Asachai Drake-Rocheteau

A Vision for Revival: Church Planting in New England

In college, Asachai started another Bible study and again witnessed spiritual growth among his peers and within himself. Eventually, his role changed from being a pastoral intern to a pastoral assistant at his church as he began working toward becoming an ordained minister. However, this step toward his calling had an additional aspect tied to it. In his young adult years, he had grown accustomed to hearing about churches in New England dwindling and closing. While this was a disappointing truth about the region of the U.S. in which he grew up, it also clarified Asachai’s mission as an aspiring pastor. “​​That really made me sad to hear that churches were dying off in New England,” he says. “And so, yes, God was calling me to pastor, but I think there was also that sense of calling to church planting and revitalization.”

With this in mind, Asachai began researching seminaries to attend. He had a sense that God was calling him to attend seminary outside of New England, so he was looking at schools in regions all across the U.S. His pastor was a student at Asbury Seminary at the time and recommended it to him. “When I clicked on the website, there was one phrase: the Whole Bible for the Whole World. And that struck me,” Asachai says. “When I was looking that up it was late at night, and God just had me in tears with that. And I knew this was the school to go to.”

Additionally, Asachai had a chance encounter with Dr. Jessica LaGrone, the Dean of Chapel at Asbury Seminary. While serving as a delegate from New England to a global conference for the Wesleyan Covenant Association and knowing representatives of the Asbury Seminary were also attending, he prayed for the opportunity to meet with someone from the Seminary. Unfortunately, he was unable to catch Dr. Timothy Tennent, former President of Asbury Seminary, after his talk. However, while in the airport terminal to return home, he ran into Jessica, who he recognized from the Asbury Seminary website. “I ran over to her. I’m like, God just sent you. I was just kind of like geeking out at that moment,” Asachai says. “We had a conversation and I was just like, this is where I’m meant to be.”

Finding Home at Asbury Theological Seminary

He began studying as an online student in the fall of 2022, and after balancing working full-time in ministry and studying, Asachai and his wife, Jenna, felt studying as residents on the Kentucky campus would be better for them. They moved to Wilmore for the Fall 2024 semester and have greatly appreciated the community and the environment. Asachai chose the church planting specialization of the Master of Divinity degree to learn about and explore different models of planting and growth for the revitalization of the church in New England. While returning to Massachusetts to be near family would be ideal, he and Jenna are open to wherever the Lord may lead them in the region. “There are people who are hungry for the Word to grow, and I think that’s the hope that pastors and church planters who are looking at New England have,” Asachai says.

His ministry vision is also greatly influenced by unique life experiences, including attending churches of varying styles and cultures and growing up in an interracial family. Asachai attended a Black Pentecostal church as a child, and his grandmother, who was an influential example of a minister to him, was an evangelist in the church. Later, Asachai spent formative years in a Methodist church. “Coming from a Black Pentecostal church, the way of worship is totally different as well,” he says. “We’re very much more expressive. We dance, we clap our hands, stomp our feet, we yell out in service, we sing very loudly.” He describes the change in worship styles as a moment of culture shock. However, he believes ultimately it was a way in which the Lord was forming his vision for ministry, being able to work with a variety of worship styles to reflect our diverse and global faith. 

Shaped by Diversity

Similarly, his experience as a biracial man led him through moments of struggle and wrestling with a sense of identity. However, his journey through that wrestling helped bring him to a greater understanding of his God-given identity. “My dad is black, my mom is white, and then, you know, you have me. And it’s like well, what do you do with him?” Asachai says. “With being biracial, there’s always been like that struggle of where’s my identity? One of the things that God worked with me is my identity isn’t fully in these cultural things, but it’s in who I am in Christ.”

Asachai’s unique and diverse family and faith background, as well as the people and spiritual climate of New England, have shaped his perspective and calling regarding pastoral ministry and church planting. Though he currently resides in Wilmore, he anticipates his return to serve the place that shaped his calling. “New England is known as the frozen chosen,” Asachai says. “So what can we do to kind of reverse that?”