History

In the 1950's many Mennonite families moved into North Florida to be a part of a Mennonite church planting effort.  This became Bethel Mennonite church in Blountstown Florida.  As families and students began to move away from rural Blountstown (50 miles East) to Tallahassee the Capitol of Florida, another vision was born, "plant a church in Tallahassee".

In the early '60s members from Bethel Mennonite Church traveled to Tallahassee to establish a Sunday school.  In 1963 the pastor ask John and Edith Nissley to consider a call to pastor a church in Tallahassee.  In 1964 John sought and obtained employment at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital as a surgical technician allowing him to support his family while providing leadership for the new church.  The Nissley's moved to Tallahassee conducting worship services in a rented building, (formerly an army barrack).  In 1966 the Berean Mennonite Church building was built.  In those early years several young couples and families became church workers along with Pastor John and Edith Nissley.  It was noted by the church leaders at Bethel that the church in Tallahassee consisted primarily of young families.  In 1968 Berean Mennonite Church was organized with 13 charter members, the charter members were; John & Edith Nissley, Monroe & Ruby Hochstedler, Merrill & Marie Detweiler, Stanley & Mary Jane Shirk, Patsy Spears, Arley & Virgina Yoder, and Lester & Lois Hostetler.                                                                                                                                  

With the leadership of brother John, the congregation out grew the first building, so in 1974 a church building addition was built.  As Berean continued to grow the group made a conscious effort to build and maintain a Christian fellowship environment so they changed the name of the church to; Berean Mennonite Christian Fellowship.

During the summer of 1995, Donovan Zook accepted the call to become the associate pastor.  Donovan, Roxanne and family moved to Tallahassee from Northwest Florida to assist with church leadership.  The Zooks were part of Berean Mennonite Christian Fellowship until Donovan accepted the call to pastor a church in Ohio, in July of 2000 they moved from Tallahassee to Ohio.  During that same year Berean constructed the third building addition.  Berean is a fellowship consisting of people of diversity.  The majority of the congregation is from non-Mennonite background.  The goal of Berean is to worship and fellowship together as Christians rather than dwell on whom, where, or what we were in the past.  The main church growth has been one family at a time through friendship evangelism.

In 2003 two Christian brothers and their familes, Geraldo Navarro and Isidro Andreu moved from Puerto Rico and became part of Berean.  After about a year they established a Spanish congregation that shares the church facilities with the English congregation.  The Spanish congregation's name is; Confraternidad Christiana, Inc.  They gained their 501c3 tax exempt status in 2016.  Both congregations continue to occupy the same campus conducting services at different times.  Confraternidad Cristiana, Inc. has founded and oversees a church plant in East Point, Florida as well as mission churches in Mexico and Guatemala. 

In an effort to more effectively evangelize the community west of Tallahassee, the members of Berean Mennonite Christian Fellowship, made a decision in 2005 to rename the church Berean Christian Fellowship.  Many people in this area were not familiar with the Mennonite denomination, therefore the new name seemed more appropriate for reaching the unchurched people in the community for Christ rather than emphasizing the Mennonite denomination.        

After serving Berean for almost a half century, in 2009 Pastor John retired from church leadership.  John and Edith's son, Steven Nissley filled the role of pastor until 2015 when he felt called to move on.  Pastor Doug Gringerich accepted the position of preaching pastor and Paul Padgett assumed the role of care pastor in September 2015.

Berean Christian Fellowship continues to be a place of worship, fellowship, caring, and sharing for all people regardless of background or past experiences.  We serve an awesome God!

Beliefs

  • We believe in one God eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
  • We believe that God has revealed Himself in the scriptures of the old and new testaments, the inspired word of God, and supremely in His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ.
  • We believe that in the beginning God created all things by His Son. He made man in the divine image, with free will, moral character, and a spiritual nature.
  • We believe that man fell into sin, bringing depravity and death upon the race; that as sinners, man is self-centered and self-willed, unwilling and unable to break with sin.
  • We believe that there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who died to redeem us from sin and arose for our justification.
  • We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, a free gift bestowed by God on those who repent and believe.
  • We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, effects the new birth, gives guidance in life, empowers for service, and enables perseverance in faith and holiness.
  • We believe that the church is the body of Christ, the brotherhood of the redeemed, a disciplined people obedient to the word of God, and a fellowship of love intercession, and healing.
  • We believe that Christ commissioned the church to go into all the world, making disciples of all the nations, and ministering to every human need.
  • We believe it is the will of God that there should be ministers to teach the word, to serve as leaders, to administer the ordinances, to lead the church in the exercise of discipline, and to serve as pastors and teachers.
  • We believe that those who repent and believe, should be baptized with water as a symbol of baptism with the spirit, cleansing from sin, and commitment to Christ.
  • We believe that the church should observe the communion of The Lord's supper as a symbol of His broken body and shed blood, and of the fellowship of His church, until his return.
  • We believe that Christian marriage is intended by God to be the union of one man and one woman for life and that Christians shall marry only in The Lord.
  • We believe that Christians are not to be conformed to the world, but should seek to conform to Christ in every area of life.
  • We believe that the state is ordained of God to maintain order in society, and that Christians should honor rulers, be subject to authorities, witness to the state, and pray for governments.
  • We believe that at death the unsaved enter into everlasting punishment and the saved into conscious bliss with Christ, who is coming again, and will raise the dead, sit in judgment, and bring in God's everlasting kingdom.

With these beliefs in mind, please understand that we are not after a perfect church family.
We are not after judging the sinner. We want to grow with you.