Ten new churches were welcomed into the Covenant at the 137th Annual Meeting this week.
Midwest Conference
New Community Covenant Church
Kansas City, Missouri
Pastor: Darryl Answer
Average Attendance: 60
New Community began as a Bible study in the home of Darryl and Stephanie Answer in January 2016. Through a partnership with the Evangelical Covenant Church and World Impact, New Community was welcomed as a new church plant into the Covenant in 2017. The church exists as a network of families meeting in homes. New Community was assisted through relational and financial support from Hillcrest Covenant Church in Prairie Village, Kansas.
Trailhead Covenant Church
Longmont, Colorado
Pastor: David Barton
Average Attendance: 65
Trailhead Church had its public launch in the spring of 2019. Thanks to initial financial support from the Covenant and other partners in faith, this “parachute” launch began with a small team that has grown into a vibrant community. This growth has been solidified through strong relationships with area Covenant churches and other churches in Longmont, as well as various nonprofit partnerships. Since the fall of 2021, Trailhead has incorporated a unique pattern for Sundays called “rhythms.” Each month this includes a meal shared through small group table fellowships, corporate worship, and community engagement. These rhythms have not only allowed them to embrace the everyday reality of God’s kingdom at hand but have also drawn in new families who are longing for this kind of faith community. After being nomads for several years, Trailhead is grateful to now gather in the oldest church building in the heart of downtown Longmont for Sunday worship and fellowship, midweek gatherings, and opportunities to open the doors to community events.
Hillside Community Church
Denver, Colorado
Pastor: Brandon Goad
Average Attendance: 60
In 1955, 14 families from the Midwest Synod of the Reformed Church in America planted Southridge Community Church in Southeast Denver, where the church worshiped until relocating to its current location and changing its name to Christ Community Church. In May 2018, Christ Community called Pastor Brandon Goad to move the church into its next season of ministry. By winter 2019, the church had grown significantly. Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit. As the church adjusted its ministry and metrics, it became clear that a denominational change might be necessary. Christ Community formed a denominational exploration committee, and in September 2022, the congregation voted to join the Evangelical Covenant Church. The leaders of Christ Community agreed the time was right to replant as something new, and in August 2023, Hillside Community Church will officially begin. Hillside is committed to maintaining the warmth and hospitality that is the hallmark of Christ Community’s services. Hillside also commits to prioritize local service in its corner of Denver through neighborhood outreach, partnerships with local organizations, and strong ties to the recovery community in southeast Denver.
Central Conference
Uptown Covenant Church
Chicago, Illinois
Pastor: Jeremey FAlk
Average Attendance: 70
Uptown Church launched in October 2018, desiring to be a place and a people that disrupts suffering and mends what is broken with the hope of Jesus. Uptown Church is diverse in age, ethnicity, church background, and socioeconomic status. Immigrants from around the world have found a place of belonging there. The Holy Spirit has opened doors for ministry, relationship, and key partnerships with local schools, government officials, Chamber of Commerce, city colleges, local businesses/nonprofits, police, state’s attorney, and more. In November 2020, Uptown Church was able to sign a lease on a commercial building in the heart of Uptown and renovated it into a house of worship.
Luz de Esperanza Covenant Church
Campton Hills, Illinois
Pastor: Rafael and Drina Lizama
Average Attendance: 70
After serving 25 years in the Evangelical Covenant Church Renacer, Rafael and Drina Lizama took the Covenant church planters assessment in March 2019. In February 2019, they had started with Bible studies in homes, inviting coworkers, family, and friends. Soon they found themselves in a good growth problem, so they looked for a church to join and share the building and found Country Evangelical Covenant Church in Campton Hills, Illinois. They are grateful for the support of the Central Conference and the denomination and for Country Covenant for affiliating with them and sharing their building without charge for three years. New Community Church and Zion Covenant Church also made generous contributions to Luz de Esperanza and to their ministry of bringing dental services to Latin American countries.
