New Castle Bible Church (Mackinaw, Illinois, USA)
The New Castle Mennonite Church (also called Newcastle Mennonite Church) near Mackinaw, Illinois, began in 1936, first as a Summer Bible School location, and in 1940 as a Sunday school outreach of the Goodfield Mennonite Church, with some help from the Hopedale congregation. When Goodfield merged with Pleasant Grove in 1941, responsibility for the work changed to the new Morton Mennonite Church. Regular worship services began in 1941.
The Illinois Mennonite Mission Board organized the group as a rural mission church in December 1936 at the New Castle schoolhouse near Mackinaw, Illinois. By 16 March 1947, the congregation had 47 members.
In late 1948, the Goodfield Mennonite Church purchased and remodeled the schoolhouse. It dedicated the renovated building on 10 April 1949. The New Castle Bible Church enlarged the sanctuary in 1958 and added an education wing in 1971. It built a parsonage in 1978. Further additions and buildings were added in 1991, 1998, and 2008.
Robert Zehr and Harold Oyer, the early pastors at New Castle, were among Illinois Mennonite Conference pastors influenced by fundamentalism. They felt distinctive Mennonite practices, such as insisting ministers wear the "plain coat," hindered outreach. In 1952, New Castle withdrew from the conference and became an independent Bible church, which it has remained. At the same time it changed its name to New Castle Bible Church.
Bibliography
"History." New Castle Bible Church. 2023. Web. 25 March 2024. https://myncbc.org/about/history/.
"The Illinois Mennonite Mission Board...." Gospel Herald 40, no. 1 (1 April 1947): 8.
Smith, Willard H. Mennonites in Illinois. Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History, 24. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1983: 214, 336, 548-549.
Additional Information
Address: 17931 Dee Mac Road, Mackinaw, Illinois 61755
Phone: 309-447-6486
Website: https://myncbc.org/
Denominational Affiliations: Illinois Mennonite Conference (1946-1952)
Mennonite Church (MC) 1946-1952
Pastoral Leaders at New Castle Bible Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Robert E. Zehr (1914-1982) | 1940-1969 |
| Harold Oyer (1905-1961)(Assistant) | 1947-1961 |
| Jim Keller (Interim) | 1969 |
| Lawrence Chapman | 1969-1985 |
| Philip Somers, Jr. | 1985-2010 |
| Denny Schlappi (Associate/Executive) | 1987-2019 |
| Phil Shields (Youth) | 1999-2012 |
| Josh Gates (Jr. Youth) | 2002-2015 |
| Troy Willey | 2008-2014 |
| Kevin Sauder | 2015-2023 |
| Scott Gnuse (Student Ministries) | 2016- |
| Shaun Lewis (Care & Discipleship) | 2019-2021 |
| Tysin Smith (Music & Worship) | 2021- |
| Josh Gerber (Care & Discipleship) | 2022- |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | March 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "New Castle Bible Church (Mackinaw, Illinois, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2024. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=New_Castle_Bible_Church_(Mackinaw,_Illinois,_USA)&oldid=178568.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (March 2024). New Castle Bible Church (Mackinaw, Illinois, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=New_Castle_Bible_Church_(Mackinaw,_Illinois,_USA)&oldid=178568.
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