Decatur, Illinois, church that left Disciples of Christ grows to 1,000 weekly worshippers

First Christian Church in Decatur, Illinois, dates back to 1833 and was historically affiliated with the Disciples of Christ. According to staff pastor Jon Keck, the congregation was once dwindling but has since grown into a thriving church that gathers about 1,000 Christians each weekend. Keck said the church is growing at about 18 percent per year.

The congregation’s shift away from the Disciples of Christ, as Keck describes it, followed a period of effort by its leaders. The church and lead pastor Wayne Kent were active in the Disciple Renewal movement, which hoped to encourage an Evangelical voice within the denomination. After nearly 20 years of trying to influence leadership to affirm orthodox Christian teaching, the Renewal movement brought declarations on the reliability and authority of Scripture and the unique saving power of Jesus Christ before the general assembly. Keck said denominational leadership blocked those declarations. The church and others then left the denomination. About 10 years ago, Disciple Renewal changed its name to Disciple Heritage Fellowship, a group that supports former Disciples churches with similar values. First Christian now describes itself as an independent Christian church that is affiliated with that fellowship.

Keck described his own path to the congregation. He said he was baptized in a Baptist church at about age 5 and came to faith at about 17 through a nondenominational church. He later attended Lincoln Christian College in Lincoln, Illinois, where he was introduced to the Stone-Campbell Movement. He said his group later moved toward what he called a “health and wealth gospel,” and that the family left that church, which had married them, before finding First Christian in their early 20s. Keck said he became a member after an internship, was ordained at the church, and then joined the staff full-time as a pastor.

On baptism and membership, Keck said the church observes weekly open Communion and practices immersion for adult believers, which it sees as the next step after a person comes to faith. The church accepts members who were sprinkled as infants, and Keck said most of those members choose immersion within their first couple of years. He said the church does not argue about “open membership,” which he described as an established practice, and that it focuses on Romans 6 when discussing baptism with members of other churches.

Keck also described the church’s relationships with other congregations. He said all of the church’s staff pastors were educated at Restoration Movement schools, and that professors from Lincoln and elsewhere have taught classes and helped develop an annual Intentional Church Conference in Decatur. He said three outside advisers assess the church every nine months: Greg Taylor, a Christian Church pastor; Michael Ten Eyck, a Disciple Heritage leader; and Tom Sager, from the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

Asked why the church has grown, Keck pointed to several factors, including Kent’s leadership for 20 years, preaching that people see as biblically solid and practical, and elders who lead in prayer. He cited the church’s community involvement, including a partnership with a nearby elementary school in which mentoring and tutoring have, he said, improved children’s performance (Matthew 25:35). The church also runs local missions and service, supports mission partners as far away as Kenya, and hosts a two-hour weekly program on a talk-radio station.

Keck said he is grateful to serve at the church in his hometown. “I just want to be a part of what God is doing here,” he said.

Source: Read the original report