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 CHURCH
OF THE SAVIOUR - OUR HISTORY
The Church of the Saviour at Myersville,
Maryland, began in 1992 as a Small Group Bible Study dedicated to the
study of the Doctrine of the Church.
Over the next eighteen months, several couples from two local
congregations read and discussed the Biblical record of the church of
Jesus Christ; its origins, our Lords’s purpose for it, the Holy
Spirit’s
infusion into it and empowerment of it, and its early history,
polity and function.
Many in our group had a sense that the local church had
in many cases moved away from its simple mission; to equip the
saints of Jesus Christ for the work of His ministry on earth during the
time between His ascension
and His promised return. Centuries
of denominational dogma and the religious traditions of man had, it seemed
to us, diluted and diffused our Lord’s vital mission for His church.
Our study encouraged us toward establishing a local church built
“on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself
being the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20), focused exclusively on the
ministry of the Word of God for the purpose of disciple-making-apart from
any denominational ties.
Duke Jeffries was called to be pastor of this little flock, which would
call itself the Church of the Saviour. An acting Board of Elders- Paul Becker, Otto Berg, David
Unruh and Pastor Duke – was established, and they selected as the C.O.S.
motto the charge from Ephesians 4:12: “equipping the saints for the work
of the ministry.” The
church first met for worship and preaching on July 3, 1994, in the home of
Bob and Mary Cooperman near Middletown, Maryland.
On July 24 the church began meeting at the Myersville School, and
weekly Sunday School was added on October 2.
During these months a group of men designated as the Foundations
Committee completed twelve weeks in prayerful study of the Scriptures in
order to establish the C.O.S.
Statement of Faith, which would become the heart of the C.O.S.
Constitution, affirmed and signed by forty-seven Charter members on
October 20, 1994. The
Ordinance of Communion was first ministered on November 11, and the
Ordinance of Believer’s Baptism was first ministered in the backyard
swimming pool of Dr. ad Mrs. Robert Hughes in
Buckeystown – on September 10, 1995.
Todd Watkins was called as Youth Pastor on October 20, 1996.
On August 2, 2000, the C.O.S. Deacons purchased a six acre parcel
of land on U.S. Route 40, just outside Myersville.
The property was formally dedicated on October 29, 2000.
As God allows and according to his timing and leading, a church
building will be erected on that site.
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