We believe in the Trinity, which is the doctrine that God is one, existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The three persons of the Trinity are distinct and unified, co-existing in perfect harmony and working together to create and sustain the world. We recognize that since God is the Creator and the source of all life, He exists in three persons who are distinct yet united, understanding each other completely and working together to bring about His plans for humanity. We believe that the Trinity is an essential part of understanding God and His purpose for us. By embracing the Trinity, we can have a deeper relationship with the Lord and better understand His will for our lives.

We believe in the divine inspiration of the Bible, that it is the true and inspired word of God. We believe that the Bible is our standard for life, and its truth, integrity, and relevance is of utmost importance. The Bible is not just a book, but a living guide, full of God’s wisdom and guidance. Through scripture, we learn about God’s character, how to live and act, and how to grow in our spiritual journey. We believe that by reading and studying the Bible, we are able to draw closer to God and deepen our understanding of His love.

We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the central figure of Christianity, the Word of God made flesh. Jesus was sent by God to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins so that we could enjoy an eternal life with Him. Jesus’ teachings on love, forgiveness, humility, and repentance are at the core of our beliefs. We also believe in Jesus’ resurrection, that it was proof of His deity and the promise of eternal life for all those who believe. We are called to follow Jesus, to live lives of holiness, and to share the good news of the gospel. As we learn to love and serve others, we are reminded of Jesus’ example of love and sacrifice.

We believe in salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus was sent by God to save us and give us eternal life. Salvation is only possible through faith in Jesus and repentance of our sins. We understand that we are saved through grace and not by any works of our own. The Bible teaches us that no matter what mistakes we make, God’s love and grace are always available to us. We believe that through accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are able to have the assurance of salvation and the promise of eternal life with God.

We believe in the importance of baptism. Baptism symbolizes a believer's commitment to Jesus and His teachings, and is an outward act of confessing our faith in Him. We believe that baptism is essential to Christian discipleship, and it is a beautiful way to proclaim our allegiance to Jesus. Baptism is a sacred and meaningful experience, and we are deeply committed to helping believers celebrate this important milestone in their journey of faith. By celebrating and honoring baptism, we are proclaiming our faith in Jesus and our desire to serve Him and others.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is the unifying power between God and humanity, and is the source of our comfort, guidance, and strength. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand and appreciate the Bible, and helps us to live out its teachings in our lives. We believe that the Holy Spirit is with us always, faithfully guiding us in our walk with God. We also believe that the Holy Spirit gives us gifts such as wisdom, knowledge, understanding, healing, miracles, tongues, and prophecy so that we can be used to serve God and spread His love.

We believe in the Christian doctrinal belief of The Church. We believe that the Church is a holy assembly of believers, united in faith and love. We strive to be a community of believers who are united in our faith in Jesus Christ and in our commitment to serve Him and His kingdom. We are committed to loving God and loving others, and to be known for our love for one another. We believe that the Church is a body of believers who are called to serve and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we seek to be faithful disciples of Jesus and to follow His teachings. We strive to live out our faith through loving actions and service to our community and the world.

We believe in the power of prayer, both individually and corporately, as an expression of faith in God's work in our lives. Prayer is an essential part of a Christian life and is used to talk to God and to communicate with Him. We pray for guidance, strength, healing, protection, and for our families, friends, and community. Through prayer, we seek to deepen our understanding of God's will and His plans for our lives. Praying helps us grow closer to God and to gain a better understanding of His will and how we can best serve Him. When we pray, we open ourselves up to God and He will answer us in His own way and in His own time. Prayer is a beautiful and powerful way to communicate with our Heavenly Father and to seek His love and guidance.

The Mahomet Christian Church was begun through the prayers and encouragement of the First Christian Church in Monticello, Illinois, and its preacher, Arthur Peterson. Stuart Couve, representing the Central Illinois Evangelizing Association, also served as an advisor in the initial stages. An advertisement was placed in “The Mahomet Citizen” in March of 1975, inviting anyone interested in discussing planting a Christian Church in Mahomet to meet in Mike Tilford’s home on March 10th. The meeting revealed that several people in Mahomet were attending Christian Churches in other communities and were interested in discussing the possibilities of a new work in Mahomet.

After some further discussion, approximately eight families planned a Sunday Evening Bible Study service beginning on April 6, 1975, in the Lincoln Trail School. Fifty people attended that first service with Clarence Taylor, an elder from the Saybrook Christian Church, leading the study and Joy Moore, from Saybrook, leading the singing.

Sunday evening meetings continued as plans were made for full services to begin in July. On July 13, 1975, both morning and evening services began with attendance of 65 in the morning and 45 in the evening. Gary Finley, who commuted from Rapid City, Illinois, served as the weekend preacher and directed an active calling ministry in the area as the Church continued to grow.

On November 30, 1975, Gary Barnes was called as the first full-time preacher for the church. An abandoned building on Main Street, which is now the Mahomet Township office, was rented to serve as an office for the minister and a part-time secretary. During this time, the church grew in attendance and funds were increasing which were to be used for the purchase of land suitable for a building site. Building plans and designs were considered, and a survey was taken of the entire Mahomet area to increase the outreach of the Church.

