Reaching Communities One Church Plant at a Time

By Haley Seboe

The city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, has a population of 25,000 and sits 25 miles south of Wilkes-Barre, a city with a population twice the size of Hazleton’s. Restored Church has been steadily growing and reaching the city of Wilkes-Barre, and is now planting a church in Hazleton.

The idea of planting a church in downtown Hazleton began when Andy Tritt and Keith Wagner approached Restored Church with their passion for reaching Hazleton’s downtown area. Tritt and Wagner met with the pastors to share their vision. Restored Church agreed it should be the pair’s sending church because it is close to Hazleton and because the logistical dynamic of Restored fits with the model Tritt and Wagner wanted to use in Hazleton. Tritt, who was ordained in August 2016, will be the pastor of the church plant. While a few Baptist churches are already in Hazleton, none are focused on starting a multiethnic church in the area’s inner city.