A healthy church has God’s heart for the world and takes part in what God is doing around the world. Since the early days, God privileged Emmanuel Bible Church with participation in His grand eternal plan, not just in what He was doing in us but in what He was doing through us in the rest of the world.
The earliest financial records of Emmanuel Bible Church indicate that the church would send an annual offering to the General Conference of Mennonites. Through the 1920s and 1930s, visiting missionaries of the General Conference from Africa, India, China, and the American Indians would come to the church, presenting the need of sending the Gospel to the “regions beyond”. This awakened in the congregation’s consciousness the reality of the work of God worldwide and that as a church, Emmanuel Bible Church didn’t exist for its own pleasure and blessing.
In 1924 the annual offering for missions was $249.35, and in 1934 Enoch and Margaret Zimmerman became the first missionaries from this church, working in a fellowship of believers that later became Salem Heights Baptist Church. In 1946, Elda Owen Siler (Herr) became the first young person raised in the Emmanuel congregation to become a regularly supported missionary on the foreign field. Since that time, many have gone out from our number to all parts of the world, serving the Lord.
In July 1955, a Missions Committee was first formed to give focus and direction to Emmanuel Bible Church’s involvement in missionary work. Presently, we support 46 missionaries serving in approximately 15 different countries and also give monthly support to 8 different mission service organizations. Typically, during any month, the 1st and 3rd Sunday offerings go to missions and the 2nd and 4th Sunday go to local church support. If there is a 5th Sunday, the funds are designated by either the Missions Committee or Church Board for a special project or need. Prayer for mission endeavors and for “workers for the harvest” is a normal part of EBC life.
Adult and youth short term mission involvement, both inside the United States and outside U.S. borders, has become a part of the church life experience of many from our congregation. As we plan these ministry opportunities, we try to ensure an intentionally spiritual ministry component with a goal that the kingdom of God would be significantly advanced in the areas in which we are ministering.