Doug and Karis Rowse moved to South Windsor in January, 1997.  They came here under the direction of The Christian & Missionary Alliance with a plan to begin not just one church, but a movement of churches.  Within a month of their arrival, they met Tom and Lisa Walsh who were also new church planters.  Tom and Lisa were working under the direction of an independent Baptist church from Long Island, NY.  Within just a few months it became clear that these two ministry couples were to merge their fledgling churches and form one new church. (And this is how "New River Church" was born!)  We were founded as a denominational church who was heavily funded by an independent Baptist church.  God blessed this relationship and has used New River as a catalyst for bringing greater unity to the Church in this region.  Throughout the past 21 years, we have launched three other churches, helped to build a hospital in Congo, and built a school in Nicaragua.  God is so good!