Grace Communidad Pacto de Amor
Chicago, Illinois
Pastor: Gamaliel Adame
Average Attendance: 30
The church began with an at-home Bible study and out of that they saw God at work forming what is now Grace Communidad Pacto de Amor. After the pandemic, they restarted in-person services in the City of Chicago.
Iglesia del Pacto Evangelico Nuevo Amanecer
Chicago, Illinois
Pastor: Oscar Ramirez
Average Attendance: 30
Iglesia del Pacto Evangelico Nuevo Amanecer began through prayer and the need of people in the community through Bible study, prayer, and discipleship. They are currently in their fifth year serving in the heart of Chicago.
Pacific Southwest Conference
Coastline Covenant Church
Redondo Beach, California
Pastors: Shawn Hurley and Garrick Hanger
Average Attendance: 200
Lead pastors Shawn Hurley and Garrick Hanger never thought they would plant a church. They had served together at Rolling Hills Covenant Church for more than ten years. The new church plant began in December 2020, mid-pandemic, with four pastors and a congregation that met online and in backyards. In June 2021, they began meeting in person for afternoon services, renting space from St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. A year later, they moved to Sunday morning services and continue to meet there today. Coastline values are: boldly biblical, Spirit-seeking, fully family, and wholly worshiping.
Harbor LA Covenant Church
Average Attendance: 100
Los Angeles, California
Pastor: Israel Solomon
In 2006, a group of second-generation Ethiopian American youth were attending a first-generation immigrant Ethiopian church in Los Angeles. The Ethiopian Christian Fellowship Church began to see a language barrier, cultural differences, and age gaps that prevented the young people from being fully integrated into church. They hired an English-speaking youth and young adult pastor to lead the second-generation group. After many years, the ministry grew into a functional church with its own identity and calling. Pastor Israel came on board, and after partnering with the Evangelical Covenant Church, the Harbor Church launched as a church plant in August 11, 2019.
Rock Harbor Covenant Church
Average Attendance: 285
Melbourne Beach, Florida
Pastor: Kevin Diamond
Rock Harbor Covenant Church is called to create a safe space for everyone to live, laugh, and love out the good news of Jesus in the greater Melbourne area. After graduating from North Park Theological Seminary and pastoring San Andreas Community Covenant Church in California, Pastor Kevin and his wife, Angie, visited Melbourne Beach to spend time with family. On that trip they received a vision to build a family-friendly ministry. Sharing this vision with Covenant leaders and going through church planter’s assessment and training in 2018, they launched Rock Harbor.
23 churches were removed from the roster of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Alaska Conference
Superintendent: Curtis Ivanoff
New Song Covenant Church
Location: Anchorage, AK
Reason for removal: Closed
Number of members (when church closed): 25
Year joined the Covenant: 2001
Peak membership (approximately): 125
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
New Song has had a dedicated core group of members who did significant and meaningful ministry in Anchorage over the course of its life. The leadership made the difficult decision that New Song Covenant had lived out its purpose as it was in a season where it no longer had the financial resources to continue.
Central Conference
Superintendent: Danny Martinez
Atonement Covenant Church
Location: Chicago, IL
Reason for removal: Closed
Number of members (when church closed): 24
Year joined the Covenant: 1998
Peak membership (approximately): 65
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
Toll of the Covid-19 pandemic put stress on people’s lives, and the church lost too many members. As a result, tithes and offerings decreased. Too much building upkeep was needed.
Grace Evangelical Covenant Church
Location: Chicago, IL
Reason for removal: Closed
Number of members (when church closed): 81
Year joined the Covenant: 1961
Peak membership (approximately): 175
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
With the changing religious landscape, Grace Covenant felt an urgency to reinvent itself. The church could have fought to survive, but it struggled to find a way forward together. The congregation was tired and weary and wanted more than survival. Eventually, the church voted to close proactively. It gave its resources to other local ministries and ultimately to the conference and denomination to be used to start new churches. The decision was painful, but it was an act of faith. Resurrection comes only after death.
