THE STORY OF
FAITH FELLOWSHIP CHURCH
OF
WATERTOWN, NEW YORK
Revised 12/24/06
A Summary of the beginning.....
In the late 1970's there was a mighty move of God in the Old Stone Church (now known as Mt. Zion Assembly of Depauville). The church was thriving and the presence of God was evident. People from many surrounding towns were coming to this small rural church seeking the Lord. Sunday morning attendance grew from 50 to about 120 adults. Joe Nettleton was the Senior Pastor during this time.
There was a large number of people from Watertown who attended the meetings at that time. Pastor Nettleton was led to begin a weekly Bible Study in the home of Dick and Ann Jackson, who resided in Black River. That study became quite popular and quickly grew to nearly 70 people. Pastor Nettleton became convinced that it was God's will for a church to be planted in the city of Watertown. The Lord confirmed this vision for a new church through other trusted men of God. He began to seek God as to how to share this vision with his congregation. He hesitated to follow through when the attendance at the Jacksons fell drastically. Pastor Nettleton had several other issues weighing on him at that same time. He became convinced that he should resign his Pastoral role in Depauville and leave the area. This move left Old Stone Church without a senior pastor and it put the vision for a new church in the city of Watertown on hold.
The Associate Pastor, Steve Flewelling, became Interim Pastor. The search for a new senior Pastor began. The church constitution required 90% of the current membership approve the proposed new pastor. Several men candidated for the position but no one received the required percentage to be installed. Church leadership became frustrated with the situation and were divided. The church at large seemed full of unrest and strife. At that time, it was obvious that Old Stone Church was in danger of facing a church split.
In the midst of this turmoil, Dave Larkin had candidated for the position of Senior Pastor. While he had received favor with most, he was among those that did not fulfill the required 90% approval of membership. In an effort to bring peace to the church, the eldership decided to candidate Mr. Larkin a second time. Still, the 90% requirement was not met. The unrest within the congregation continued to grow.
Mike Bartholomew was one of the numbered in support of Dave Larkin being named as Senior Pastor. "I knew that in my own life, Dave Larkin was to be my Pastor. So I went to Dave after the vote was taken and I told him, As far as I am concerned, Brother, you are my Pastor, and I am going to go with you wherever it is that you go. I believe that God wants me to be trained by you and attached to you. I believe that I am to stand with you." Mike knew that other church members felt the same as he did regarding Dave Larkin. A meeting was scheduled at his home in Watertown on Sunday, March 20th, 1977. The gathering focused on worshiping the Lord and seeking His will regarding the possibility of a new work in Watertown. Twenty-seven people were in attendance at the first meeting of Faith Fellowship of Watertown. Dave Larkin was regarded as Senior Pastor right from the beginning.
Faith Fellowship began under difficult circumstances. The Lord took the situation and established His church to minister to Watertown and the surrounding area. Joe Nettleton has since said that his hesitation to begin the work in Watertown was a mistake. Since its inception, hundreds, if not thousands of people have come to know Christ through the ministry of Faith Fellowship.
By the grace of God and the humbling of hearts, the wounds between Faith Fellowship and Mount Zion Assembly in Depauville (Old Stone Church) have been healed. Pulpit exchange as well as joint congregational meetings are now cause for celebration and joy.
Pastoral Leadership of Faith Fellowship....
As stated, Dave Larkin was the first Pastor of Faith Fellowship Church of Watertown. He served in that roll from March 1977 through 1990. During the latter part of his pastorate, Brother Daves role began to change. Much of his time was spent in traveling to other places to minister.
Mike Bartholomew was appointed as Associate Pastor in 1980. He served in that capacity until 1983 when he left Watertown to establish a sister work in Briar Hill, NY. T he Lord brought him back to Watertown as full time Associate Pastor in 1985.
As Pastor Larkins ministry seemed to change focus, the church faced challenge. Communication within the church leadership and the two pastoral roles faltered. The enemy of our souls tried to split loyalties to no avail. Both men of God sought the will of our Heavenly Father and were open to change. Pastor Bartholomew considered ministry in Canada, candidated, and was offered a position. At the same time, Pastor Larkin resigned from Faith Fellowship of Watertown. The unrest and communication gap continued. Pastor Bartholomew felt it would be wrong to leave Faith Fellowship without a pastor and thus remained in Watertown. In 1991, Mike Bartholomew was installed as Senior Pastor. Dave Larkin continued his traveling ministry for a time and then began another work in Watertown.
Building Purchase....
Having started in a living room in 1977, Faith Fellowship was immediately faced with a need for more room. For the first couple of years, the church met at various locations, such as the local IBEW, the building now known as the Black River Medical Clinic, Asbury Methodist Church, and the Salvation Army.
In 1979, the City of Watertown auctioned off excess city school buildings. One such parcel was the Thompson Park School at 131 Moore Avenue. The leadership had for a time been combing the city for a suitable location. The news of this auction and the Thompson Park School seemed perfect.
At a meeting held by the city prior to the auction, several parties had expressed interest in the property offered. How much could Faith Fellowship, a fledgling church, offer for such a valuable piece of property? The elders of the church council were tasked to make the final decision. They prayed together and each person wrote out a bid amount to be offered. Those amounts were averaged for an offer of $63,659.43 for the Thompson School. It seemed a ridiculous offer, but that was the amount proposed to the city. Faith Fellowship submitted the highest (and only!) bid, much to the chagrin of some local business men! The building became the property of Faith Fellowship in late 1979 and has since been used for congregational meetings, outreach, and Faith Fellowship Christian School.
Our Vision......
