History of Creekside Church and the former Elkhart City COB

Christ in Gethsemane
Painted by Golda Moyer
Church Member.
Photo: Gary Arnold

1928 - 1935

Elkhart City continued to grow rapidly. The congregation anticipated future needs by purchasing four lots on the northeast corner of Benham and Wolf Avenues in 1928. According to the 1929 CHURCH BULLETIN, the church was without a parsonage and was unable to do "first-rate Sunday School work" in the basement of the present building. Also the location was becoming "less desirable (because of) business enterprises," and it was felt it would be "folly to ever spend any large amount of money on the old building." The cost of the lots purchased was a "little more than $3,000" with one-third of the money raised by January of 1929. According to the 1928 membership directory, there were 403 members and giving was $5,400.

Also that year, a large portrait of Christ in Gethsemane, painted by Golda Moyer, a member of the church, was hung in the front of the auditorium. This picture was moved to the new church on Wolf in 1950 and hung there until the congregation sold the church in 2001. The picture was then removed and put in storage in anticipation of hanging in a new, future church building.

In 1930, a parsonage was erected on part of the ground purchased in 1928. William Kinsey was the first pastor to occupy it. Three more adjoining lots were purchased. (Eventually the church would own a plot 453' wide by 165' deep along the north side of Wolf Avenue and a plot on the S.E. corner of Wolf and Benham.)

From April 1932 until September 1932 resident ministers served as pastors of the church. In September 1932 Lorell Weiss came to fill the pulpit part-time; in July 1934 he became full-time and served until August 1935.