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Eleven Churches Dropped from Roster
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (June 21, 2004) - A total of 11 churches from five conferences
have been removed from the denominational membership roster during the
119th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church. They include:
- New Life Deliverance Church in Rockford, Illinois
- Grace Covenant Church in Holland, Michigan
- Calvary Evangelical Covenant Church in Erie, Pennsylvania
- Sheffield Mission Covenant Church in Sheffield, Pennsylvania
- Community Covenant Church in Chehalis, Washington
- Redeemer Covenant Church in Driggs, Idaho
- The Covenant Church of the Tri-Cities in Kennewick, Washington
- Wellspring Community Covenant Church in San Leandro, California
- White Stone Covenant Church in Dublin, California
- Crown of Glory Covenant Church in Mint Hill, North Carolina
- Christ Evangelical Covenant Church in Eustis, Florida
Six of the congregations being removed from the Covenant roster had been
formed within the past 12 years. Three churches that closed had
ministered to their respective communities for 25 years or more,
according to reports given to delegates.
Calvary Evangelical Covenant Church of Erie, Pennsylvania, was known by
many names in its long history. It joined the Covenant in 1913 under the
leadership of Rev. H. Palmer. It was known as First Covenant Church for
most of its history. First Covenant hosted its final worship service on
March 22, 1970. It merged with Calvary (a 1961 church plant originally
known as Covenant Community Church) on March 29, 1970, under pastor
Edward Newton and kept Calvary's moniker. The church dedicated a
sanctuary building to a facility already owned by Calvary in February
1977. It hosted its final worship service last year.
Community Covenant Church in Chehalis, Washington, joined the
denomination with 32 charter members on March 19, 1961, as Newaukum
Evangelical Covenant Church. It had organized in December 1960. Victor
Smith was the original chairman of the church. Paul Nelson became the
first full-time resident pastor later that year, according to church
records.
In 1963, with help from a Frontier Friends fundraising effort, the
church acquired what was a Wesleyan Methodist Church located three miles
from the schoolhouse where it had worshipped in its early years. It
later changed its name to First Evangelical Covenant Church before
becoming Community Covenant. The congregation hosted its final worship
service last September under interim pastor Alan Johnson.
In Kennewick, Washington, The Covenant Church of the Tri-Cities
organized in the fall of 1977. Rev. Robert Bennett served as a nucleus
builder. It joined the Covenant in 1978 under Rev. Harold Larsen. It was
known as Maranatha Evangelical Covenant Church of the Tri-Cities at the
time and met for worship in a Seventh-Day Adventist Church. In 1982, it
acquired its own facilities. It grew to a membership of 250 under pastor
Fred Prudek (now a Covenant missionary in the Czech Republic) before
eventually completing its ministry in April 2003, according to a North
Pacific Conference report.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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