HISTORY AND HERITAGE

The following is a summary of the events that led to the formation of New Heritage Church.

The Senior Pastors, Randy Reinhardt and Fred Lessans became closely associated in the mid-eighties in the context of a pastors’ prayer group that met regularly for prayer and mutual support. It was in this context that a growing friendship began to emerge. It was also during this time that the pastors’ group sponsored Unity Celebrations, bringing together the congregations of the participating pastors for common worship and prayer.

In 1995, the Lord began to indicate that perhaps He had something greater for our two congregations. A member, who had been part of each congregation at different times shared with us a prophetic vision that her friend had regarding our two congregations. The interesting thing about this was that this person lived in Canada and had no real knowledge about either of our congregations. In essence, the vision seemed to indicate that we would be brought together in a more significant way.

Given the history and relationship we already shared, we decided to experiment by sharing some events together. For example, we began to share picnics, followed later by joint Christmas Eve and Good Friday services.

During this time, Randy and Fred began meeting together with another pastor as a men’s group for greater accountability and personal support. This furthered their brotherhood together and prepared the way for what was to come.

Finally, in the summer of 1998, the Lord began to give even further indication that He was calling our two congregations into a more profound relationship.

Over the years, both Randy and Fred had often talked about the similarities between the two congregations and “joked” about the two churches becoming one church. But in 1998, the “joking” ceased. On a vacation/retreat, Fred was in prayer about his church, Living Water Fellowship, when he felt that the Lord might have spoken to him through a passage of Scripture in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 37 verses 15-17.

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, take a stick and write on it, ‘for Judah and the children of Israel associated with him’; then take another stick and write upon it, ‘For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him’; and join them together into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.”

Upon returning home, Fred shared with Randy what he felt the Lord might be saying through this passage of Scripture. The result of their meeting initiated a process of prayer and consultation, with the elders of each church, as to whether God may be calling us together. A year later, in August of 1999, the proposal to unite our churches was brought before the two congregations. The result was the beginning of a process of “courtship” to determine whether, in fact, this was God’s call to us.

CONCLUSION

During the next nine months, we shared Sunday services, meals, fellowship times and social events, in order to better discern God’s will. After covering the entire process with much prayer, discussion and consultation, we came to a mutual decision, in the Spring of 2000, that God was indeed calling us to become one church. On September 23, 2000, we formalized our union as New Heritage Church – to the glory of God!