How it all started...
Minier Christian Church began on November 1st, 1874 when 17 people from the Little Mackinaw Church - with help from George Minier, the founder of our town - planted a new church in Minier, Illinois. That “meeting house” cost $2,800 and included a bell and a few pieces of furniture. The original bell sits in our church lobby today. Fifty-five people attended that first worship service and 12 of them were baptized!
God has sustained our church for more than 15 decades of faithful worship and service. In November, 2024, we celebrated MCC’s 150th anniversary!
In the 1960s, a church building was built in the middle of town, with additions and renovations coming in the 70s. In the early 90s, God had grown our congregation to more than capacity for its worship space, so MCC purchased some land on the edge of town and began planning for a new building. Our current building was dedicated on March 21st, 1998. Hundreds of people volunteered over a several-year period to build this newer 30,000 sq. ft. ministry tool. Perhaps most amazingly, God helped us do it debt free!
MCC is part of the Restoration Movement faith tradition, a Christian church focused on following the teachings and model of the New Testament churches and committed to faithful and fruitful discipleship. You can read more about our faith tradition and its emphases HERE.
Through 150+ years, 29 Lead Ministers, countless celebrations, tragedies, good times, hard times, disagreements big and small, through election seasons and civil unrest and all kinds of things that divide people, God has guided and provided for our church family. MCC has, over and over again, honored the God who loves and desires a unified church (John 17:20-25) by choosing unity.
Sometimes we think of the times we live in as particularly divided, dangerous, or fragile. But MCC was founded less than a decade after the end of the Civil War! There were probably people in that original group who had serious disagreements about how the war was fought or what the country and Christians should do in the aftermath. But they met and worshiped together anyway.
There are all kinds of forces in this world that work to divide us, but this body of believers has elevated Christ Jesus to his rightful place as Lord of our lives and Lord of our church, and made unity in the truth of the gospel the priority of our fellowship. By God’s grace, until Jesus returns, we’ll continue to.
God has sustained our church for more than 15 decades of faithful worship and service. In November, 2024, we celebrated MCC’s 150th anniversary!
In the 1960s, a church building was built in the middle of town, with additions and renovations coming in the 70s. In the early 90s, God had grown our congregation to more than capacity for its worship space, so MCC purchased some land on the edge of town and began planning for a new building. Our current building was dedicated on March 21st, 1998. Hundreds of people volunteered over a several-year period to build this newer 30,000 sq. ft. ministry tool. Perhaps most amazingly, God helped us do it debt free!
MCC is part of the Restoration Movement faith tradition, a Christian church focused on following the teachings and model of the New Testament churches and committed to faithful and fruitful discipleship. You can read more about our faith tradition and its emphases HERE.
Through 150+ years, 29 Lead Ministers, countless celebrations, tragedies, good times, hard times, disagreements big and small, through election seasons and civil unrest and all kinds of things that divide people, God has guided and provided for our church family. MCC has, over and over again, honored the God who loves and desires a unified church (John 17:20-25) by choosing unity.
Sometimes we think of the times we live in as particularly divided, dangerous, or fragile. But MCC was founded less than a decade after the end of the Civil War! There were probably people in that original group who had serious disagreements about how the war was fought or what the country and Christians should do in the aftermath. But they met and worshiped together anyway.
There are all kinds of forces in this world that work to divide us, but this body of believers has elevated Christ Jesus to his rightful place as Lord of our lives and Lord of our church, and made unity in the truth of the gospel the priority of our fellowship. By God’s grace, until Jesus returns, we’ll continue to.
Where we are headed...
We like to think of ourselves as a “regional” church. About half of our congregation comes from Minier, but half comes from the surrounding communities within approximately 20 miles of MCC (that’s one reason our vision statement is to “Love20”!). We want to be faithful to God’s call and open to the Spirit’s movement in our personal journeys and our church body as a whole.
We are all about growing as a church - deep, then wide. Deep, into knowledge of and love for God. Then wide, reaching those who don’t yet know him. We try our best to do it in that order.
We believe the church should be a beacon of light in a dark world and make a positive difference in the community. We’re on mission to connect people to God and to His church where we find real community. It is our goal that every encounter of Minier Christian Church points back to our Creator and Lord.
Could all of this include you? We’d like to think so! If you’re looking for a church home, or interested in exploring the Christian faith, come check us out on a Sunday morning. Or, if that’s too intimidating, contact the church office or stop by and we’d be glad to chat with you and answer any questions you have.
We are all about growing as a church - deep, then wide. Deep, into knowledge of and love for God. Then wide, reaching those who don’t yet know him. We try our best to do it in that order.
We believe the church should be a beacon of light in a dark world and make a positive difference in the community. We’re on mission to connect people to God and to His church where we find real community. It is our goal that every encounter of Minier Christian Church points back to our Creator and Lord.
Could all of this include you? We’d like to think so! If you’re looking for a church home, or interested in exploring the Christian faith, come check us out on a Sunday morning. Or, if that’s too intimidating, contact the church office or stop by and we’d be glad to chat with you and answer any questions you have.
