Dover First Church holds tent evangelistic meetings at Delaware State Capitol

Compassion campaign and Christ-centered preaching draw strong community response

Dover First Church brought public evangelism to the heart of Delaware, holding tent meetings just steps from the State Capitol on Legislative Mall. The “Hope for Today” series featured guest speaker D. W. West, assistant to the president of Adventist World Radio. Meetings were held on Legislative Mall during the first week, before continuing at Dover First Church and concluding Sept. 20.

The series combines Christ-centered messages with a compassion campaign designed to meet practical needs in the community. Each evening, guests have received free items such as diapers and wipes, toiletries, healthcare kits, sneakers, and winter coats. The giveaways, supplied in part through partnerships with nonprofits like It’s From the Sole and One Warm Coat, have drawn more than 200 people on some nights.

Pastor Javier Scharon said the church felt called to host the meetings in Dover’s central gathering place. “Legislative Mall is a central location in our city,” he said. “Everybody knows it, and whenever something is happening there, people always come to see what’s going on.”

Several attendees have already made decisions for baptism, with more expected by the conclusion of the series.