History

1924. Calvin Coolidge was elected president, Walt Disney began creating cartoons, "Little Orphan Annie," spiral bound notebooks and permanent waves all made their first appearances. The world was changing rapidly, but in September a small group gathered to do what small groups of Christians had gathered to do for over 1900 years: fellowship together and worship God. Services were held in a tent on the corner of Franklin and Indiana Avenues. Because there were no lights in the tent, evening services were held by the glow of car headlights provided by the vehicles of those in attendance. The small group sat on bales of straw. When it rained, the bales were carefully placed where rain was not leaking through the tent.

As the weather grew colder, the small congregation sought a more permanent structure in which to worship. They moved from the tent to a store building on North Franklin Street. With the coming of warm weather, services were again conducted in a tent, this time located at the corner of Washington and Monroe Streets. While this tiny congregation lacked a permanent structure, they did not lack vision. On July 6, 1925, $625.00 was pledged toward the building of a church to be located at the corner of Lafayette and Monroe Streets. On August 23, 1925, ground was broken. Dr. Board, a veterinarian from Chesterton, removed the first shovel of dirt under the direction of the new pastor, Rev. C.E. Nyhart. Rev. Nyhart was also the contractor for the first church. By the time winter came, the congregation was snug in it's new, one-room, stucco church.

On August 23, 1931, a call was extended to Rev. and Mrs. L.E. Myers. Supported with prayer, strengthened by hard work, the church continued to grow. June 15, 1941, was the date of the great event. The mortgage on the church was burned during the morning service. The "large" debt of $4,600 was gone. The church continued to grow rapidly, inspired by the leadership of Rev. Myers. The congregation willingly donated their labor and prayers. Soon it was apparent that the church needed another home. On February 29, 1948, ground breaking services were held for a new addition to the east of the existing building. Rev. L.E. Myers, the pastor for the past seventeen years, lifted the first shovel of dirt. The ground was broken at the place where the pulpit was to be when the building was completed. The new addition doubled the size of the church sanctuary, plus provided offices and Sunday School classrooms. This mortgage was burned in the summer of 1951. On May 12, 1955, ground was broken again, this time on the north side of the property. The original stucco structure was dismantled and a new facility erected in its place. More work and more giving produced another mortgage burning just seven years later. The church continued to grow and minister to the community. Then, on October 21, 1972, tragedy struck the church with the death of Rev. Myers. He had served as pastor to the Valparaiso congregation for 41 years.

Following Rev. Myers, Rev. Richard Leffel led the church for eight years. During his pastorate, the church purchased property on East Glendale. In 1981, Rev. Richard Jordan came to pastor the Valparaiso church. Rev. Jordan served the church for seven years. During this time, ground was broken and construction begun on the property at 2702 East Glendale Blvd. The first building erected was an educational wing and gymnasium. The congregation worshipped in the gym for three and a half years as the sanctuary was completed. In 1988, Rev. Gerald Woods accepted the pastorate of Valparaiso. Under his leadership, the church experienced some of its greatest growth.

In 1994, Rev. Gene Tanner came to pastor the congregation of Valparaiso and continues to serve as the pastor. Under Pastor Tanner, the church burned all notes and mortgages on the building and properties. The church designed a three-phase plan for the future of the property. Phase one was completed in early 1997, with a new educational wing and a new Gymnasium/Family Life Center.

The church has come a long way from that tent in 1924. Today, Valparaiso Nazarene Church ministers to almost a thousand people every week, operating from its five million dollar property on Glendale and Silhavy. Looking back, much of the history is marked by building. The church built, ran out of room, built again. More and more people came. They came because Jesus had changed their lives. The history of VNC is not a history of building and expansion, but rather a history of continuing to reach a community for Jesus Christ. Then, as now, our banner is love, our purpose is service