stop at Hogback Mountain, famous for its 100-mile view—which was, sadly, obscured by rolling fog that day. Instead, the group took solace at the Hogback Mountain gift shop, making up for the lack of scenery with fudge, cheese, and root beer.

Despite the cloudy skies and foggy weather, the spring BENEATH trip was as successful as the fall trip before it, and has become a tradition that will continue semester after semester.

 

 

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