Our History

Charter Members of MACC attending its first worship service October 2, 1966 at the house on the newly purchased property.

In January 1966, several families who lived in the Macomb area and attended Christian churches in Colchester, Cooperstown, and Sciota met to consider starting a New Testament Christian Church in Macomb.

In early February, the first organizational meeting was held. Followed by weekly planning meetings with devotional time and offering. All participants were still attending and supporting their original congregations.

In May, the Articles of Incorporation were approved with five Trustees elected. An appeal was made for prayers and financial support from the area churches to assist with the “property purchase fund”. The response was encouraging from all with five churches: Bowen, Camp Point, Chambersburg, Colchester, and Sciota sending financial help on a regular basis for about 2 years.

On June 3, 1966, the new congregation voted to purchase a small 20-acre farm on Maple Avenue for $ 53,000, which included a two-story house. Eighteen thousand dollars was borrowed for 1 year from Mr. Leroy Trulock of Assumption, Illinois, $ 1,200 from Mrs. Lora Bray of La Harpe, and a property mortgage at the Citizens National Bank.

In August, the search committee invited Willard Hockley of Minnesota to Macomb. In September, Willard, Florence, and their sons, Don and Rick moved to Macomb as the first minister at Maple Avenue Christian Church.

The first worship service in the house was on October 2, 1966 with 76 adults and children in attendance. Forty Christians transferred their membership and became charter members of Maple Avenue Christian Church.

The house was sold in September, 1973, and the church continued meeting on the campus of Western Illinois University until January 19, 1975 when it moved into the first unit of its new building program. Attendance grew steadily and eventually classroom space was at capacity.

Plans were made for the building of the second phase--a classroom and fellowship hall area. This vision was made reality when an educational wing with fellowship space and office space was built and we began utilizing it in July of 1994.

During the summer of 2005 the congregation received an offer from the owners of an adjoining farm to purchase the land at a special price. The purchase gave the church ample land for continued expansion and ministry.