When Dwight L. Moody was alive, the Northfield campus was a busy place. Not only was the 2,300-seat auditorium filled with people attending summer conferences, but Mr. Moody was quite hospitable. Before Revell Hall was built, for instance, Moody built an addition on to his own home to provide accommodations for the initial classes of the Northfield Seminary. He also held Bible studies in his dining room. The property where Moody Center is located was not just beautiful. It was busy.
Our vision is to see the campus busy again. Last year we had around 15,000 visitors come to Northfield. While COVID-19 has kept us from hosting visitors and events this year, we are confident that Moody Center will surpass 15,000 visitors per year in the near future. Our desire is to be a destination in Western Massachusetts where those interested in the religious history of New England can come to be inspired, to learn, and to be encouraged to respond to the Holy Spirit.
Our desire is to see our property in Northfield be used to proclaim the gospel to all who visit, just as God used Dwight Moody and the property to catalyze spiritual renewal through the Student Volunteer Movement, the ongoing encouragement of local pastors and churches, and the rest and reflections of God’s people as they enjoyed the idyllic landscape of Northfield. As such, Moody Center is in the process of making plans to create an on-site experience that enhances the natural beauty of the property, preserves and utilizes the historic spaces under our care, and tells the story of God’s work in the life and ministry of Dwight L. Moody, as well as in the broader history of the New England region.
Please pray that God would give us wisdom as we seek to continue on in the legacy of D.L. Moody.
JAMES SPENCER, PHD is President the D.L. Moody Center, an independent non-profit organization based in Northfield, MA, and author of Useful to God: Eight Lessons from the Life of D. L. Moody and Thinking Christian: Essays on Testimony, Accountability, and the Christian Mind