Our Story
Our History
The roots of Elim Bible Chapel go back to 1890 when a small group of believers met above the old furniture store in the town of Arkona. Not long after its inception, the meeting placed changed to a small building near the banks of the Ausable River at Hungry Hollow (a few kilometers outside of town).
In 1911 the property where the chapel now stands was purchased for $100. On this land, a plain block building was erected by volunteer believers. It was called Elim Gospel Hall. From the beginning, the Christians gathered in a simple way to remember and worship the Lord Jesus Christ and to preach the good news of the gospel to those who gathered with them. They followed the pattern of the Plymouth Brethren, emphasizing New Testament principles and worship that was unencumbered by the rituals and ornate buildings that were traditional in the majority of Christendom. They practiced plurality of leadership and gave priority to the weekly remembrance of Christ’s atoning death in the Lord’s Supper.
As the congregation grew, the name was changed to Arkona Bible Chapel and a new building was constructed in 1973. And after a fresh start was made by the congregation in 1997, following a difficult period, the name was changed once again to Elim Bible Chapel.
To this day, Elim Bible Chapel stands as an evangelical, autonomous, non-denominational gathering of believers who desire to glorify God by being and making mature disciples of Jesus Christ.
Our emphasis now, like in the beginning, is the unashamed proclamation of the Word of God in a community-minded, fellowship-rich, family environment.
We readily acknowledge our dependence on our head, Jesus Christ, and will continue to seek after Him in humility and with purpose.
“Elim” In the Bible
Elim was the location spoken of in Exodus 15:27, known as a place of 70 palm trees and 12 springs. It was an oasis of refreshment in the midst of a formidable desert that the Israelites came upon after the bitter waters of Marah. We pray that Elim Bible Chapel will always be a place of spiritual refreshment and quenching of thirst for the believers who fellowship here, and for the community that we are part of.