East Coast Conference
Superintendent: Howard K. Burgoyne
Covenant Congregational Church
Location: Pawtucket, RI
Reason for removal: Closed
Number of members (when church closed): 15
Year joined the Covenant: 1942
Peak membership (approximately): 125
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
CCC was planted in 1892 to serve the Swedish immigrants who came to Rhode Island to work and live in the greater Providence area. The church began meeting in homes with 12-15 persons who were determined to cultivate their faith in Christ and reach out to their neighbors with the hope of the gospel. The congregation persevered through many challenges, and while they waned in the 1970s, they experienced a season of renewal in the 1980s and struggled again in the 2000s. In 2022, with membership and attendance down to 12-15 persons, and the impact of predictable aging, retirements, and the pressures of the pandemic, the congregation discerned it was time to conclude their ministry. After a unanimous vote in August, the congregation prepared to wind down their ministry at Christmas. These friends continue to meet weekly on Sundays for worship in their former pastor’s home, back to the mode of gathering that launched their ministry in 1892. Rev. Cliff Tidd, raised up out of the congregation and ordained several years ago, has been their faithful pastor for many years. The faith and financial legacy of the church will be invested in church planting.
Community Covenant Church
Location: Hopkinton, MA
Reason for removal: Closed
Number of members (when church closed): 20
Year joined the Covenant: 1907
Peak membership (approximately): 130
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
The church was planted in Milford, Massachusetts, in 1907, and enjoyed a dynamic ministry among Swedish immigrants and neighbors through the 1960s. Seeking to expand in nearby Hopkinton, right off a cloverleaf exchange being installed at a new outer arterial highway (495) southwest of Boston, the church did not flourish as hoped for in this new community, as the nature of church life in culture changed, and the church struggled to navigate those transitions effectively. Still, much good ministry and loving fellowship was enjoyed by the congregation over these decades. Several years ago, a discernment committee was formed and proposed the church seek to join in partnership, and potential merger, with Highrock Covenant Church. It was hoped that families and a new pastor from their Needham congregation (Metrowest) might come and spark a restart. A year of earnest effort together did not lead to joint resolve that this was feasible, particularly during the pandemic year of 2021. In 2022, the congregation discerned it was necessary to close. They concluded their active ministry in Advent, and a closing worship service was held on December 17. The faith and financial legacy of the church will be invested in church planting.
Great Lakes Conference
Superintendent: Garth McGrath
Love of Christ Christian Center
Location: Detroit, MI
Reason for removal: Closed
Year joined the Covenant: 2010
Peak membership (approximately): 65
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
Love of Christ Christian Center was a bivocational church plant of the Great Lakes Conference in Detroit in 2010. The church had several years of helpful, hopeful, life-changing engagement in the community with a high worship attendance of 126. Ministry among gang members in the neighborhood of 8 Mile and Wyoming on the north side of Detroit was priority. But it was a struggle to sustain the ministry. Covid took a toll on the bonds of the church. They had to move out of their rented space in August 2020. With hopes for rekindling the ministry extinguished by early 2023, the church decided to close.
Midwest Conference
Superintendent: Brian Johnson
The Evangelical Covenant Church of Pender
Location: Pender, NE
Reason for removal: Withdrawn
Number of members (when church withdrew): 23
Year joined the Covenant: 1896
Peak membership (approximately): 70
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
Pastor Dan Springer was serving as pastor of the Pender Covenant Church when he was asked to also serve a church in Pender which was a dual affiliation church from a previous merger of UMC and Presbyterian. He pastored both churches for several years. During Covid, the two congregations began meeting together for worship since they were both small and sharing a pastor. Pastor Dan and the combined leadership of both churches met with acting superintendent Brian Johnson to determine a path forward as trying to fulfill the responsibilities of three denominational affiliations would be challenging. Leadership discerned that it would be best to disaffiliate from all three denominations, discover their new identity as a congregation, then consider potential re-affiliation with the body that seems the best fit. This decision was made with the blessing of all three regional adjudicators (Covenant, Presbyterian, UMC) who saw the missional value in letting go so the church could become something new.
