Nazarenes set golden anniversary

The Church of the Nazarene will celebrate its past, present, and future on Sunday, May 25, at its Golden Anniversary Celebration.

There will be one service at 10 a.m. with greetings from special guests including previous pastors, long-time members and others.

The Church of the Nazarene has been a part of Mountain Home for over 100 years, but has been officially incorporated for the last 50 years.

The work of the Nazarene Church actually started in 1906 and lasted until 1916 when the work was disbanded.

In 1919 the church was reactivated but fell upon hard years and in 1925 the work was again stopped.

Then in 1955 the ministry was resumed in earnest.

Many people uprooted from their homes around the state to move to Mountain Home and help establish the church.

Land was purchased, labor was donated and a chapel and educational wing was built at 670 N. 4th East St. Pastors from various Nazarene Churches around the state "caught the vision," and there were as many as 14 pastors working at the same time to help build the church.

In 1956 Rev. and Mrs. Ray James were appointed as pastor. They were replaced in 1958 by Rev. Elmer R. Curtis, who ministered to the church for two years, and it was under his leadership that the church was finally incorporated.

The church had various pastors over the years, with Rev. and Mrs. Al Pemble serving many years until 1994. Rev. Ev Tustin served from 1994-1998, and under his leadership the church grew significantly and relocated from the original location to the current location at 950 N. 7th East St. -- the remodeled and former Gridley Market.

Rev. Michael and Shelly O'Neill and their boys arrived in 1998 and continue to serve as pastor today.

Currently the church is preparing to move again to a 21-acre site on the northeast corner of S. 18th East and E. 12th South streets, just a few blocks past the junior high.

The new building will be a phase-one 20,000-plus square-foot multi-use community center with an initial 450-seat auditorium/worship center, a large foyer/gathering space, and several meeting rooms of various sizes and for various age groups.

Uniquely, the church hopes to provide their new facility and location as a resource for the community to use, without charge.

Areas of the building will be open to groups outside the church to reserve and use at no charge as they are available.

The church plans to accept donations from groups who use the facility, but those donations will be based upon the group's desire and ability.

The facility will be available for community use as soon as the doors are open.

There also will be eight acres of green space at the back of the property that will be available to the city and community for picnic, park, and recreational space.

The total current projected cost for the facility is $2.1 million.

The building is designed with large open areas and flexible space in order to keep the cost to a minimal level.

"We intend to pay for this expense through three means," Pastor O'Neill said, "the sale of our current facility, donations from individuals and church members, and mortgaging the remainder, with the hope to pay off the mortgage within three years of occupancy.

"Our goal is to raise at least a third ($700,000) through donations, but the more we raise, the less we will have to borrow. Our goal is to break ground in 2008, but it is dependent upon our ability to reach our goals in those three means of funding.

"We are a part of this community, and its health and success is ours, too," Pastor O'Neill said, explaining why the church would want to offer the use of its facility. "We want the city to feel that the church is an asset. God has blessed us, and it wouldn't be right not to share that blessing. Proverbs 11:11 says, 'Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper.' We want to help make sure that's true here in Mountain Home."

They general public can join the celebration at 950 N. 7th East St. The public also can send greetings or notes to the same address or email 50th@mhnazarene.org.

Persons who would like to make a special golden anniversary gift toward the completion of the new building can send those to the church as well. All contributions are tax deductible "and greatly appreciated, Pastor O'Neill said. More information are available at the church web site, www.mhnazarene.org.