Psalm 119:105 and John 14:6 are boldly emblazoned on the large sculpture of a bible in front of the church building. The bible is 8 feet by 10 feet and is made of fiberglass molded over a wooden frame and was custom finished and painted, says pastor Monty Newton.
“It has become something of the identifying mark of the church,” Newton says. “We have had students from Christian academies pose individually and as groups with the bible. We often see families stopping and taking photos in front of the bible.”
Three members of Gideons International who attended the church were instrumental in sponsoring the installation of the bible, Newton says. They were spurred by their conviction and desire to proclaim that the “word of God stands firm,” he adds. The bible was completely restored and reset in 2004, with material costs paid for by one of the three Gideons.
Immigrants of German descent from the Volga Region of Russia founded the church in 1894 as a German Congregational Church. A new 30,000-square-foot facility was completed in 1976, and the congregation soon changed its name to the current one.
The church sought a denominational affiliation in the 1990s. “After having explored affiliations with other churches, the similarities in our immigrant stories and doctrinal compatibility made the Covenant an easy choice,” Newton says.
