Keith Eckel, Countryside’s chair of trustees, tells the history of the church’s mortgage.
Volunteer finance chair Bob Doble, left, burns the mortgage as Cheryl Kovalik, assistant finance chair, looks on.
NEWTON TOWNSHIP – After gradually paying over an 11-year time frame, Countryside Community Church held a mortgage burning ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 29.
The church celebrated the mortgage’s payment in full on Dec. 30, 2022. The morning began with worship service followed by a potluck meal. Volunteer finance chair Bob Doble used an old cooker to torch a copy of the mortgage’s paperwork.
Prior to the mortgage burning, Keith Eckel, Countryside’s chair of trustees, spoke about the history of the four churches (Newton, Ransom, Milwaukee, and Schultzville), which made the church that it is today.
He recalled 45 years ago when representatives met and came up with the idea of all four churches coming together to form one. He said that in 2007, eight representatives from each church met monthly to discuss the possibility of this plan. He said that they became known as Vision Forward.
“That truly was the beginning and the kickoff,” he said.
Eckel said that all four churches voted for the churches to coexist as one. On May 22, 2011, there was a on-site groundbreaking ceremony to build Countryside Community Church. A few months later, the churches signed the first mortgage of $1,278,000. Prior to the building’s construction, church members Joe Fayocavitz and Bruce Holden chaired the fundraising effort to raise the initial funds to start the church. The site preparation was donated by the DeNaples family. The construction of the building was overseen by the building committee chaired by church member Luke Berardis. The building’s first service, once it was built, was held on Aug. 8, 2012.
“At the end of the day, it was God’s work,” said Eckel.
The mortgage was being paid for by sales and fundraising.
The four church buildings as well as the Newton parsonage were sold quickly after the opening of Countryside Community Church. The proceeds went to the mortgage, which caused the balance then to be about $665,000. By special donations within the last 10 years, Cheryl Kovalik, assistant finance chair, spearheaded the effort to satisfy the mortgage.
“It was a huge effort by everyone connected,” said Eckel. “The credit goes to every person, who donated their treasure or their talents to the effort. I can’t say enough for every individual. They were dedicated.”
