I first heard about Pastor Roberson Pier from a mutual friend in the church‑planting world. They told me about a couple from Boston who felt called to move to Hartford, Connecticut, after having recurring dreams and confirmations from God. Against all odds, Robe and his wife sold their home, left their jobs and moved to a city where they knew almost no one.
When we finally sat down together for the ChurchCandy podcast, I learned that the story was even wilder than the rumours. Robe and his team launched Freedom City Church with a crowd of around 1,000 people, making it the largest church plant in New England. Along the way they overcame fear, loneliness and the belief that “New England is too hard for church planting.”
The Call to Plant Freedom City Church
Robe and his wife were comfortable in Boston, but they couldn’t shake the sense that God wanted them elsewhere. In our conversation he described how dreams, prayer and repeated confirmations built their conviction to plant in Hartford. Obedience meant selling their house and uprooting their family with no launch team in place. They arrived in Hartford armed with faith, a vision and a willingness to start from scratch.
“We had no playbook other than obedience,” Robe told me. “We prayed, we listened and we took the next step even when it felt risky.”
That obedience was tested early and often. Without a core team, the Piers had to do everything themselves — from leading prayer meetings to setting up chairs. But they refused to quit. Over time, their passion attracted others who shared their vision.
Building the Church From Scratch
Launching a church isn’t as simple as putting out a sign and hoping people show up. Robe stressed that while prayer and faith are essential, hard work and smart systems are what turn a dream into reality. They developed clear follow‑up processes for every new visitor, invested in leadership development and built a structure that could handle growth.
The result? When Freedom City Church officially launched, nearly a thousand people came through the doors. They didn’t stop there — they continued to refine their systems to ensure that guests became part of the community. Robe sees data and numbers not as cold statistics but as a way to measure whether people are being reached effectively.
Engaging the Community and Creating Belonging
One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation is that personal connections still matter, even in large launches. Robe spent countless hours meeting people in coffee shops, hosting interest gatherings and getting to know Hartford’s neighbourhoods. Those conversations created a sense of belonging long before anyone attended a Sunday service.
At ChurchCandy we teach that relationships precede discipleship, and Robe’s story illustrates this perfectly. He balanced big advertising pushes with one‑on‑one coffee meetings. When asked about their remarkable launch day, he told me, “The systems matter, but what people remember is how they felt. Did someone call them by name? Did they feel seen?”
Overcoming Challenges and Breaking the New England Stigma
Planting a church anywhere is hard; planting one in New England — a region famous for its spiritual dryness — can feel impossible. Robe talked openly about the skepticism he encountered. Some told him that starting a church there was foolish. Others questioned whether families would commit to a new community.
His response? Obedience and persistence. He and his team kept praying, kept knocking on doors and kept serving the city. They tracked their progress, celebrated small wins and refused to believe that the ground was too hard. Their story proves that faith, strategy and resilience can overcome any stigma.
How ChurchCandy Helped Them Grow
As Freedom City Church prepared to launch, they partnered with ChurchCandy to handle their digital outreach. We helped them develop targeted ads, craft compelling landing pages and build an automated follow‑up funnel. Robe credits this partnership with amplifying the reach of their message.
“Brady and the team helped us get our invitation in front of the right people,” he said. “More importantly, they showed us how to connect with those people personally.”
The results speak for themselves. The combination of prayer, systems and strategic marketing created a launch that exceeded expectations. More importantly, those efforts have continued to bring new people into the church each week.
Final Thoughts for Church Planters
If you’re considering planting or relaunching a church, Robe’s story offers two key lessons:
- Obey the call, even when it scares you. Recurring dreams and confirmations are pointless if you ignore them. Take the next step, trust God with the details and be ready to sacrifice your comfort.
- Pair faith with systems and strategy. Prayer and obedience create momentum, but you still need clear processes and smart marketing to serve people well. Don’t be afraid to use tools — like our Plan Your Visit strategy — that make it easy for guests to connect.
Freedom City Church’s incredible launch shows what can happen when courage meets strategy. If you’re a pastor who feels stuck, I’d love to help you craft a plan tailored to your community. Let’s chat about how ChurchCandy can support your vision.
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