How it all started...
In October of 1831, a group of ordinary people from right here in Monticello invited the
legendary pioneer preacher Raccoon John Smith to start meeting with them near Frog
Bottom in downtown Monticello. Raccoon John had recently joined a growing movement
committed to the simplicity of the Gospel and the unity of the Church, known as the
“Restoration Movement.” In their quest to be “Christians only,” their goal was to return
the church to its New Testament roots by rallying around the core beliefs that unite us,
while minimizing the opinions that divide us. To do so, they pointed to the Bible alone as
their final authority, by saying, “No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible.”
legendary pioneer preacher Raccoon John Smith to start meeting with them near Frog
Bottom in downtown Monticello. Raccoon John had recently joined a growing movement
committed to the simplicity of the Gospel and the unity of the Church, known as the
“Restoration Movement.” In their quest to be “Christians only,” their goal was to return
the church to its New Testament roots by rallying around the core beliefs that unite us,
while minimizing the opinions that divide us. To do so, they pointed to the Bible alone as
their final authority, by saying, “No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible.”
RACCOON JOHN SMITH
RACCOON JOHN SMITH CABIN - Click on the Cabin to Learn More.
Expanding the vision...
Another one of the early slogans that became one of the core values of our church goes like this – “In essentials, unity; in opinion, liberty; in all things, love.” While we haven’t always lived that out perfectly, it remains at the core of who we are as a church. We want to carefully proclaim the clear teaching of the Bible, without dividing over secondary issues. In other words, we want to share the Gospel and love people without getting caught up in the needless drama and endless debates that so often distract us from our primary mission.
Where we are headed...
Since 1831, we’ve been present right here in the heart of downtown Monticello sharing
the Gospel, loving our neighbors and doing everything we can to point people to Jesus.
While we’ve grown a lot in recent years, expanded our campus, and started new
ministries, we’re more committed than ever to the vision of our founders – we want it to
be in Monticello as it is Heaven.
the Gospel, loving our neighbors and doing everything we can to point people to Jesus.
While we’ve grown a lot in recent years, expanded our campus, and started new
ministries, we’re more committed than ever to the vision of our founders – we want it to
be in Monticello as it is Heaven.
