A Harvest in Poughkeepsie
The Story of Derek Duncan and Dana Duncan-Vansteenburgh
“Behold, a sower went out to sow…” (Matthew 13:3b)
Jesus’ parable of the sower is not just an ancient lesson—it’s the blueprint for Gospel work, for church planting, and for lives laid down in obedience. Some seed falls on hard paths, some on rocky ground, some among choking thorns. But some—some falls on good soil, yielding a harvest beyond imagining.
Derek and Dana Duncan understood this deeply. When they left Memphis in 2009, they were called to scatter Gospel seed broadly, trusting God for the harvest.
Their journey began years earlier at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis. Under the powerful preaching of Pastor Adrian Rogers, Derek learned what it meant to follow God wherever He might lead. One moment stuck with them always: during the baby dedication of their own daughter, Elizabeth, Dr. Rogers asked, “Are you willing to give up your daughter for wherever God may take her?” That spirit of surrender was planted in their hearts.
Years later, Elizabeth would grow into that prayer. She now serves as a worship leader, living proof that those early seeds of faith can bear fruit for generations.
Bellevue’s missions emphasis shaped the whole family. Derek went on construction trips to Brazil. The family led multiple mission trips to Uruguay, using the Passion Play as a creative, Spirit-filled way to proclaim Christ. Over four years they trained local believers to perform the drama themselves, leaving behind sets, props, and a vision that carried on for more than a decade.
But God was preparing them for more. When they arrived in New York’s Hudson Valley in 2009, they didn’t even have a place to live. They unloaded their belongings into a storage unit and spent two weeks in hotels. It was uncertain soil. But the Duncans trusted the Sower’s promise: some seed will fall on good ground.
They began with a Bible study in their living room. When it outgrew their home, they rented a storefront near the high school. Living Water Church was born. Derek preached and prayed, asking God to establish a foothold for the Gospel in Poughkeepsie. He mentored Anthony Patton, passing on Adrian Rogers’ example of strong preaching, personal discipleship, and an open-handed approach to using sermons if they helped win souls. Anthony would later become pastor when Derek could no longer preach.
In 2017, Derek was diagnosed with cancer. Even as the disease advanced, he continued to sow Gospel seed—preaching, praying, encouraging. The vision God had given him of planting a church in Poughkeepsie’s inner city wasn’t fully realized before he went to Heaven in 2020, but the seed was there. In 2023, that ministry was realized at last—a testament to God’s faithfulness in using obedient sowers even after they’re gone.
Dana faced the deep pain of loss. Yet even in her grief, she heard God’s call to remain. She stayed with Living Water Church, leading children’s ministry, serving her church family, and trusting that God was not finished with the harvest Derek had helped plant.
God also met Dana in her personal sorrow. In time, as He healed her grief, He blessed her with a new marriage in 2024 to Joe Vansteenburgh—a sign of His faithfulness to bring beauty from ashes. She testifies that God not only sustained her but restored her hope, giving her new joy even as she continues to serve.
And God’s work went on. The Poughkeepsie Passion Play was born from a vision Derek and Dr. James D. Whitmire shared more than a decade before. It was an audacious plan to use drama to tell the Gospel story in a place with little Gospel witness.
Love Worth Finding Ministries became a sponsor, providing not only financial support but spiritual resources—pamphlets, Bible studies, and materials for pastors. For Dana, the partnership felt personal and full-circle. Adrian Rogers had championed the Passion Play at Bellevue, knowing the power of drama to reach hearts. Love Worth Finding’s sponsorship honored Derek’s memory and embodied that same spirit of scattering seed, trusting God for growth.
When the Passion Play came to life in Poughkeepsie, it wasn’t the work of one church alone but a coalition of believers: 150 actors, singers, and technicians from six area churches and even partners from Memphis, including Dr. Whitmire as Producer/Director. It was a vivid picture of the Kingdom harvest Jesus promised.
The results were real and measurable: at the play itself, eight people prayed to receive Christ; 36 rededicated their lives. Fruit grew also in the hearts of those who participated as they forged deep relationships and gained a deeper understanding of what Christ endured for them. They discovered new gifts and new courage to proclaim Jesus in their own lives.
Dana reflected on the blessings: “I can’t even describe what a blessing and an honor it was to have LWF as a sponsor.” She remembered hosting luncheons for local pastors to introduce them to Love Worth Finding’s resources. It wasn’t just about one event; it was about sowing seeds that would continue to grow.
Jesus’ parable is clear-eyed about disappointment. Some seed lands on stony soil or is choked by thorns. The Duncans knew setbacks, uncertainty, grief. But Jesus’ promise holds: “Others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matthew 13:8b).
Derek didn’t see all the fruit of his obedience. But the seeds he planted continue to bear fruit—Living Water Church, new ministries, transformed lives, the enduring vision of the Passion Play. Dana’s faithful service carries the harvest forward.
The story of Derek and Dana Duncan is the story of the Gospel itself. A sower went out to sow. God gave the increase. And the harvest—by His grace—has only just begun.
