NorthCreek Church

NorthCreek is the name for a church in Walnut Creek, California.

The church, founded in 1958, was initially called the Evangelical Free Church of Walnut Creek.

The origin of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) has connections that go back to historical beginnings in Europe. Following the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther in the 16th century, the denomination that bears his name began to flourish, especially in the Scandinavian countries. In time, the Lutheran Church became the “State Church” in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and, to a lesser degree, elsewhere in northern Europe. In each case, it was officially sponsored by the national government and controlled by those then in power.

Increasingly becoming dissatisfied with both the theology and practices of these churches, many who continued to attend also began to associate together in what came to be called “Free Churches,” meaning free of state control. In time, the word “evangelical” was added to assert their belief in the requirement that the Gospel message and the need for personal faith in Jesus Christ be an integral part of each Christian body. And when these people began to immigrate to the United States, they brought their polity and doctrine with them. As Arnold T. Olson has written, the Evangelical Free Church in the United States is truly a “Stepchild of the Reformation” (“The Search for Identity,” vol. 1 in The Heritage Series , p. 11.)

Settled in various parts of the U.S, those from Scandinavia formed their own churches. The first Swedish congregation began in Boone, Iowa, in 1884. That same year, two Norwegian-Danish churches were established: one in Tacoma, Washington, and the other in Boston, Massachusetts. By 1912, the two groups had officially formed their separate denominations: the Swedish Evangelical Free Church and the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church.

Discussions between the two groups led to a merger in 1950 at Medicine Lake, Minnesota, and the new "Evangelical Free Church of America" emerged. At that time, there were 275 local congregations, which had come together out of the two groups. The national headquarters was established in Minneapolis where it remains to this day. Today (2002) there are about 1250 EFCA churches in the United States.
The official mission statement of the denomination is:

The EFCA movement exists to glorify God by multiplying healthy churches among all people.

The five foundations of the EFCA are these:

The inerrancy and authority of the Bible
Church membership of believers only
A focus on evangelism and missions
Emphasis on the pursuit of a godly lifestyle
The expected second coming of Christ

Not long after the official formation of the EFCA, there were seven families who lived in Walnut Creek, California, and attended the Berkeley Evangelical Free Church. Due to the travel involved, requiring many round trips a week, in 1955 they began to meet together locally for Bible study and prayer and also to plan the establishing of a church closer to home. With the blessing of their pastor and the Western District superintendent, Dr. Herbert Peterson, the official beginning of the Evangelical Free Church of Walnut Creek was January 8, 1956. The seven founding families were:

Bruce and Pauline Fuller
Schuyler and Shirley Hamlin
Reuben and Bernice Johnson
Carl and Ada Pilcher
James and Marilyn Thorsell
Earl and Nan Windsor
James and Dorothy Wolfe
There were also sixteen children among these families.

Dr. Peterson served as interim pastor until the arrival of Rev. Melvin C. Stone and his family. Rev. Stone preached his first sermon on July 1, 1956, and continued as pastor until 1973. Others who have served in this position are Rev. Charles Wickman (1975 – 81), Rev. David Clark (1981 – 85), Dr. John Crocker (1986 – 92), and Dr. Jon McNeff (1994 to the present).

Very soon after the founding of the church, with the purchase of three acres of land east of town on Ygnacio Valley Road, a building (now referred to as the Melvin C. Stone Fellowship Hall) was erected and used for worship, Bible classes, children's activities, and more. A home on the property served as a parsonage and a garage was added and available for many activities.

In the years that followed, the church grew in numbers, in buildings and grounds (to 7.2 acres), and in spiritual impact on the surrounding communities. Always centered on evangelism and missions, the church has had the reputation of top quality Bible teaching by pastors and lay people alike.

In 1999, Phase I, a plan for property development, resulted in the construction of the Children's Ministry Center, a $4,200,000, two-story facility, which has allowed for the expansion of the long-existing Preschool as well as added grades, becoming NorthCreek Academy.

Early in 2001 the name was changed to NorthCreek Church.

Phase II, as of this writing, is under construction: focusing on a new worship center, adult classrooms, church and school offices and bookstore. Phase III, involving the construction of a gym, chapel and student ministries center, lies in the future.

Attendance at services, Sunday school classes, and an array of activities on-and sometimes off-campus almost literally every day, involve hundreds of men, women, youth, and children, as both participants and leaders.

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