Northwest Conference
Superintendent: Kara Stromberg
Community Covenant Church
Location: Lake Bronson, MN
Reason for removal: Withdrawn
Number of members (when church withdrew): 9
Year joined the Covenant: 1953
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
Community Covenant has had a long history of ministry but remained distant from the Northwest Conference and the Covenant in recent years. The conference received a letter in October 2022 from church leadership, informing us that they would like to withdraw from the Northwest Conference and the Covenant. No rationale was given.
The Gallery Covenant Church (DBA Last City Covenant Church)
Location: St. Paul, MN
Reason for removal: Closed
Number of members (when church closed): 29
Year joined the Covenant: 2011
Peak membership (approximately): 45
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
Gallery Covenant was a church plant that saw a pastoral change within the first few years of its ministry. When the planting pastor left, a bivocational pastor was hired, and the church struggled with securing a location to meet. The church saw a decline in attendance and missional momentum. The Covid-19 pandemic was especially difficult for this young church who struggled to maintain a critical mass, and within that time, the church changed its name to Last City Covenant. The few remaining members voted to close in 2022. The final worship service was June 5, 2022.
Highland Community Church (formerly Elim Mission Church)
Location: Cokato, MN
Reason for removal: Withdrawn
Number of members (when church withdrew): 162
Year joined the Covenant: 1909
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
The church has had dual affiliation with the Evangelical Free Church and the Covenant. They recently adopted new bylaws and determined through that process to no longer be affiliated with the Covenant. Their statement of faith is more aligned with the EFCA.
Evangelical Covenant Church of Rush City
Location: Rush City, MN
Reason for removal: Withdrawn
Number of members (when church withdrew): 30
Year joined the Covenant: 1915
Peak membership (approximately): N/A
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
The Evangelical Covenant Church of Rush became Rush City Bible Church in 2005.
Nueva Vida Covenant Church
Location: Monticello, MN
Reason for removal: Withdrawn
Number of members (when church closed): 9
Year joined the Covenant: 2010
Peak membership (approximately): N/A
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
Nueva Vida is no longer operating as a church/nonprofit organization.
Cloverland Covenant Church
Location: Maple, WI
Reason for removal: Withdrawn
Number of members (when church closed): 27
Year joined the Covenant: 2002
Peak membership (approximately): 130
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
Cloverland Covenant Church withdrew from the Covenant in April 2014. Official action was taken at the Northwest Conference Annual Meeting in 2015.
Awaken Covenant Church
Location: St. Paul, MN
Reason for removal: Involuntarily removed
Year joined the Covenant: 2010
Peak membership (approximately): 381 (as reported in the 2019-2020 Covenant Yearbook)
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
Awaken has adopted policies and practices that do not align with the Covenant’s human sexuality guidelines. The Covenant Executive Board brought a motion to the Annual Meeting recommending that they be involuntarily removed from the roster. Delegates to the 137th Annual Meeting voted to confirm their removal.
Pacific Northwest Conference
Superintendent: Greg Yee
Hope Covenant Church
Location: Everett, WA
Reason for removal: Withdrawn
Number of members: 76
Year joined the Covenant: 2014
Peak membership (approximately): 150
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
Hope Church originally was a Covenant church plant in Lake Stevens. It merged with Sanctuary Covenant Church (First Covenant Everett) in 2019. The church decided to transfer their affiliation to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America as they merge with an ELCA congregation back in Lake Stevens. In this departure, we celebrate the long legacy of ministry represented in Sanctuary Covenant Church, one of the earliest Pacific Northwest Conference churches (1903).
Bridge Covenant Church
Location: Salem, OR
Reason for removal: Closed
Number of members (when church closed): 45
Year joined the Covenant: 2015
Peak membership (approximately): 60
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
As churches were gathering again in-person and indoors after the pandemic, the challenge in regard to people and financial resources became clear. After a thorough discernment process, including the use of the Covenant’s transition resource “At the Crossroads,” the congregation and leadership decided that it was time to conclude the ministry. An “ending well” team was formed and Bridge thoughtfully spent five weeks in 2022 walking through a lament and closure process with the congregation.
