New Creation Fellowship Church (Newton, Kansas, USA)
The New Creation Fellowship Church (NCFC) began in Newton, Kansas, USA, in 1973 with seven Mennonites seeking a church that embodied New Testament communal church ideals. In February 1973, David and Joanne Janzen, Jake and Irene Pauls, Steve and Wanda Ream Schmidt, and Marlin Dyck traveled to Evanston, Illinois, to attend a church conference at Reba Place Fellowship. They left the conference inspired to form a church that would deepen their faith and strengthen their notions of community. They adopted the name “New Creation Fellowship Church” in 1973, based on II Corinthians 5:17.
The charter members wanted to enact what they observed in scripture, specifically in Acts 2. They wished to love each other so much that people would be attracted to their passion and care. They adopted “extended households” from 1973 to 1980 as a form of fellowship. Members lived in these households with a delegated “elder” leading each. They dined together, shared household chores, and had a time of sharing and prayer each evening. Around 50 people experienced life in five extended households. On Sundays, the congregation met in the basement of 504 West 11th, which was given to NCFC in 1974 by the City of Newton as a location that would be beneficial in an area that needed a church community.
New Creation Fellowship Church joined the Western District Conference in September 1973, and the General Conference Mennonite Church in 1980. Within the first several years of NCFC, Jake Pauls, a youth minister and charter member of New Creation, was appointed an elder and performed pastoral duties. From 1980 to 2001, Steve Schmidt, a former biology professor at Hesston College, took on the role of pastor. Worship during these years was personal and communal. Until 1986 chairs were set up in a circle in the basement of 504 West 11th. There was about 20 minutes of singing, a time for personal sharing, prayer concerns, and song requests, and a 15-minute sermon. These services have been described by Steve Schmidt as long, powerful, and often emotional.
From its beginning until 1986, New Creation Fellowship operated with a common treasury. Members had to join the common treasury to be a part of the church until 1983. This requirement resulted from early members’ wish to be radical disciples of Jesus Christ, share their possessions, and live simply. Life insurance policies were cashed, house and car titles were turned over, and debts were consolidated. Certain amounts of money were set aside for food, personal items, and household allowances, which were based on state poverty guidelines. The members lived simply and collaboratively, but not without conflict. Decisions about cars, houses, jobs, and vacations were all made by consensus, but it was hard to come to agreements on all aspects of life. Additionally, low-budget used cars are not always the most trustworthy form of transportation. The common treasury limped towards its end after the Internal Revenue Service in 1981 began auditing members and discounting donations made to the church corporation by members. By 1985, the church had to pay off a large accumulating debt and decided to close the common treasury.
During its time as a household church, NCFC had two major ministries. In 1979, members began a construction business called “The New Creation Builders” that fixed houses both for people who could not afford the upkeep, as well as people willing to pay for such services. Revenue was minimal, but the mission was not solely to make money. This business was dissolved in 1985. The second major ministry (and the most impactful) was taking in people who needed a church family and housing. NCFC welcomed members who had been through trials and hardships and loved them as their own. Additionally, NCFC played a role in the formation of Health Ministries of Harvey County, which in 2021 offered medical and dental care for “the working poor,” as well as Peace Connections of Newton.
In 1986, NCFC transitioned from basement worship services to worship temporarily in the dining hall of the Northview Development Center. This accommodated handicapped congregants as well as increasing numbers. By 1989, word came that Sister Frieda Chapel at 221 Muse St. was vacant, so NCFC rented the building for $50 a week. On 12 March 1989, the first service was held in the chapel. Services remained relatively the same as earlier, except now there were pews and a pulpit. In 1991, word came that the Bethel Home For the Aged attached to Sister Frieda Chapel was going to be demolished, meaning utilities would be cut off to the chapel. Church members again searched for a new place of worship because of the high cost of installing new utilities (around $67,000). But after Pastor Steve Schmidt asked the Newton Medical Center if they would sell the building to NCFC for $1 (which they agreed to do), the church took out a loan and invested in Sister Frieda Chapel. The building included a basement and an organ as well as a sanctuary. The organ has since been removed.
By 1994, New Creation had adopted another ministry: an early childhood outreach program, led by Kristin Neufeld Epp. This later became New Creation Preschool. It began in the basement of Sister Frieda Chapel, moved to Asbury Park Retirement Community in 2002, due to a fire at the church building, and later returned to the basement. In 2021, NCFC still helped to support the preschool program and reduced tuition levels for families in need. The church also provided a preschool board that met to discuss the needs of the program. Neufeld Epp’s preschool gained notoriety during the COVID-19 pandemic for its online classes, accessible to young minds all over the world.
Church activities have included small groups, early morning Sunday school for adults, youth, and children, church retreats at Camp Mennoscah, a combined youth group with Shalom Mennonite Church, mutual aid, congregational meetings, and potlucks. Congregational decisions continued to be made by consensus. Worship services in 2021 included many of the original characteristics of the household church. Instrumentalists have played piano, violin, trumpet, flute, guitar, bass, and percussion.
The 2017 mission statement says “At New Creation, we seek to celebrate our differences as gifts and blessings--our differences in color, gender, sexual orientation, and many other ways we are categorized by the world. You are welcome in this place as we journey together, discerning how to follow Jesus more faithfully.”
NCFC joined the Supportive Communities Network in 2019.
Bibliography
Houser, Gordon. “New Creation Fellowship Church, Newton, Kansas.” Western District Conference. 2 March 2021. Web. 6 May 2021. https://mennowdc.org/new-creation-fellowship-church-newton-ks.
Schmidt, Steven G. “25 Years: A Brief History of New Creation Fellowship.” Unpublished booklet. 1998.
Schmidt, Steven G., interview by author. Newton, Kansas (17 April 2021).
Additional Information
Address: 221 Muse St., Newton, Kansas 67114
Phone: 316-283-1363
Website https://newcreationnewton.com
Denominational Affiliations:
Pastors at the New Creation Fellowship Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Jake Pauls (Elder) | 1974-1980 |
| Steve Schmidt | 1980-2001 |
| Wes Bergen<be />(Teaching Pastor) | 1996-2001 |
| Stan Bohn (Interim) | 2001-2002 |
| Ruth Penner | 2002-2008 |
| Renee Kanagy | 2008-2015 |
| Jennie Wintermote (Interim) | 2015-2016 |
| Derrick Ramer | 2016-present |
Attendance at the New Creation Fellowship Church
| Year | Average<be />Attendance |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 52 |
| 2010 | 79 |
| 2015 | 76 |
| 2020 | 72 |
| Author(s) | Stephany Meyer |
|---|---|
| Date Published | May 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Meyer, Stephany. "New Creation Fellowship Church (Newton, Kansas, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. May 2021. Web. 23 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=New_Creation_Fellowship_Church_(Newton,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=171374.
APA style
Meyer, Stephany. (May 2021). New Creation Fellowship Church (Newton, Kansas, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=New_Creation_Fellowship_Church_(Newton,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=171374.
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