Country Bible Church is located in northeastern Wisconsin, between Casco and Luxemburg, about 20 miles east of Green Bay at the southern terminus of the Door Peninsula. Much of the populace of this area consists of descendants of the original immigrants from Belgium, Ireland, Germany, and Czechoslovakia—meaning that the Roman Catholic and Lutheran religions are predominant. Our assembly’s goal is to beam forth the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ in this spiritually dark area and disciple those who come to faith in Him. A survey of the believers in fellowship at the assembly would reveal that well over half of them were saved out of the religions mentioned above or their parents were.
Early History—Forerunner
In 1948 a number of believers began meeting in homes several miles north of our present location. In 1949 they were able to meet in a Methodist church that was used only part time—it was located in Forestville, WI. The next year the steeple of the building was removed and the building was moved near the village of Lincoln, and set down in a farm field on property donated by one of the families in fellowship. The little assembly was called Lincoln Gospel Chapel. The building and the location proved adequate for many years. However, in the late 70’s and early 80’s a number of individuals and families came to faith in Jesus Christ. Some of the families were young and had many children. In addition, the building had no running water or conventional restroom facilities—only the “dragon” in the basement. In 1983 a committee was formed to study the situation and make recommendations. The committee received input from an architect and contact was made with Denis Bentz of Stewards Foundation regarding finances. Eventually the decision presented to the elders was to relocate and build new. Stewards Foundation was agreeable to providing the necessary financing and the architect who had been advising the committee provided the plans for the new building.
Making the Move
The land where our new building was constructed (1.7 acres) was donated by another family in fellowship at our assembly. It is adjacent to State highway 54 which gave the assembly greater visibility to the community and easier access. Construction began in May of 1985 and the first meetings in the new building were held in December of that year. The pews were not installed at that time and there was finish work yet to be completed in the interior of the building. The original organ came from an anonymous donor; the grand piano was a gift from an assembly in Wheaton, IL. One of the ladies in the assembly was redecorating her home, so her old kitchen cabinets were installed in our kitchen. Some of the construction work, especially cement work, was done by some in assembly fellowship.
The new building featured an auditorium with pews that can seat nearly 200 people. There is an adjoining nursery, as well as an office and library, restrooms, 2 Sunday School rooms, a kitchen, and a fellowship hall. Several years ago a detached garage was added to provide storage for our lawn mower, tables and chairs, etc.
The Assembly Now
Today there are about 95 believers in fellowship at Country Bible Church. We currently have two elders providing oversight of the assembly and there are two deacons as well. We Break Bread each Lord’s Day at 9:00AM and Family Bible Hour follows at 10:30AM. Several of the men in the assembly who have the gift of teaching share that responsibility during Family Bible Hour. There is also a mid-week prayer meeting and Bible Study on Wednesday Evening. Occasionally we invite outside speakers to provide the assembly with teaching on specific issues. For example, in August David Dunlap was the teacher for our “Calvinism Examined” weekend.
A physical improvement that we were able to make this year was the addition of air conditioning in the auditorium. It’s an improvement that was much appreciated during events such as VBS in July.
Country Bible Church is involved in several ministries that are repeated each year. Usually in early spring a Women’s Conference is held with excellent attendance. In 2016 the speaker was Kim Delain of Ramsay, MN. Kim and her husband Bob were formerly on the mission field in Mexico and at that time were commended by our assembly. The first full week in July is the traditional date for our Vacation Bible School. For several years we have been using VBS material from Answers in Genesis—this year’s theme was “Ocean Commotion,” focusing on the flood of Noah’s day. We have a dedicated group of people in the assembly who do an excellent job in organizing the program, decorating, acting in the skit, teaching, and various supporting roles that help make VBS successful every year. This year 41 children attended—probably about half of them from outside our fellowship. Several children asked for and were given Bibles during the week. There is no fee for VBS, but the children are encouraged to bring in coins (some bring currency as well) to provide funds for the VBS project. This year’s project was to provide funds for playground equipment for Immanuel Mission in Arizona. Kevin and Brie Bielecki, who are part of that ministry, visited us in June and made us aware of that need. Fifteen hundred dollars were raised and sent to Immanuel Mission.
Immediately following VBS the Kewaunee County Fair takes place. For many years Country Bible Church has had a booth at the Fair in order to pass out Gospel literature and to talk about personal salvation to anyone willing to listen. One thousand to fifteen hundred tracts are usually distributed.
Two of the ladies in the assembly lead Bible studies throughout the course of the year. There is also a Men’s Bible study that meets from October through May that is led by one of the elders. Country Bible Church also has two commended workers. One is a home worker who is also a certified biblical counselor (ACBC); therefore, biblical counseling is a ministry that the assembly offers. The other commended worker is involved in translating the Bible into the language of a people group in a sensitive part of the world. He and his family are currently in fellowship with Bethany Chapel in Wheaton, IL.
Our prayer is that Jesus Christ might say of our assembly, “You have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”
Contact Information
The postal address for the assembly is E2179 Hwy. 54, Casco, WI 54205. The contact person is Mark Dhuey at 920.845.5656. Our website address is www.countrybiblechurch.com.