From District Conference 2016: Church and Ministry Milestones

DISTRICT CONFERENCES RECOGNIZES CONGREGATIONS

At the 2016 Northern Plains District Conference, seven congregation were recognized for reaching a five year milestone in their history.  

Beaver Church of the Brethren – 115 years

In the late 1800s, before the turn of the century, Church of the Brethren members were settling in Boone County and ministers from Dallas Center were leading them along with some from Panther Creek and Coon River, now Panora.  Because their membership was in the Dallas Center Church, in 1900 they petitioned Dallas Center Church asking permission to build their own church and this permission was granted in 1901.  The names of the founding families include Powers, Hoefle’s and Shadle’s.  Through the years, women have had a strong part in ministry leadership including Sister Bertha Boggs, Sister Clara Smith, serving with her husband Harry, and Darlene Garwick.  In 1971 the congregation entered into a yoked relationship with the United Methodists and Marge Smalley served the yoked church from the mid1980s until her death just a few months ago.  Today Bob Shadle is providing Sunday morning preaching and worship leadership a lay person faithfully continuing the work started by his Shadle ancestors over 115 years ago.

Dallas Center Church of the Brethren – 140 years

In 1875, members of the Panther Creek Church living in the Dallas Center area who had been meeting in a county school built a church building near the cemetary 1 ½ east of town and in 1876 the church was organized with 57 charter members.  That country church served the members and community for 35 years including several time hosting district meetings.  In 1909 worked commenced on a new building in town which was completed and dedicated in 1910.  For 42 years, from 1893-1935, the church was served in its ministry by Elder C B Rowe assisted by other ministers.  Dallas Center Church missionaries, Harold and Gladys Royer, served in Nigeria from 1930-1968.  Many from the church have gone into Brethren Volunteer Service or been called into the Ministry.  The church’s current pastor is Randy Johnson who this spring completed his Training in Ministry and was ordained.  Also Kathy Johnson is going through her Training in Ministry.  Others currently in Ministry in the District with ties to the Dallas Center Church are Barbara Wise Lewczak and Michelle Leonard.  

Iowa River Church of the Brethren – 160 years

In 1856, a group of Brethren settlers came to Marshall County, Iowa from Miami County, OH under the leadership of John Murray and organized what would become known as the Iowa River Church of the Brethren.  The congregation first met in homes and schoolhouses before building a meetinghouse in 1866 then following that with the present structure in 1899.  For almost 80 years the church depended on the free ministry.  The first paid ministers were seminary students until the church called J A Eby as their first full time minister in 1939.  In 1909 the women of the church organized the Helping Hand Aid Society to serve the church and community.  In 1932 the Men’s Work Group was formed to do service projects in support of Heifer Project, CROP and other relief efforts.  The congregation was most recently served by Kevin Gruen and they are now searching for a new minister.

The Church of the Brethren in Waterloo – 160 Years

In Waterloo, the South Waterloo Church and the Hammond Avenue Church trace their history to a common origin when Brethren families from Somerset County, Pennsylvania began to settle in the area.  A boundary line was established to define two groups, one in town, the other in the country, and they were organized as separate congregations in 1856.  In 1895 the two congregations merged under one official board and the merger continued until 1929.  For a few years, from 1971-1974, the two came together again, forming a yoked parish and sharing pastoral and Christian Education staff.

The South Waterloo, or country church, began with meetings in homes and then in schoolhouses.  In 1867 work began on the first meetinghouse which was dedicated in 1868. Two year later, in 1870, the congregation hosted Annual Conference.  The current structure was built in 1912 with an education unit added in 1950 and then updated in recent years.  In 1883, after Annual Conference passed strict regulation on church governance and attire, nearly 80 members withdrew and formed a Progressive Church later known as the First Brethren.  Despite these losses, the congregation would grow to become for a time the largest country church in Iowa. Through the years the church benefited from long term Elders and capable Ministers and many persons have been called into the ministry.  Also, South Waterloo has a strong missionary spirit with numerous members going into the mission field.    South Waterloo’s current pastor is David Whitten, who came to South Waterloo after serving in the mission field in Nigeria.  

The Waterloo City Church started out meeting in a rented hall which it outgrew by 1880 so that a church house was built and then another in 1902 when the first was outgrown including an education unit in 1912.  Early and long-time Elders of the church were A. P. Blough and Oscar Hamer.  Having again outgrown its facility, the church in 1956 purchased property on Hammond Avenue and dedicated a new building in 1962.  In 1992 the Waterloo City Church affiliated and merged with the Waterloo First Brethren Church and the new congregation adopted the name Hammond Avenue Brethren Church.  The congregation supports the ministries of both the Church of the Brethren and Brethren Church.  The current pastor of Hammond Avenue Brethren Church is Larry McKinney.

Robins Church of the Brethren – 160 years

In 1856, Brethren who had settled in the eastern Iowa counties of Linn, Cedar, Delaware and parts of Benten meet near Robins, IA and formed the First Dry Creek Church of the German Baptist Brethren with ten charter members.  In 1858 they built their first meetinghouse.  In 1881, about half of the congregation went to the Old Order Brethren.  A second church house was built in 1883 in a place called Sand Ridge and a third was built in Cedar Rapids in 1892, becoming a separate congregation in 1905.  The present Robins church house was built in 1915.  In 1939 the church’s name changed from Dry Creek to Robins Church of the Brethren.  One Robins member licensed to the ministry was Warren Hoover, who for many years was head of the Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objector in Washington, DC.  A few month ago, the remaining members decided to close the church.  The District is working with them to dispose of the property and a final celebration service will be held on Saturday, September 10 at 2:00 p.m. with Jim Benedict, a son of the church and Brethren pastor in Maryland, bringing the final address.

