100 Years on the Trail

Community Church, 1417 F52 Trail, between Millersburg and Deep River (on the road formerly called the Black Diamond Trail) will hold a 100th anniversary celebration on Sunday, June 30th.

Community Church, an independent Bible believing church, was established in 1924, when two buildings were annexed to form the new building. The United Brethren church on the site for 50 years had discontinued holding services, Hope Chapel, two miles south, had not held services for four years. Hope Chapel was purchased for $100 and started being transported to the Brethren church site, but bad weather in the fall of 1923 halted the progress until the spring of 1924. The buildings were linked together later that year. A group of men, led by Francist Grimm and Alfred Wyant, were instrumental in organizing Community Church. There are still members of both families attending and serving in various roles.

Through the years the church has supported many missionaries. The first was Estella Grooters Brown, who served as a nurse-teacher for many years as a missionary in Nigeria, Africa.

Frank Drown and his wife Marie labored nearly 38 years in Ecuador among the former head hunting tribe, formerly called the Jivaro, now known as the Shaur. In the 1960s several from the church helped Frank remove a hydro electric plant from the Maquoketa River in northeast Iowa, for the purpose of establishing the plant in the Macuma River, near his mission station. He was able to broadcast gospel programs from the Macuma radio station which he operated. The story of the Drowns’ is told in the book “Mission to the Headhunters” that they wrote.

Jerry Cox, a member of the church and an English Valleys graduate, with his wife Renee and three children, served with the New Tribes missions for 27 years.

The church now supports East Iowa Bible Camp, Willow and Kathy Hunter, David and Connie Johnson, and James and Rosangela Goosen. Several from the church also support other missionaries with ties to the area.

The church continues to pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritans Purse, with Franklin Graham as president. Boxes are packed with personal care items, school supplies, toys, and clothing items. The ladies have sewn many dresses to include since 2008, the first year we started packing boxes.

The women's mission circle was active for many years. They held monthly meetings with Bible lessons. Many months they held workdays when they worked on quilts or sewing clothes for missionary families. Many quilts were donated to area families when they had a fire, others were given to Pastor’s families and missionaries.

There have been many additions and remodeling of the church and parsonage, which was built in 1947 by volunteers. A new garage was built in 2000. No money was ever borrowed to do any of the projects. The men and women of the church were always willing and able to help with projects, whether with physical labor of donations to pay for improvements.

The church doctrine has adhered to the immutable Word of God with Bible-based teachings. Community Church’s mission has remained the same: “Growing the family of God, for the glory of God: Growing closer through fellowship.”