PROVERBS 3:5-6

New Work Begun

Dr. Terry L. Coomer founded Elwood Bible Baptist Church in 1989. Pastor Coomer and his wife Kim and daughters Teresa and Jennifer started the church in a store front building at 1930 Main Street with just their family. Pastor Coomer had pastored three different churches in Southeastern Ohio and was a veteran church planter prior to coming to Elwood. Pastor Coomer saw the need in Elwood, which is a city of churches, to establish an independent-fundamental Baptist Church. There were other Baptist churches in the city but Pastor Coomer felt there was a need for a church which was fundamental in both doctrine and practice.

Pastor Coomer saw the need for a separated, soul-winning, independent, fundamental Baptist church so he yielded to God's call, came to Elwood and started the church. 

Pastor Coomer pastored Elwood Bible Baptist Church successfully for more than 20 years.  In February, 2010, Pastor Coomer resigned to start a new church, Hope Baptist Church, in North Little Rock, Arkansas.  Rev. Ron Steege, Pastor Coomer's son-in-law, became Pastor in March, 2010.  Pastor Steege and his wife, Teresa, the Coomer's oldest daughter, served on the staff and Pastor Steege served as the Assistant Pastor since 2002.

Elwood Bible Baptist Church is gladly serving as the sending and mother church of Hope Baptist Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Facilities

In 1993, Elwood Bible Baptist Church built a new church building on three city lots at 504 North 12th Street. Over the years since, the building has been nicely finished and upgraded to provide adequate, comfortable, and handsome facilities for church activities. In 2006 more land was purchased to expand the facilities.

On Separation

From its beginning, Elwood Bible Baptist Church has upheld strong standards of separation from sin and the world (1 John 2:16-17).

We at Elwood Bible Baptist Church believe that our separation from sin and the world extends especially to our music, a vital part of our worship to God. For this reason, we enthusiastically sing and perform vibrant, conservative, traditional, sacred Christian music. We reject contemporary Christian music (CCM),"Christian rock", and Southern gospel music, as compromise between God's music and the world's music (Ephesians 5:18b-19). 

Our church is not charismatic and will not participate in the charismatic movement in any way (1 Corinthians 13:8-10).

Furthermore, our church adamantly opposes the ecumenical philosophy and strongly adheres to a position of ecclesiastical separation.

We believe the Received Text is the correct text and therefore use only the King James Bible for our faith and practice.

Elwood Bible Baptist Church is completely independent, having no organizational or corporate connections to any convention, conference, or formal association of churches. We believe this is closest to the New Testament example and provides considerable liberty and freedom for the administration of the church's various ministries.

On the other hand, Elwood Bible Baptist Church freely fellowships with other churches of like faith and practice across the region and throughout the United States. Across America, there are literally thousands of completely independent Baptist churches who network and fellowship together in common cause for Christ.

Evangelism

The church has from its earliest days been committed to the fulfillment of the Great Commission of our Lord, both at home and abroad.

The Great Commission, we believe, involves both the evangelization of non-believers, and the discipleship of new converts. According to Jesus Himself, this is the primary mission of the church on earth (Matthew 28:18-20). It is our desire to disciple those who have been saved to have an intimate, personal, and passionate relationship with God.
Elwood Bible Baptist Church does not evangelize in order to survive and grow. Rather, we survive and grow in order to evangelize. This is the license and purpose for our existence. Accordingly, the primary focal point of this church is the winning of others to Christ and their discipleship.

In addition, the church has a strong mission's ministry, supporting missionaries around the globe.