Root River Church of the Brethren – 160 years

In 1855, several Brethren families migrated from Garret County, Maryland, settled on farmland south of Preston, MN, and formed the Dunkard Brethren Church with thirteen charter members.  For sixteen years they worshipped in granaries, sheds, homes and school houses.  The first church building went up in 1872 and the present building was erected in 1905.  To help the farmer-preachers, the first pastor, J. F. Souders, was hired in 1903.  The first Sunday School was organized in 1886, a Ladies Aid Society in 1905 to do sewing, serving meals, selling articles and canning for relief efforts and to send a Heifer to Europe.  Men’s Work was organized in 1930 to send relief to victims of war and drought.  Training in Sunday School was always an interest of the church and Education classrooms were added in 1961.  The church has also cooperated with other churches in the community in union services and CROP activities.  This past year the congregation decided to stop holding services.  The district is working to discern next steps.

A Prayer for These Congregations

God of all years and places, we give thanks for these congregations.  For their faithful work and ministries. For the vision and labor of their founders.  For those added through the years.  For the gospel and way of Jesus going forth to their neighbors.  For their set apart ministers.  For their deacons.  For their teachers of children and youth.  For their caretakers of buildings and bills.  For their witness and service from the beginning to this day.  We give thanks for their church today.  For their present leadership.  For all their members.  We lift up to you their joys and struggles.  Gains and losses.  Laughter and tears.  Help them remain steadfast in you.  And continue to bless them with the fruit your Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  For your glory of God and our neighbor’s good.  Amen.

DISTRICT CONFERENCE RECOGNIZES MINISTERS

Each year at District Conference we recognize the five year milestones of our ordained ministers.  This year we celebrated and honored the following ministers of Northern Plains District for their years of ordained ministry with the church.  

Sue Bollinger was ordained 5 years ago on December 4, 2011 after completing the Training in Ministry program through the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership.  She was ordained at the Lewiston Church of the Brethren where she has served as Ministry Coordinator since 2001 and also on the Preaching Team.   In recent years, Sue has served on the District Conference Planning Committee, the Nominating Committee, and the District Women’s Retreat.  Sue farms with her husband Cliff Bollinger and they have three adult children and five grandchildren.

Barbara Wise Lewczak was ordained 5 years ago on November 6, 2011 after completing the Training in Ministry program through the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership.  She was ordained at the Stover Memorial Church of the Brethren which she has served as pastor since 2007 when she was licensed to the ministry.  Barbara also currently serves the District as Camp Program Director, as a Cluster Minister, and as one of our Ministers of Leadership Development.  She has served on the District Board, chaired the Ministry Commission, and was our District Moderator in 2015.   She also serves on the District’s Shalom Team and is active in Reconciliation work at Annual Conference.  She is currently in a learning cohort with other Camp leaders.  Barbara is married to Ed Lewczak and has three sons, and two grandchildren.

Lucy Hollinger Basler was ordained 20 years ago on May 5, 1996 at the Rice Lake Church of the Brethren in Illinois/Wisconsin District after graduating from Bethany Theological Seminary in 1992.  She is a 1963 graduate of Elizabethtown College.  She served as pastor of the Rice Lake congregation from 1995-1997 and following that did chaplaincy work and spiritual direction.  She is married to Patrick Basler and they have four children.  Lucy is now retired and is a member of the Open Circle Church.  

Timothy Hewes Peter was ordained 25 years ago on June 16, 1991 at the Boulder Hill Church of the Brethren in Illinois after completing his Master of Divinity degree at Bethany Theological Seminary.  He is a 1987 graduate of Manchester College.  In July 1991 he was called as pastor of the Prairie City Church of the Brethren and continues to serve that congregation.    He has been a faithful leader at the Camp, serving as a camp dean each summer.  Tim has served as Northern Plains District Moderator.  He also served on the, District Board, chairing the Ministry Commission Chair.  Tim recently completed a 5 year term on the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board.   Timothy is married to Phyllis and they have four children, and one grandchild.  

Clifford Ruff was ordained 65 years ago in December 1951 at the Yakima Church of the Brethren in Washington State and was advanced to the Eldership at Sunnyslope Church of the Brethren in Washington State in 1956 after completing his Divinity degree at Bethany Seminary.  He is a 1951 graduate of LaVerne College.  Cliff has served pastorates in Washington State, California, Arizona and Missouri as well as in our District the Peace Church of the Brethren (1973-1981) and the Ankeny Church of the Brethren (1981-1990).  Cliff is father of three children is married to Phyllis Kingery Ruff.  He is a member of Peace Church of the Brethren in Council Bluffs.

Prayer for These Ministers

GRACIOUS AND LOVING GOD, THANK YOU FOR THESE SERVANT-LEADERS OF YOUR CHURCH.  THANK YOU FOR THE INFLUENCES THAT SHAPED AND PREPARED THEM FOR THEIR WORK; FOR YOUR SPIRIT PLANTED WITHIN THEM; AND FOR THEIR PART IN CHANGING LIVES AND GROWING YOUR CHURCH.  HELP THESE MINISTERS TO KEEP GROWING AND LEARNING.  HELP THEM BE SLOW TO JUDGE AND QUICK TO FORGIVE, TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT, AND TO RECEIVE AND GIVE THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER, WORD AND ACTION.  AS MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS DISTRICT WE NOW REAFFIRM OUR PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL WITH THESE AND ALL OUR SET APART MINISTERS FOR YOUR GLORY AND OUR NEIGHBOR’S GOOD.  IN CHRIST’S NAME WE PRAY.  AMEN.