"A Firm Foundation"

The Way Bible Church
Begins Construction on New Facility

by: Bobby McDonald

Construction has begun on the new The Way Bible Church, located on Fm-2560, south of Martin Springs.
Members hope to be completed with the building project by the beginning of 2006.

What began as a "glimmer of hope," in December of 1999, should some almost six years later, "bear fruit." The Way Bible Church traces its founding date back to December 2, 1999, when pastor Joel Tiemeyer gathered family members and began a congregation with only three people. "It was my mom, my dad, and myself, in the beginning," remembers Tiemeyer. "I wanted to start a place that people in Hopkins County could worship scripturally and whole heartedly, and 'the way' hasn't always been easy!"

Joel Tiemeyer was only 21 years old, back in 1999, single, and had to overcome the "nay-sayers," who were intent on him failing. "Early on, I learned that it wasn't about me. It was about God and what He wanted done in Sulphur Springs," remembers Joel Tiemeyer, as he reflects on the early starting of the church. "We were going through some 'trying' times, meeting in an old motel conference room that leaked and you said a prayer every Sunday that the heating or air conditioner would work one more time."

By the end of the first year, the congregation had grown to six people, an improvement over the initial crowd, but nothing like the "masses" that Tiemeyer had dreamed of preaching before. The second year, the congregation doubled in size again. They were having a dozen people in attendance regularly. "Certainly, it helped to see more people coming, but the important thing was seeing how God began to work in all of our lives," denoted Tiemeyer.

Then, "the axe" really fell on May 4, 2002. Joel Tiemyer was preparing for his wedding day and honeymoon, when he got a call that the motel where they had been meeting, was closing immediately. They had to move their equipment and belongings the next morning. Two-thousand two, found the congregation meeting temporarily in places across town, until they were able to move to a church building at the corner of North Davis and Glover Streets. "That's how we tell folks where we are. Just go down North Davis to the 'big dip' in the street," laughs Tiemeyer. "However, we had grown a few more souls and were now having 24 in regular attendance. Things were improving, slowly, but surely, and now I know that God was teaching me patience!"

By 2003, the steady growth continued and at some services there would be as many as a hundred people, on Sunday. Joel and those early members were elated, but with growth comes another set of problems. They were running out of room in the building. That's when 25 acres became available on Fm-2560 and in July of 2003, the congregation bought it for relocation.

When the church celebrated its 5 year anniversary in December 2004, there were 165 people attending, and the positive part of the congregation is that most of them are young families, that will continue to grow. "The average age of our congregation is probably 30 years old," denotes Damon Wilks, one of the early members. "And, that meant that we had to plan for the children and youth in our building process."

Joel Tiemeyer, left, and Damon Wilks, stand before the sign that marks the new home The Way
Bible Church will be assuming, once the construction process is completed.

"We want to be a community church," states both Wilks and Tiemeyer. "We want to appeal to those people who live right here around the new site and serve as a focal point for the community."

"We teach the Bible and the Bible only," states Tiemeyer. "We are not affiliated with any denomination and just try to model the Christian life taught in the Bible. It's not about what we want, but what God wants his church to be!"

One-half of the new building will be devoted to classrooms and the other half will be designed for an auditorium, to seat 300 people. "We're optimistic that God has more people for us to reach," states Wilks. "And, He's going to use us to reach them, even more, when we move into the new facilities."

Tiemeyer and Wilks discuss the lay-out of the new building and Joel feels that he's come a long,
long, way from standing before his parents, on that first Sunday, almost six years ago.

"I can truthfully say that God had a plan for me, from the beginning," states Tiemeyer. "It wasn't the plan that I had dreamed about, preaching before the masses, but now I realize that I'm much stronger and we have a richer foundation for this church, by growing one soul at a time."

The Way Bible Church continues to meet at the location on Davis and Glover Streets, but are looking forward to moving to the larger location. They meet at 10:15 a.m., each Sunday morning, and invite anyone looking for a Bible based fellowship, to come join them! "Come experience His blessings, with us!" invites Wilks and Tiemeyer. "We want God to be glorified in all that we say, think, and do!"