Disciple Community Covenant Church
Location: Bellevue, WA
Reason for removal: Closed
Number of members (when church closed): 35
Year joined the Covenant: 2018
Peak membership (approximately): 100
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
After 12 fruitful and faithful years DCCC concluded ministry. They effectively reached young adults and young families in the greater Seattle area and generously supported ministries in Cambodia. After the founding pastor’s decision to transition out of the church, the members voted to close.
Evergreen Covenant Church
Location: Mercer Island, WA
Reason for removal: Merger
Number of members (when church closed): 150
Year joined the Covenant: 1951
Peak membership (approximately): 550
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
The church went through a series of difficult challenges marked by steep decline. After a thorough process of praying through next steps, a bold decision was made to approach a nearby sister church that had just been adopted into the Covenant and consider merging. Conversations warmed up, and a decision was made for Encounter to be the lead church and new entity in the Evergreen building. The two churches have merged beautifully. They have become even more multi-generational and multiethnic and are positioned well to reach a diverse population on the east side of Seattle. They have grown since the merger to about 400. Over 600 Easter attendees celebrated five baptisms marking the merger’s official grand opening.
Quest Church
Location: Seattle, WA
Reason for removal: Withdrawn
Number of members: 200
Year joined the Covenant: 2002
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
As reported in Agenda Item 10b (Delegate Notebook p 65), “Quest Church agrees that they have adopted policies and practices that are inconsistent with the Evangelical Covenant Church’s Human Sexuality Guidelines and the Ethical Principles for Covenant Ministers and a same-sex wedding has been performed at the church,” and after congregational conversation, Quest has determined they can better fulfill their mission through disaffiliation.” A supermajority vote of Quest Church’s membership on June 4, 2023, to voluntarily disaffiliate from the Evangelical Covenant Church membership led to a letter sent to Covenant leadership on June 6, 2023, indicating the church’s resolve “to decouple Quest from the roster of member churches, effective immediately.”
Southeast Conference
Superintendent: Catherine Gilliard
Greater Faith Covenant Church
Location: Riverdale, GA
Reason for removal: Closed
Number of members (when church closed): 1
Year joined the Covenant: 2015
Peak membership (approximately): 90
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
The church voted to close because of declining attendance due to Covid.
Faith Covenant Church
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Reason for removal: Withdrawn
Number of members: 250
Year joined the Covenant: 1979
Peak membership (approximately): N/A
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
The church voted to withdraw their membership because they did not agree with the Covenant’s teaching on racial justice, and they did not support the slow response in taking action on Covenant churches and clergy who are not in alignment with the Covenant position on same-sex marriage.
Pacific Southwest Conference
Superintendent: Brian Murphy
Sanctuary Covenant Church
Location: Sacramento, CA
Reason for removal: Closed
Number of members (when church closed): 19
Year joined the Covenant: 2003
Peak membership (approximately): 75
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
Sanctuary Covenant Church was launched as a church plant by the Pacific Southwest Conference and the Covenant (Church Growth and Evangelism) in 2001. Planting this church was made possible with financial support from Bayside, First Covenant, River Life, Valley Hi Covenant, and Lake Hills Covenant. Sanctuary was focused on community work from the early days; the Green House, a community development 501(c)3 focused on school age children, was started by members of Sanctuary Covenant. The Greenhouse (info@thegreenhousecenter.org) continues to serve the Natomas region of Sacramento. In late summer 2022, after experiencing a sustained season of reduced missional energy, the members of Sanctuary Covenant voted to close the church and held a final service.
Porterville Iglesia del Pacto
Location: Porterville, CA
Reason for removal: Withdrawn
Number of members: 12
Year joined the Covenant: 1979
Peak membership (approximately): 80
Reason leading to removal from the roster and comments:
Porterville Iglesia del Pacto was relaunched in 2019 as Camino de Jesus (DBA). While some momentum was gained, this was not found to be sustainable. Through the years, the conference has provided considerable financial support on multiple occasions. In the fall of 2022, church leadership formally requested withdrawal from the Covenant and the Pacific Southwest.
