HISTORY - Welcome To The Church Of The Living Water

THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING WATER

Stepping out on faith and with the belief that God had called them to preach the truth, the grace and the love of our Lord, Jesus Christ, The Church of The Living Water was founded on Dec. 18, 1996 with eight members. Tony Sirten and Linda Kennemer, were designated the Co-Pastors and regular Sunday evening services began, in the Donelson living room of Ms. Kennemer.

In May 1997, the small but growing Church of The Living Water was petitioned for a merger with Day Springs Christian Fellowship. With the addition of Day Springs' congregation, services were moved to the East End Methodist Church. This also started the first of many outreach programs for the church; Nashville Cares, Second Harvest Food Bank, the Nashville Pride Parade, and nursing home visitations.

On June 8 of 1997, Tony and Linda were formerly ordained and on June 25th of the same year, the congregation of The Church of The Living Water moved their services to the First Unitarian Church in Green Hills. For the next three and a half years, the Church would worship and grow spiritually in the Sunday evening services, at this beautiful facility. In addition to the regular evening worship services, Homecoming celebrations began to be held each December, to commemorate the birth of the Church and to celebrate the growth experienced each year. The first of these homecomings was held in December of 1997, with a powerful evangelist, Rev. Evelyn Schave, of Phoenix, Arizona, bringing a message of love, hope, and encouragement to the year old church. It was to be the beginning of a long and loving relationship with Rev. Evelyn Schave and her husband, Rev. Dennis Schave and the congregation of The Church of The Living Water. The Reverends Evelyn and Dennis Schave have preached at every homecoming celebration since the December 1997 gathering.

1998 was a year of change and growth for the Church. It was the year that the members of The Church of The Living Water, thirsty for more in depth study of the Word, began to meet at different members' homes on Wednesday nights for Bible Studies. Early in the month of July, Pastor Kennemer felt that God was calling her to a new ministry in her home state of Texas and resigned from her office as Co-Pastor and moved with her family in August of that year. Rev. Tony Sirten remained on as the Pastor of the Church of The Living Water. On September of 1998, The Church began it's outreach ministry to nursing homes with Madison Heath Care Nursing Facility, by holding regular services for the residents at the facility the 1st Sunday morning of each month. September also marked the first Baptism for the Church, which was held at Old Hickory Lake. In October `98, The Alliance of Christian Churches voted to admit the Church of The Living Water as a member. The following year, The Church of the Living Water sent Rev. Tony and 3 members to Panama City, FL to attend our first A.C.C. conference.

After several years of growth and an ever-expanding calendar of special events, on February of 2001, the congregation voted to move the Church to a new facility in the basement of an old bank building in Old Hickory. The move allowed the Church to consolidate its many events in one location and to finally after four years to unpack the church supplies, sound equipment, fixtures, etc. The Church of The Living Water was finally no longer "Church in a Box".

Soon after the sixth year anniversary, the congregation of The Church of The Living Water, after much prayer and a leap of faith, purchased its first permanent church building at 731 S. Dickerson Pike in Goodlettsville. The nursing home ministry was expanded in 2006, to the Donnelson Place Nursing Home in Donelson. In February of 2007, the congregation voted to install Ronnie Rogers as Co-Pastor and Rev. Mike Myrick as Assistant Pastor.

The congregation still worships in spirit and truth at the Goodlettsville facility and enjoys fellowship with several sister churches across the country. The Church spiritual leadership consists of a strong team including; Co-Pastors Tony Sirten and Ronnie Rogers, Assistant Pastor Mike Myrick, Deacons Steven McKinney and Chris Brooks, Reverend Arlene Hall, and Reverend Libby Hamlin.

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