History
Ephrata Community Church began in 1977, with 12 individuals and moved into a converted barn in 1979. In April 1981, Barry Wissler was installed as pastor. A plurality of elders continues to serve with Barry to help lead and pastor the church. At a church retreat in 1990, the congregation adopted the ancient church of Antioch as its model for development.
The vision of the church extended to being a sending and receiving church and one with a more regional vision and a heart for missions and community transformation. Three churches were planted providing a foundation for today’s network of church ministries which we call HarvestNET.
In July 1994, during a special time of corporate prayer and fasting, the church began to experience a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Many area pastors and churches enjoyed the outpouring as the renewal meetings and conferences began to impact the whole region. In early 1996 Breath of Life Ministries was launched as a multi-church counseling ministry to help bring healing to the hurting in our region.
ECC continued to grow as God brought and joined many to the vision of the church. Plans to build a new facility adjacent to the barn were started, a process that took about six years.
HarvestNET continued to grow with other pastors and regional prophetic ministries linking to the relational network of ministries. Foreign missions has become an increasingly important part of the work of both ECC and HarvestNET. The pastors and staff of ECC are also involved in HarvestNET, fulfilling a call on this local church as a “resource church.”
ECC moved into its new facilities in January 2005. The new building was built to accommodate the harvest that we believe God wants to bring. "The Barn" now houses our youth ministry and Gateway Regional Prayer and Worship Center, a multi-church ministry with a vision to cover the region in prayer and worship day and night. Through our new facilities and ministries, we look forward to serving the congregation of ECC, as well as blessing our community and region.
