A man who nearly died in a 1996 house fire that burned 80 percent of his body is coming back to Suffield this Monday, October 26, to lead a service inside a church that has sat mostly empty for a century. Dr. Andrew Knight, who now lives in Florida, will speak about Christian influences in the West during the gathering at First Baptist Church in Suffield, with lunch to follow.
Knight lived in Suffield from 1987 to 1989 and says the town never left him, even decades after he moved away. “Almost 40 years later, I feel compelled to minister to the people of Suffield and the surrounding towns,” he said, according to the Hartford Courant. A couple of years ago, he began seeking out Baptist churches around Suffield and located the long-dormant First Baptist Church two years ago, eventually leading services there in July 2025 for about 20 people and again in July 2026, which he said went well.
A Church Rooted in the 1700s, Rarely Used Since the 1920s
The congregation's history runs far deeper than its current quiet state suggests. Its roots trace to the mid-18th century, and the first Baptist church in Hartford County was in fact built on the Suffield site in 1769, according to Lost New England. The present building dates to 1846 and has not been regularly used since 1925, per the Courant's reporting, leaving it defunct for more than a century in any formal congregational sense.
The same history outlet notes the church continued to meet there until the 1920s, and for nearly a century the building has not been regularly used, limited instead to occasional special services — typically confined to summer months since the building lacks heat. That detail squares with Knight's own pattern of holding his prior gatherings in July rather than during Connecticut's colder months. Roughly 28 people have committed to attend Monday's fall fellowship service, which is open to the public.
The Fire That Changed Everything
Knight's connection to ministry and to Suffield is inseparable from the trauma that reshaped his life. On November 28, 1996, he sustained second-, third- and fourth-degree burns over 80 percent of his body in an accident involving his home stove, the Courant reported. He spent a year in the hospital before being transferred to Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital in Braintree, Massachusetts, where he spent 33 weeks relearning to walk and use his arms, plus eight months of physical therapy, and more than a year in a wheelchair overall.
Today, Knight says about 65 to 70 percent of his body is grafted, with burns still visible on his upper arms, lower back and chest. He described ongoing complications, especially in his feet: a calcium buildup on his heel has kept a wound from closing for six or seven months, he said. He anticipates his 26th surgery related to the 1996 fire, which he plans to undergo after the Suffield service, once he returns to Florida.
From South Windsor to Florida, and Back Again
Knight moved from South Windsor to Florida in early 2013 on doctors' orders, seeking a warmer climate. He said his doctor advised that hot weather and humidity benefit his body and healing. Even so, he told the Courant his heart never really left New England. “My heart is still in Connecticut and in New England,” he said.
Since relocating, Knight has built an extensive ministerial and academic record. He grew up attending the Episcopal Church but said he accepted Christ on February 19, 1981. He has since earned a master of biblical studies from Emmanuel Baptist Theological Seminary, a master of religious education from West Coast Baptist College, a master of biblical apologetics from Baptist Bible Seminary, and a doctor of ministry from Luther Rice College. He has earned two doctoral degrees since 2013 and published his seventh book in that same span. He also served in the Air Force active duty and the Connecticut Air National Guard.
Historic Setting for a Rare Public Gathering
The church's physical setting adds another layer to Monday's event. Lost New England notes that the building forms the centerpiece of the Hastings Hill Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places — a rare architectural backdrop for a fellowship service built around one man's decades-long pull back toward a town he briefly called home. Those planning to attend the fall fellowship service, which includes lunch following the program, can reach organizers by phone at 860-648-1600 or by email at [email protected].
