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Our Beliefs

FAITH AND COVENANT

“FAITH-This church acknowledges as its sole head, Jesus Christ the son of God and the Savior of man. It acknowledges as brothers in Christ all who share in this confession. It looks to the Word of God and to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, to prosper its creative and redemptive work in the world. It acclaims as its own the faith of the historic church expressed in the ancient creeds reclaimed in the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers. It affirms the responsibility of the church in each generation to make this faith its own. In accordance with the teachings of our Lord and the practice prevailing among evangelical Christians, it recognizes two Sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. “

One expression of this faith is:

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

“I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ His only son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hades; the third day He arose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”

COVENANT

“We covenant one with another to seek and respond to the Word and the will of God. We propose to walk together in the ways of the Lord, made known and to be made known to us. We hold it to be the mission of the Church to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in all the world, while worshipping God, and striving for truth, justice, and peace. As did our fathers, we depend on the Holy Spirit to lead and empower us. We pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God, and we look with faith toward the Kingdom of God, and we look with faith toward the triumph of righteousness and eternal life.”

(Peace Church By-Laws: Page 1, IV. A & B)

Church Leadership

Structure

We are a non-denominational Protestant church that is congregationally governed. “The governing body of this church shall be the membership assembled in a church meeting. The vote of a majority of the members, except when otherwise stated, shall be the action of the church.” (Peace Church By-Laws, Page 2, VI A) The church council is the executive body of the church which consists of twelve (12) church members.

Committees and Boards include: Church Council, Board of Christian Education, Elm Crest Manor Board of Directors, Pastor Parish Relations Committee, Cemetery Board, Mission Board, Nominating Committee, Historians Committee, Memorial Committee, Sound System Committee, Video Camera Committee, Financial Review Committee, Buildings and Grounds Committee, Parsonage Committee, and Membership Committee.

History

On April 3, 1883, members of the German Evangelical Society of North America immigrated from Chicago and started the town of New Salem, North Dakota.

They held an outdoor service on April 8, 1883. The first church known as the “Little Church” was built and dedicated in the fall of 1883. On June 13, 1883 the congregation was organized and named Deutsches Evangelische Friedens Gemeinde (German Evangelical Peace Church).

As the membership grew, it was decided to build a new church known as the “Big Church”. The cornerstone was laid on June 5, 1898 and the dedication was on October 23, 1898. The “Little Church” was used for Sunday School. With membership still growing, the present church was built and dedicated on November 5, 1950.

In 1957 the Peace Church became a United Church of Christ Church, when the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged with the Congregational Christian Church. In March of 1994 the Peace Church voted to remove itself from the United Church of Christ denomination and become an independent church.

An educational wing was added in 1977. The original “Little Church” became the Buehler-Larson Funeral Chapel.

The Peace Church held a special service on June 1, 2008 to celebrate its 125th Anniversary.

Membership

Membership in this church shall be open to any person who is open to the obedience and Biblical teachings of baptism, confirmation, and public confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Anyone who desires to become a member of Peace Church would be required to attend membership classes held by the Pastor. Members shall pledge themselves to attend the regular worship of the church and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper; and to live the Christian life; to share in the life and work of the church; to contribute to its support and benevolences; and to seek diligently the spiritual welfare of the membership and the community. Only members may vote.