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1959 - 1979

History continued with the Church through Woodstock, the Vietnam Conflict, and interesting politics during the 70s.  This period also included the Church's second longest-running tenured pastor.

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Period photos

Influencers that led the church from 1959 - 1979

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“And they cast lots” is a Biblical process used to make spiritual decisions both in Old and New Testament settings. The church used this method in choosing Pastor Martin Lee in the fall of 1959.

 

Several folks who were members of the congregation tell the story this way: The church leadership had organized a search committee, which had interviewed several potential pastors and had narrowed the field down to two men.

 

Their plan required several more weeks of listening to these two potential pastors preach again before taking the matter to the congregation for a vote. The start of school was very near, and in the interest of the pastor’s children, it was decided that the process needed to be speeded up so the children could start at the beginning of the school year.

 

To solve this problem someone came up with the idea that it was scriptural to cast lots over such decisions. This seemed like a good idea, so both names were placed in a hat, and Martin Lee's name was drawn. He became the new pastor for two decades after.

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Chuck Nilsen was traveling with the National School Assemblies in 1977 when Pastor Martin Lee contacted him about coming to be our first paid youth pastor. It was still only a part-time position, so it was necessary for Chuck to continue traveling with the National School Assemblies to complete the family’s financial needs.

 

Chuck was a very talented ventriloquist, and everyone’s favorite puppet was Froggie, the humorous, witty and sometimes goofy thinking character that kept the audience in stitches from laughing.

 

Chuck used his crazy comments to bring out the salvation message at both the school assemblies and church services. 

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