ABOUT US
WHAT TO EXPECT
Thank you for visiting Middle Creek. We are a congregation made up of friends and families who learn and grow from each other. Together, we are a community here to worship our Lord Jesus Christ. A member of the church will greet you at the Welcome Center and would be happy to provide you with further information about different classes, ministries, programs, activities and outreaches.
9:00 AM
SUNDAY SCHOOL
- Children: classes for infants through sixth grade
- Junior Youth: for grades 7 - 8
- Youth Group: for grades 9 - 12
- College and Career: after high school
- Adult: six classes, grouped loosely by age
10:00 AM
WORSHIP
A blend of contemporary and traditional songs and hymns, with messages that are biblically sound,evangelistic and practical.
- Nursery care: for newborn through 2 years old
- Preschool: for ages 3 and 4
- Children's Church: for age 5 through sixth grade
HISTORY
Middle Creek Church was established on January 1, 2021 for the purpose of advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our goal is to be a shining light in the community and world. We are part of the New Covenant based on the death and resurrection of Christ.
The Middle Creek Church has had a long and rich history, and we are grateful for the commitment and vision of our forefathers. Today, we are benefitting from the solid faith foundation passed down to us. Early brothers and sisters in Christ began meeting about 1769 in the Middle Creek area, being part of the Conestoga Congregation of the First-Day Baptists, sometimes called Tunkers. (The Conestoga Congregation had been formed in 1724.)
In 1836, the Annual Meeting of the First-Day Baptists changed the name of the denomination to Fraternity of German Baptists. In time, the Conestoga Congregation covered a large geographic area, and so in 1864 there was a three-way division, of which our church was a part. As a result of that division, we became the West Conestoga Congregation of the Fraternity of German Baptists.
The Annual Meeting of 1871 changed the name of the denomination from Fraternity of German Baptists to German Baptist Brethren. Then, when the German Baptist Brethren celebrated their 200th anniversary in 1908, the name was again changed – this time to Church of the Brethren. (The denomination originated in Schwarzenau, Germany in 1708, being a natural outgrowth of the Pietistic movement following the Reformation.)
From 1908 until 1977, our church was known as the West Conestoga Congregation of the Church of the Brethren. At that time in 1977, we officially changed our name to the Middle Creek Church of the Brethren. That name remained intact until a decision was made on December 10, 2020 to leave the Church of the Brethren and become an independent congregation. Since January 1, 2021, we have simply been known as the Middle Creek Church.
Over the years, the congregation used various locations for worship, which were called meetinghouses. As the "horse and buggy era" began to disappear with the popularity of motor vehicle transportation, there was no need for all of the meetinghouses. At that time, the Middle Creek Meetinghouse was the largest of the West Conestoga Congregation's places of worship, so in 1939, it became the sole meeting place for the congregation.
Construction on a new church facility was begun in 1960 and dedicated in October of 1961. As the Middle Creek Congregation continued to grow, additions to the facility occurred in 1979, 1986, 1993 and 2003, including additional Sunday School classrooms, a Fellowship Hall/Gymnasium, more seating capacity, office area, youth area and expanding the kitchen. Some refreshing and updating of the facility also took place in 2018.
Much has changed since the early settlers began meeting in the Middle Creek area during that Pre-Revolutionary War era. However, one thing has not changed, and that is our desire to exalt our Lord Jesus Christ, to evangelize the lost, and to encourage and equip the saints in meeting the needs of others.