The vision of Faith Fellowship Church of Watertown is well expressed in our "Vision Statement"
"TO KNOW HIM AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN"
You will see this statement on the walls of our sanctuary and printed in our church bulletin each week.
The history of the first meeting of the church in 1977, at the home of the Bartholomews, provided a snapshot of the workings and direction of God in the midst of this congregation. Twenty seven adults attended that meeting and fifteen of them believed they had been called into the five fold ministry of Ephesians 4:11 - 13.
"It was He (Jesus) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
Equipping believers for their specific callings is paramount to us. Right from the start, Faith Fellowship had a vision to see who was called into the ministry and how the church could help them develop that ministry. A number of different training efforts have been used in specific Bible teaching and in on-the -job training. The leadership of the church makes every opportunity to provide men and women the chance to minister in various realms of leadership so that they can learn by practice.
An outgrowth of training men and women for ministry is actual church planting. Nine churches have been planted in the North Country as fruit of this ministry. Seven of these works are healthy and growing today.
New Works Established Over The Years....
Bennettsburg: Transitional Pastor - Chris Porter
Briar Hill: Founding Pastor - Mike Bartholomew
Beaver Falls: Founding Pastor - Dan Tabolt and Tom Wilson
Carthage: Founding Pastor - Tom Bushey
Theresa: Founding Pastor - Mark Machia
Dexter: Founding Pastor - Chris Porter
Copenhagen: Founding Pastor - Jeff Ell
Pulaski: Founding Pastor - Tom Lynch
Some of these churches have also planted new works.
Missions.....
Supporting missionaries has always been an active means by which our church has been able to extend vision beyond our own four walls and help spread the Good News" to all people. Throughout the years, we have had the opportunity to both financially and prayerfully support those listed below who have been called to foreign missions.
Name
Country Years
Granger Angel and family Africa Early 80's
Sam Larkin Costa Rica Late 80's
Ben Nulisch and family Turkey Late 80's
Patrick Shannon and family Brazil Early 80's
Dan and Nancy Larkin Africa/Bosnia Since 80's
Mark Machia and family Bosnia Late 90's
Bob Dale and family Turkey Mid 90's
Dave and Adele Swift Mexico Since 90's
Alan and Alissa Holcombe Bolivia Since 2001
Another means by which we are involved in missions is by sending individuals and/or teams to other countries on short term trips. We have sent both teens and adults into Haiti and Mexico. Our teens have gone into five of the seven continents to share their love for Jesus with others.
In addition to training those called into the ministry, we are committed to the development of every believer into a mature child of God. Faith Fellowship has embraced training tools that allow for a visitor to come into the church and become born-again, enter the membership of the church, be taught through various Bible classes and develop into a mature leader, and then be assigned into the ministry of the Lord's calling.
In the winter of 1993, God spoke to Pastor Mike while conducting a home meeting. In the midst of the teaching that night, Jesus dropped faith into Pastor's heart to believe for thirty home meetings in and around Watertown, NY. From that point on, church emphasis on small groups has continued to grow. We believe that virtually all we do as a church can and should be accomplished through the small groups (home meetings). We are not at all opposed to large evangelistic meetings, and we have even held many of them. Still, as a matter of consistent Christian living, we at Faith Fellowship believe that the informal and friendly atmosphere of a small group is a superior vehicle for people to come to the Lord and be discipled. The home meeting also provides an excellent environment for ministry to develop through on-the-job training. All these ministries are under ONE directive from our LORD found in Matthew 28:18-20. We are to go into all the world and make disciples. This flavor can be seen in all we do, in our evangelistic efforts, our helps and member care, our missions, and everything we do. We are working (and have worked) on the mission field in foreign lands such as the Carribean, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and South and Central America. Locally, we are in Nursing Homes, the County Jail, a food pantry, and hospitalization ministries. In addition, there are special projects such as plays, concerts, summer park services, and other public forums.
We also have a Christian School as well as children and youth ministries. Our goal (as stated) is to present every Christian mature in Christ. We don't want to waste any time in training our children in the way they should go.
Faith Fellowship Christian School Ministry.....
In 1985, some members of Faith Fellowship Church began to explore the possibility and feasibility of a Christian School. With pastoral support, these people prayerfully dove into research and began the process. The anticipated opening date was set for September 1986. Low enrollment prohibited the original start date. A task force was formed and advertising educational goals to the Christians in and around Watertown began.
Faith Fellowship Christian School opened in September 1987 with forty students (K - 4th grade) and two teachers. Due to public demand, both fifth and sixth grades were added the next year to educate the sixty-four students enrolled. Essential ingredients contributing to the success of FFCS were the time and ministry talents that were volunteered by parents and other Christians. From September 1989 through September 1994, the school added one grade per year, culminating with graduation of the first senior class in June 1995.
Faith Fellowship Christian School is a school that exists to challenge boys and girls to know Jesus Christ as Lord. The school is designed to help students grow in the knowledge and skill to serve the Lord through their character and leadership. The mandate of Christian Education comes from God's command that children be taught to love God and to give Him preeminence in their lives. We see from Biblical teachings that parents are responsible for the total education of their children.
"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)
"Your children will be taught of the Lord: and the well being of your children will be great." (Isaiah 54:13)
At a time in our society when standards of morality, personal integrity, spiritual awareness and academic performance is in decline, Faith Fellowship Christian School stands ready to promote and instill the time-tested honorable virtues of faith in God, obedience, self-discipline, individual responsibility, personal integrity, and love toward our country into the hearts and lives of every student.
After more than a decade, the school remains a vital ministry of Faith Fellowship Church. Our enrollment is comprised of a least a dozen different denominational backgrounds. Faith Fellowship Christian School is a practical place of unity from the body of Christ.
