On May 1, the members of Big Creek Church voted in their new pastor, John Schaeffel. Pastor John and his wife, Nancy, are new residents to the Texas County area, but believe that God guided them to this area from Phoenix, Ariz.
“We felt God calling us to this beautiful area. When we first attended Big Creek Church, we were unaware that the congregation was without a pastor,” said Schaeffel, “From our first visit, we sensed the humble spirit and prayerful attitude of the congregation and felt an immediate connection. We truly feel honored and privileged to serve here. ”
Pastor John has poured himself into evangelism and ministry for almost 40 years. He and his late wife, Jill, were missionaries in the Philippines with New Tribes Mission (now ETHNOS 360). He actually attended New Tribes Bible Institute in Camdenton, Mo., for one phase of his training. He was also a church planter in the Midwest and served as a police chaplain as well as a hospice chaplain.
He has a heart for evangelism, discipleship and connecting the community to the local church. He is both a leader and a servant eager to intentionally impact people’s lives with the Gospel and lead them to become passionate, fully-engaged followers of Jesus. John also enjoys nature, outdoor activities, and spending time with his wife and family (which includes 11 grandchildren)
Big Creek Church is located at 5885 Big Creek Road (where Highways 137 and 17 meet). It is an independent, non-denominational church dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “If you don’t have a home church or haven’t been to church since Covid,” said Pastor John, “we’d love to have you join us.” Sunday School is at 10 a.m. Sunday services are at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Bible Study is on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. They have childcare up to age 5 and Sunday School for all ages.
You can follow Big Creek Church on Facebook for updates, upcoming events, prayer requests and inspiring messages. If you have any questions, you can contact Pastor John at 623-606-8909. Check out Pastor John’s biography at www.neighbors2nations.org under his blog post, “Pastor John’s Journey and God’s Grace.”
Congratulations and God’s blessings for a fruitful ministry! Your new congregation is blessed to have a man of God like you!
Such wonderful news! A know you will be a blessing to your church & they will appreciate your heartfelt meaningful messages too. May God bless all of you!
Congratulations both to you and to the members of Big Creek Church, John! I know you will bear good fruit wherever you are planted, Brother.
Congratulations John!
Hi Gary, Thank you for your kind words! 🙂