Who is central Maine?
In reaching out to Lewiston, we seek the transformation of the entire central Maine region, all 500,000 people who live within 30 miles of the city.
There are several different communities of people that live in this region.
- Lewiston’s industrial mill past has given the city a legacy of hard-working blue collar folks. Many are Franco-American with a strong Catholic influence. They are Mainers to the core, having been in Lewiston for generations. This is a rich history, but they need Christ to break down the barriers between themselves and other communities.
- Lewiston is no longer the industrial city it once was, and now serves as a regional hub for central Maine. The new Lewiston is becoming ethnically diverse. The region now boasts a large influx of immigrants and refugees, such as the Somalian Muslim community. The Somalis have endured terrible suffering in their homelands, and persecution here in their new home; they need the gospel of healing for their wounded hearts.
- The young urbanites that come to Lewiston to attend Bates College or work after college tend to be more progressive, highly valuing justice and mercy in the world. This group places some value on spirituality, but most are highly secular and skeptical of religion and its relevance for their lives. These young people need to know that only God gives value to their lives and efforts; meaning and truth are found in Christ alone.
- The region includes many surrounding towns. These communities tend to be more traditional in their viewpoints. They are professional folks who escape from the city to the surrounding area and do not tend to have strong ties to their individual communities. Their income and education are much higher than the traditional population of central Maine. These professionals need to see the emptiness of their lives without the gospel, despite the fullness of their large homes and garages.
The people of central Maine struggle with connection. There is a good deal of friction between these segments of the populace. We pray for barriers to be broken, that Christ may be glorified. We want to join people as they struggle with finding value in themselves and the world around them. Into these people and into these struggles that we all share, God has called us to be recipients and messengers of his gospel. It is in this region that God seeks to use Nameless Church to proclaim his glory and enjoy him.
To learn about the climate of Lewiston & central Maine, click here.
The people of central Maine by the numbers
Median resident age: 37.6 yearsMedian household income: $29,191 (year 2000)
Races in Lewiston:
White Non-Hispanic (95.0%) Two or more races (1.7%) Hispanic (1.3%) Black (1.1%) American Indian (1.0%)Ancestries:
French Canadian (29.4%) French (18.3%) Irish (10.2%) English (9.9%) United States (5.7%) German (3.9%). 3.7% Foreign born (2.3% North America, 0.6% Asia, 0.6% Europe).Education
High school or higher: 72.3% Bachelor's degree or higher: 12.6% Graduate or professional degree: 4.0%Employment
Unemployed: 6.8% Mean travel time to work: 18.8 minutes Daytime population change due to commuting: +6,788 (+19.0%) Workers who live and work in this city: 9,194 (56.4%) Industries providing employment: Educational, health and social services (23.7%), Manufacturing (17.4%), Retail trade (16.3%).The history of Lewiston
Originally an Indian fishing spot (Androscoggin is an Indian word meaning “place where alewives are cured”, “fishing place for alewives”, or “spear fishing”. An alewife is a type of fish, for more information see http://www.maine.gov/dmr/rm/alewifefactsheet.htm), Lewiston was first settled by westerners in 1770. By the census of 1790 Lewiston had a population of 532 and was incorporated as a town in 1795. The river was first harnessed for power with the construction of a wooden dam in 1808-1809. This dam powered the first mill (a saw, grist, and fulling mill).
Growth was slow until the 1840’s when investors from Boston, including Benjamin Bates, began building the large textile mills for which the city has become known. For the next few decades the population doubled about every 10 years. These mills prospered through the period of the Civil War leading to Lewiston being chartered as a city in 1863. During this time the Maine State Seminary was formed in 1855, which was reestablished as Bates College in 1864.
The 1870’s saw the last great immigration into central Maine with the arrival of thousands of French-Canadians. Many of these settled in an area near the river giving rise to its name, “Little Canada”. The population of the city has been fairly steady since the 1940’s, though it has now begun to grow again with an influx of folks from Portland, the US, and immigrants from abroad such as the Somali’s (approximately 5,000 of which have settled there since 2002).
The mills which gave rise to the city and fueled its growth have been shutting down slowly since the 1970’s. Today, the large mills still dominate the downtown area only with their architecture and not their presence. The mills are beginning to be redeveloped and reused for other businesses and purposes maintaining a visible connection with the city’s history while moving forward into the future.