Gary Barnes left in March of 1977, and Charles Wogman from Lincoln Christian College, Bruce Parmenter from the Christian Counseling Center, and Bill Schoville, a former area preacher and campus minister, shared the pulpit. In August of 1977, Bill Schoville was called as the full-time preacher, and the Church began to pursue the purchase of land to build a house of worship. The five acres of land where the church is now located was purchased for $30,000.00 ($21,000.00 from the Church savings and $9,000.00 from the Christian Men’s Association). Ground was broken for the first building on August 1, 1978. To assist in the growing ministry needs of the Church, David Schoville was called as an Associate minister on August 13, 1978. David later moved into the position of Senior minister, and Bill Schoville switched to the Associate position.

After a year of hard work and sacrifice by many men and women from the Mahomet congregation and other congregations, services were held in the new building on August 5th, 1979, with an attendance of approximately 90 people. The building was dedicated to the Lord’s service during a special “Dedication Day” service on September 30, 1979. It was an especially inspirational day as Dr. Wayne Shaw, from Lincoln Christian College, preached the special 2

message. Two baptisms, 1 transfer of fellowship, and 6 rededication decisions highlighted the day.

As the congregation grew to an average attendance of 165, plans were made for an additional educational space. Ground was broken for the addition to the building on Sunday, April 27, 1986. Several classrooms, a kitchen, new offices, and an open foyer area provided much-needed space for the growing congregation. The new addition was dedicated on March 29, 1987.

After Bill and David Schoville concluded successful ministries of ten and eight years respectfully, a period of six months passed as a search began for a new preacher. During this interim several individuals provided Sunday messages, most notably Mac Burberry, who filled in most of the Sundays during the search period. The congregation extended a call for the Senior Minister position to Kyle Hoff, and Kyle began serving the Mahomet congregation on Easter Sunday in April of 1988. The congregation then extended a call to Mac Burberry to serve as the associate minister with an emphasis on working with the young people of the church. During the next three years, the congregation grew to an average attendance of nearly 200 and moved forward in many areas of service and spiritual growth. Kyle Hoff left the Mahomet Congregation and returned to serve a congregation in his home state of Oregon in February of 1991.

The congregation then called Mac Burberry to the Senior Minister position beginning on February 10, 1991, and on June 23, 1991, called Pete Verkruyse, to serve as an Associate Minister for children and adult education. Boomer Roland was called to serve as Youth Minister on December 1, 1992, and Pete Verkruyse resigned as Associate Minister in the spring of 1993 to take a professorship position at Kentucky Christian College in Grayson, KY.

Due to continued growth, the congregation chose to move to a Double Worship Service and Sunday school format in the spring of 1994. The average worship attendance for 1995 was 215. Youth Minister, Boomer Roland, resigned in June of 1997. Despite the decrease in staff, the church continued to experience consistent growth in the average worship attendance.

As a result of this growth, a Future Facilities Team was formed in the fall of 1997. The team conducted surveys and studies with the help of AAA Church Building Services. Brian Norman was hired as Youth and Children’s Minister in June of 1998.

After a year and a half of prayer and study by the Future Facilities team, two recommendations were presented to the congregation. The first, approved in the summer of 1999, was to conduct a capital stewardship campaign, which resulted in commitments of more than $580,000. The second was to pursue plans for a preliminary drawing that was presented to the congregation in the winter of 2000. On February 13, 2000, the congregation approved the construction of a new auditorium and the renovation of the current facility. The construction and renovation were completed at a cost of 1.5 million dollars. The first service in the new sanctuary was held in November of 2001, and a celebration service was held the following weekend.

In 2002 Brian Norman moved into the role of Minister of Discipleship, Charlie Miller was named part-time Youth Minister, and Barry Friesen (an intern from LCC) was named Worship Minister. 3

In 2002, MCC grew to an average attendance of 289 and then started to decline. During 2003 the average attendance decreased to 227 and has remained stable at that level. In August of 2003, due to budgetary problems, the positions of Minister of Discipleship and the part-time Youth minister were eliminated, and Senior Minister, Mac Burberry resigned at the end of the year. The elders began to consult with Dr. Robert Lowery from Lincoln Christian College and had several informational meetings with the congregation to explain the transition period and the changes that were needed. After that, Dr. Pete Verkrusye and Dr. Robert Lowery served as interim preaching ministers, and the elders continued to consult with Dr. Lowery in order to prepare to call a new Senior Minister to Mahomet Christian Church.

David Johnson was then called to the Senior Minister position and began to serve in June of 2005. The congregation once again began to grow, and the need for a full-time youth minister was determined. After a search, Jeff Dyson accepted the call to that position in June 0f 2009. David and Jeff then worked together effectively to meet the needs of the congregation. David served until his retirement and untimely death in February of 2022. At that time the congregation approved the promotion of Jeff Dyson to the Senior Minister position and began the search for a Minister of Youth. In January of 2023, Josh Morford was hired to serve as Minister of Youth and the number of young people involved in the church has increased under his leadership.

The work and mission of the Mahomet Christian Church continues to be leading unchurched people to be fully devoted followers of Christ as evidenced by the additions to the church since the recent transition period began. A number of individuals have been baptized into Christ and others have transferred their fellowship to our church. In addition, MCC has developed and expanded its ministry of service through the distribution of food to the community, as well as many other service activities, as we place our faith in action as a church For God and For You.