"Helping people of all ages move closer to God by becoming fully-committed followers of Christ and His Church."

Miamisburg First Church of God is continuing the commitment made back in 1922 when the first congregation began with prayer meetings and Sunday School held in the homes of concerned Christians. 

The Sam Kinzer family, with the leadership of the Holy Spirit, created the desire and fostered concern among Christians in the community to organize the Fellowship with Sister Sara B. Cox as leader. Under her direction, the small church at Tenth and Kercher Streets was erected.

Reverend Lillie McGuire became the pastor in 1938. When she accepted the pastorate, the church was in debt about $900.00 and the congregation was only paying interest on their note. The building was badly in need of repairs, but there was no money in the treasury. to raise the needed money, members of the congregation, spearheaded by the "Ladies Aid," engaged in many projects.

Sometime later a proposal was made to remodel the building. In April of 1942, the job was begun. While the remodeling was going on, it was known that there would come a time when the building would not meet the needs of the congregation. Later, two lots were purchased on Kercher Street and, in 1949, construction on a new church began. the building was dedicated on April 21, 1951.

Reverend Frank Fultz came to pastor the church in August, 1953, when Reverend McGuire retired. The congregation continued to grow and the need for a larger facility was necessary. The group purchased 2.5 acres of land on the east side of Miamisburg and a building fund was started.

In June, 1963, the congregation moved into its new facility at the corner of Lindsey Avenue and Heincke Road. Reverend Harold Boyer was the speaker for the dedication and Reverend Francis Jolliff offered the prayer.

Reverend Fultz resigned after 20 years of service at First Church. In 1973, Reverend Glen Bevis came and served until 1976. In August, 1976, Reverend Glen Ball came to pastor the congregation. During his pastorate, he led the congregation to greater spiritual maturity. During the latter part of his ministry, the church was able to burn the mortgage.

Pastor Mark McCain came to the church in March, 1985, when Pastor Ball retired. Through the ministry of Pastor Mark McCain, Miamisburg First Church of God has been blessed with tremendous growth. In  19__, the church expanded its facilities to create a gymnasium and rooms for Christian Education. This allowed the church to use sports as an avenue to bring so many in our community closer to God! Through God's faithfulness and great blessing, along with the faithfulness of His people,  God has allowed the church to expand its property to the 16.8 acres across the street for future development. Baseball diamonds, basketball courts, and a shelter house have all been built as the first step to future development for a new church facility across the street. These sports facilities have been another tool in bringing people in the community not only into a church, but into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! On September 17, 2006, Pastor McCain said goodbye after twenty one and a half years of service! He was a wonderful pastor, leader, teacher, and friend. He will be dearly missed.

Dr. David Lynch, who has had over 50 years of experience in the ministry, is filling Pastor McCain's place as an interim pastor while our church searches for the next person that God has in store to lead us into the future. We are thankful to have a man as with such great experience and such a heart to serve Christ to lead and guide us as we embark on a new stage in our church's history.

Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)

The Church of God, with U.S. offices in Anderson, Indiana, began in 1881 as a movement emphasizing the unity of God’s people and holy living. Daniel S. Warner and several associates sought to forsake denominational hierarchies and formal creeds, trusting solely in the Holy Spirit as their overseer and the Bible as their statement of belief. These individuals saw themselves at the forefront of a movement to restore unity and holiness to the church. Their aim was not to establish another denomination but to promote primary allegiance to Jesus Christ so as to transcend denominational loyalties.

This movement is not historically related to the several Church of God bodies rooted in the holiness revival of Tennessee and the Carolinas in the late nineteenth century. Although it shares their holiness commitment, it does not emphasize the charismatic gift of speaking in tongues generally associated with Pentecostal churches.

Deeply influenced by Wesleyan theology and Pietism, the church’s generally accepted teachings include the divine inspiration of Scripture; forgiveness of sin through the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of the believer; the experience of holiness; the personal return of Christ, unconnected with any millennial reign; the kingdom of God as established here and now; the resurrection of the dead; a final judgment in which there will be reward for the righteous and punishment for the wicked.

Within the church, baptism by immersion is viewed as a witness to the new believer’s regeneration in Christ and inclusion in the family of God. The Lord’s Supper reminds participants of the grace experienced in the life of the believer. Foot washing is practiced in acknowledgement and acceptance of the servant ministry of all Christians to each other and to the world. These symbolic acts are understood to be affirmative reminders of what God has done in Christ. None of these practices, termed ordinances, are considered mandatory conditions of Christian experience or fellowship.

There is no formal membership. Individuals are assumed to be members on the basis of personal conversion and conduct that supports that conversion experience. This is consistent with the church’s understanding of how Christian unity is to be achieved—a unity based on spiritual experience rather than creedal agreement.

The Church of God is congregational in its government. Each local congregation is autonomous. Ministers meet in voluntary state, regional and national assemblies, and other associations. In North America, the General Assembly, composed primarily of ministers but also including lay congregational delegates, meets in connection with the movement’s annual North American Convention held in Anderson, Indiana.

In 1996 and 1997 the General Assembly initiated a restructuring of the work of the national ministries of the Church of God within the U.S. The result was the formation of Church of God Ministries, Inc. Priorities for the work of this organization are identified by representatives selected from the grassroots church.

In 1891 the movement’s first missionary was sent to Mexico. Since those early days, the Church of God has continued to grow into a multi-national community of faith. At present, the largest concentrations of U.S. churches are in the Midwest, along the Pacific Coast, and in western Pennsylvania. Average weekend attendance in the congregations of the United States and Canada totals approximately 235,000. There are approximately 2,300 congregations in the U.S. and Canada. Worldwide, the movement has work in 90 countries representing approximately 7,340 churches and over 750,000 believers.