Welcome to Abundant Life Community Church

Our History

In the 1970’s, many teens and other young people were experiencing confusion and disillusionment as they tried to make sense of life. Drugs, heavy metal music, technology, fashion, and societal change were impacting everyone. With the massive changes it was easy to get taken away by them, left behind, or flounder somewhere in between, trying to figure out life. That period in American culture was when God chose to do an amazing work. He raised up spiritual leaders with a burden for these lost young people, equipping these leaders with a zeal to reach out to the lost with Biblical preaching and teaching, and relatable music. The Lord moved by his spirit in the lives of thousands of young people across the United States. Many of these young people responded positively to the Gospel message. Repentance, faith in Christ for salvation, baptism, and discipleship followed. As these new Christians embraced following Christ they were freed from bondages, found answers about the meaning of life, and discovered their purpose in life: to know God and make him known.They witnessed about Jesus Christ to friends, families, and strangers. The roots of Abundant Life Community Church are in this movement. Some of us came to Christ at a ministry called the Burning Bush. This ministry was characterized by a strong call to repentance, relevant Bible teaching, supernatural signs from the Holy Spirit, and working to build the kingdom of God.

In the years that followed, there were some bumps in the road as we navigated our new lives and ministry responsibilities. A core group of us in the Willimantic area stayed together. Pastor Kevin White recognized a leadership team and we established a mobile church, meeting in a variety of buildings. With Pastor White and his wife Lynn, the church flourished. In the late 1980s, we purchased what is now our current building on 980 Main Street, Willimantic. This location made us accessible to the downtown community. Church services and other meetings were held to try to support and strengthen people. There were also men’s and women’s groups, and effective outreaches to youth and children. We also partnered with other churches in the area for special events.

As years have gone by and personal experiences have accumulated, it has become evident that one of the main callings of several members of Abundant Life Community Church is to walk alongside others as they work out their new lives in Christ. God has equipped our church body with people who love the Lord Jesus Christ and other people. We love and support those who are lost, hurting, searching, struggling, and confused. We enjoy the Lord’s presence in our lives and want to support others in their experience with Him.

After over forty years in ministry, Pastor White and Lynn retired in 2021. Pastor White turned over the pastorate to Pastor Ryan Duck. Pastor Ryan has a strong emphasis on Biblical teaching, prayer, spiritual gifts, and hunger for revival.

Meet Pastor Ryan Duck

Hi, I’m Ryan Duck,

I grew up in Oklahoma in a Christian family and do not remember a time when I did not know the Lord. I began feeling the Lord call me to ministry in high school. Consequently, I studied New Testament at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, where I also met my wife, Ruth. After getting married, we moved to Massachusetts so I could attend Gordon-Conwell Seminary, where I earned a Master of Arts in Religion. After graduation, we moved back to Oklahoma. However, we both knew that God was calling us to New England, and that someday we would be moving back East.

While in Oklahoma, I served as an associate pastor at a medium-sized church. After that, I took a break from ministry for several years and worked in the retail and construction industries. During this time, the Lord took me through His own seminary training. I also look back and see how He was preparing me to work a “side gig” while in ministry here in New England.

We have four daughters, ages 13, 15, 17, and 19. After the last one was born, we moved back to Massachusetts so I could go back to seminary. This second time around,
I earned both a Master of Divinity and a Master of Theology in Preaching. From there, we moved to Franklin, CT, where I was the pastor of the congregational church in town for five years. Being the pastor in Franklin was an interesting experience because I was unofficially the “town pastor” — the town has only the one church and most of the families have lived in town for generations, so they called on me to perform funerals, a wedding, and offer prayers at the Memorial Day celebrations.

After leaving the congregational church, we felt, at first, the Lord calling us to plant a church in Franklin, but looking back at it, we realize that was His way of keeping us in the area so I could serve Pastor Kevin and ALCC. It’s been amazing how the Lord has orchestrated the whole relationship and process.

I officially became the pastor of Abundant Life when Pastor Kevin retired in October 2020.

As a family, we love spending time together playing games, exploring the outdoors, going to the beach / Cape Cod, and our weekly ritual of pizza and a movie.

I believe in the apostolic church and relate to John Alley from Rockhampton, Australia and to Tony Rezendez from Massachusetts. Right now, I’m seeing the need for genuine apostolic leadership and the Church as a family. I believe the Lord wants to build the Church into a properly functioning Body and to use the Church to bless the community. I also believe that the Lord wants to have a revival, once again, in New England. I believe that is one reason we are here, to be part of that revival.