A CHURCH FOR THE GOOD OF MUNCIE

In June of 2014, New Life Presbyterian Church in Yorktown, IN hired Josh Holowell as a church planting apprentice. The goal was to raise up a group of people to start a new church in downtown Muncie. God began to draw people together to develop the vision for this new church. The vision centered on being a church for the good of Muncie and bringing the gospel of reconciliation to the issues of the City. This led to an intentional focus on establishing a missional and multicultural church.

In January of 2017 a small group bible study began to meet in the fellowship hall at one of our partner churches, First Baptist Church, in downtown Muncie. This small group included the group of people from New Life, a group of people from our sister church in Muncie, Westminster Presbyterian, and various others from the community that were excited about our vision. The small group was focused on what it meant for this new church to be an authentically multiethnic/ multicultural church by studying the book, The High Definition Leader by Dr. Derwin Gray. This small group proved foundational to the develop of the church's culture and the family atmosphere.

On February 28, 2021, City Hope Fellowship particularized as a church. This means that we elected our own set of officers (elders and deacons) and became a self-governing Church, no longer under the direct oversight of our sending Church. We remained connected to this church and others in our region however, through our denominational affiliation with the Presbyterian Church in America. 

On April 21, 2024, the congregation of City Hope Fellowship voted to dissolve its voluntary relationship with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and Central Indiana Presbytery.  The recommendation to dissolve our denominational affiliation was made by the Elders in October 2023. The reasons for this were multifaceted, but primarily our concerns were with the systems of accountability and church discipline that we believe left members of City Hope vulnerable to harm. You can read more about our decision here (Trusting God with the Future of City Hope). 

Nothing about the day-to-day functioning of City Hope has changed, and we remain as committed as ever to our vision and values. City Hope has already begun the process of exploring other denominations that would allow us to flourish in our faith and effectively love our neighbor as Jesus instructed. We have seen God’s hand at work throughout this process, and trust He will continue to lead us according to His will and wisdom. 

If you are interested in learning more about how our story has shaped our mission check out our vision and values. But if you really want to experience our story you should join with us in joyful worship on Sundays; or in the diverse gatherings in our homes; or in the impromptu Saturday morning pancake birthday parties (that stretch into the afternoon); or in the craziness of a church group text message; or in the acts of justice and mercy on behalf of our members; or in the commitment to obeying the proclaimed word of God. All that to say, being a part of City Hope is not simply joining a volunteer organization, or a group of folks with a shared set of beliefs or mission, but its joining a family, the diverse family of God which welcomes all to come and be reconciled to God and to one another. We definitely have a mission and a set of beliefs and we volunteer our time together, but we do so as a family, committed to a great and globally gracious God who has made himself known to us in the person of His Son Jesus. Consider yourself invited to the dinner table.

City Hope was not started by any one individual but by a team of people committed to a common vision. This team was crucial in setting direction and launching City Hope Fellowship in the fall of 2017.