Pastor Bob and Sue were at a point in their personal journey in 1996, where they began to feel stirrings of the Holy Spirit for something more in their lives. Bob was in a successful church, City Bible Church, where he was deeply rooted, and enjoying his ministry position as an executive pastor. With these stirrings, he went into a season of fasting and prayer. God was birthing a vision for a church with the same emphasis' that City Bible carried to be started in Vancouver, where Bob and Sue owned their home. As the vision was submitted to the eldership, they determined that this was the will of God and blessed them. City Harvest was a church plant from City Bible in August of 1997.
City Harvest Church started at Sacajewa Elementary School in Vancouver. After meeting with church plant team members all summer of 1997 that were sent out of their home church, Bible Temple in August of 1997, Pastors Bob and Sue MacGregor, along with a team of 110 men, women, and children opened the doors of City Harvest Church to the community of Clark County, on September 7th, 1997. The church opened its doors to the public, and people began to find Christ in those first few services. The church grew to 275 people in its first year.
With a vision to implement a two-winged approach to functioning as a church (meeting weekly as a congregation and weekly in House Churches), City Harvest Church’s cell ministry was launched in the Spring of 1998. This not only helped facilitate growth but also began to build true, New Testament community as the church grew. That same year, land was purchased at 8100 N.W. 9th Ave. At that time, a small church building with a gravel parking lot was all that existed on the land. Pastor Bob felt that this was the place to build CHC’s first church building. By Spring of 1999, CHC owned the property free and clear, and the 1 1/2 year old congregation was ready to take on a building project.
1999 was the year of risk for this young congregation. They stepped out in faith to build a new church building and also merged with another church in town of 60 people called New Discovery. The merge was very successful, and the two churches began to put a shovel in the ground for a new building in August of ’99. At the end of that year, CHC had grown to 360 people. The church’s cell ministry was expanding, but also the church was aggressively ministering to the city in compassion/mercy outreaches to the needy of Vancouver and doing major evangelistic outreaches. We had spent/given $60,000 to help impoverished families in the first two years of our church. Growth was taking place as a result.
The new building was finished in July of 2000, and by the end of the year, the church grew to 460 people that year. In the summer of 2005, All Nations church joined with our congregation as a merge. God has been faithful to add to us strong leaders as well as new converts.
We have also seen growth outside of Clark County through missions and church planting. Currently, we are invloved in 10 nations with church-planting and missions (Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, Guatamala, Thailand, Afganistan, the Persian Gulf area, Iran, and Kenya). In June of 2006, City Harvest Church sent out its first US church plant. Jonathan and Raydeanne Owens are pastoring a thriving church in Couer d'Alaine, Idaho, called Heart of the City Church. Click to visit their website.
Currently, we are purchasing 14.5 acres on 127th and Fourth Plain Blvd. to see deveoped into a mixed use development, where the church building is the anchor. (Our goal is to be in a central location in our city, to give access to rich and poor alike, to the church, and to give us access to them as well.) We also have a vision to see every believer become a minister using his/her gifts to build others up in the context of Biblical community in House Churches, and we want to effectively meet the needs of the economically deprived of Clark County. The church has continued to grow until we now have 1,208 members, including children.
Our future is in the hands of God as we trust Him to work out His purpose through us. Our responsibility is to pray and obey the vision He has given us. So far, it has been an exciting journey. The future is His.
City Harvest church is known for its aggressive evangelism, its heart to help the poor, and its reputation as a place of the manifestation of the Lord's Presence in worship. We press forward, believing God for signs and wonders, miracles, and healings. We believe that people are hungry for a representation of the Holy Spirit's power here in Clark County. And we continue to build this church as a community with a cause. House Chuch gatherings are the backbone of the community "feel" that people experience here. Our desire is to move into the future while maintaining those characteristics that God has blessed in our congregation.
