Our History

The beginnings of this church fellowship date back to early 1960's, and a bit before. A small house-church group began meeting with desire to establish a Biblically patterned body of believers, as a non-denominational church fellowship, gathering just in he name of the Lord Jesus Christ as it's Lord and Head. Thus, patterned more simply according to New Testament church order and government. This would mean with plural elder leadership, and deacons, and liberty for development of speaking gift, which would not be limited to only a one man pastorate.

Two fine Air Force couples stationed at the then Reese Air Force Base met with them between 1962 and 1965, but then transferred on. They were from similar Christian assemblies in Iowa and Colorado, and helped to get a start as FreeWay Bible Chapel.

Ed Meschkat and wife, Mary Ellen, learned of this in mid-1965 while serving in full time ministry with a similarly gathered group of believers in Florence, South Carolina. A mutual ministering friend from Houston, Texas, informed Meschkats of this house group, needing help, or face folding up. In December of 1965 Ed visited, and all agreed together to pray for guidance regarding a move to assist them. In August of 1966, the Meschkats, with 2 sons in high school, and a daughter in middle-school, made the 1,500 mile move west. There was a good spread of ages with the 6 couples then meeting.

In addition to the home meeting, Meschkats began a Bible club ministry to youngsters in their home. That was a blessing, but we soon realized in a churched city, which Lubbock is, that we needed a public building. Ed entered real estate in early 1968 to help with expenses, and we were led to purchase the existing chapel site, and opened the first phase in May of 1969. In 1979 expansion plans were approved by the city, on March 14, and we added the north wing, now the library and fellowship room.

The Lord took Meschkat's 2nd son at age 18 in a one car accident on August 31, 1969. Soon after that their home was opened to college and young career youth, which continued nearly every Monday night for 7 years. Some came to know the Lord, some of whom are still in touch to this day.

The local church growth was rather slow, as students and Air Force people move on. About the time we opened the chapel building, a family we knew from Houston days in the 1950's, moved here from Odessa with their 6 children. He and I served in eldership for years until about the mid-1980's. Meanwhile Tim and Lyndsay Lambert came into our fellowship about 1973, and on September 14, 1983 Tim was recognized as a church elder, and they have faithfully followed on together, and now are blessed with 4 grown children, who follow on with the Lord.

Another couple, Jim and Sharon Haesemeyer, were married in 1976, and were a part of the fellowship prior to their marriage for some time. On March 22, 1989, they were for- mally commended from us to mission work in Honduras, where they continue to this day on a rotating basis every six months with our church fellowship here. As of this writing, they now have 3 grown and married children.

Our brother in Christ, Dr. Burt Bradley and family came into the fellowship in late 1987 or early 1988, and he was later recognized in church eldership, in which he and Tim Lambert have faithfully served over the years.

After almost 22 years, the Meschkat's two grown and married children located in central Texas, and Ed and Mary Ellen moved to Marble Falls, Texas, November of 1987. That is about 50 miles west of Austin. We continued there, and later, in Georgetown in home ministry until relocating back in Lubbock in October of 2006.

Meanwhile it has been a special joy to see a more stable growth in the assembly, by the addition of many home schoolers. It is our desire, Ed and Mary Ellen, to see renewed growth and direction in the Lord for this body of believers, and we count it a joy and privilege to share in this, as outlined above.