Six New England states. A vast mission field. One unchanging Gospel.
Across New England, our desire is to help independent Baptist churches carry the Gospel into correctional facilities, schools, and communities—strengthening the work of the local church and encouraging more Gospel laborers.
The six states are Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
New England's spiritual landscape underscores the importance of faithful local churches and Gospel outreach. Gallup identified New England as the nation's least religious region in its 2017 analysis, and a more recent Pew Research Center study likewise places all six New England states below the national percentage on its measure of high religiousness.
For us, these numbers represent more than statistics. They remind us of the continuing need to preach Christ, disciple believers, and come alongside local churches in reaching their communities.
The need for Gospel laborers extends beyond prisons and public schools to local churches throughout New England. The New England Baptist Fellowship maintains a list of independent Baptist churches currently seeking pastors.
Explore Churches Seeking Pastors — New England Baptist Fellowship ↗Behind correctional walls and throughout our schools are individuals, families, and communities who need the hope of Jesus Christ. Explore the six-state figures below.
A regional picture of the correctional institutions, jails, federal facilities, and people represented in published reports.
Learn How We Serve Correctional Officers ↓
Official NCES school and enrollment counts show the scope of our public-school mission field.
Corrections figures combine reports from 2022–2026 and are not a single-day census. Public-school totals are from the NCES 2024–25 table.
Explore the regional breakdown, including state, county, federal, and other reported correctional populations. Open the linked reports to review the underlying figures.
| State | Facility units | People | Published figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| ConnecticutOct. 2026 | 14 | 12,090 | |
| Maine2025 / Apr. 2026 | 21 | 3,763 | |
| MassachusettsJan. / Oct. 2026 | 34 | 14,372 | |
| New Hampshire2022–2026 | 14 | 4,006 | |
| Rhode IslandJune 2025 / July 2026 | 7 | 3,019 | |
| VermontMar. 2025 | 6 | 1,328 | |
| Six-state total | 96 | 38,578 | Published report links above |
These figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data 2024–25 state statistics table ↗. The official table displays each state’s school and enrollment totals together.
| State | Operating public schools | Student membership | Official figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 1,007 | 508,402 | View NCES table ↗ |
| Maine | 589 | 167,309 | View NCES table ↗ |
| Massachusetts | 1,823 | 915,932 | View NCES table ↗ |
| New Hampshire | 501 | 164,153 | View NCES table ↗ |
| Rhode Island | 313 | 135,978 | View NCES table ↗ |
| Vermont | 304 | 81,398 | View NCES table ↗ |
| New England total | 4,537 | 1,973,172 | NCES Table 2 ↗ |
Our desire is to see souls saved, believers strengthened, local churches equipped, and future laborers prepared to carry the Gospel throughout New England. These commitments guide our work in correctional facilities, schools, and communities across the region.
Correctional officers and employees serve in demanding environments and carry responsibilities that many people seldom see. They deserve our gratitude, our prayers, and the same opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we seek to provide to those in their care. We are grateful for opportunities to encourage them throughout New England.
Rock of Ages Ministries grew from the Rock of Ages Tape Ministry, led by Dr. Ed Ballew, which originally distributed recorded preaching to encourage missionaries. The first contact with a prison began when a correctional officer at Union Correctional Center in Raiford, Florida, gave one of those tapes to an inmate he had been witnessing to.
The inmate rededicated his life to Christ and passed the recording to Chaplain Steel. The chaplain then wrote to Dr. Ballew requesting more preaching tapes for the prison library. This simple act of witness helped open the door for a growing prison outreach, which was formally chartered as Rock of Ages Prison Ministry in 1978.
That history is one reason correctional officers hold such a special place in our hearts. God used an officer to help open a door of ministry that continues to reach lives today.
That first open door grew into an outreach that continues to carry the Gospel into prisons around the world. Through the years, Rock of Ages Ministries has reported more than one million professions of faith through its ministry. What began with one officer taking the time to share a message with an inmate continues to demonstrate what God can do through a faithful witness.
Discover the History of Rock of Ages Ministries ↗Every May, during National Correctional Officers and Employees Week, we express our appreciation to more than 2,500 correctional officers throughout New England. We provide each officer with a pulled-pork plate, a small gift, and a Gospel tract—a simple way to say thank you and share the hope of Christ.
Our commitment does not end when the celebration is over. Throughout the year, we also undertake other projects and outreach opportunities designed to encourage correctional staff, strengthen relationships, and support those who serve behind the walls.
See the heart behind our annual effort to thank and encourage correctional officers. This short video introduces an outreach that opens doors for encouragement, appreciation, and the Gospel.
The “C Dollars” project turns an ordinary moment into a meaningful reminder. Look for the letter C in the Federal Reserve Bank seal or at the beginning of the serial number on a one-dollar bill. For our ministry, that C reminds us of correctional officers and prompts us to pray, set the bill aside, and invest in the lives of those who serve behind the walls.
When churches and individuals give these dollars together, the gifts help provide appreciation meals, small gifts, and Gospel tracts for correctional officers—including our annual National Correctional Officers and Employees Week outreach each May. They also support prison revival meetings, the Lovely Ladies Project, and other Gospel-centered efforts throughout New England.
One dollar may seem small, but every gift is an opportunity to say, “We appreciate you, we are praying for you, and we care about your eternal soul.” We would be grateful for your partnership in reaching and encouraging correctional officers.
