About Us
The History of Our Church
Believing in God’s Word and Spirit
Christ Presbyterian Church is forever linked to the faithfulness of her mother church. In 1991, the newly hired assistant pastor of Riveroaks Reformed Presbyterian Church, together with four Riveroaks families living in Olive Branch, had dreams of planting a PCA church in the Olive Branch area. In 1993 the Session of Riveroaks committed substantial resources to establishing a mission church in Olive Branch. The first meetings of our church were Wednesday night Bible studies at the clubhouse of the Plantation Golf Course. The vision was cast to build a church committed to the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which would be used of God to transform the culture of Olive Branch as He transforms her people. In 1994 Sunday morning worship began in a vacant former car dealership. Worship was held in the show room, Sunday school classes and nurseries in the sales offices and Sunday night fellowship dinners in the service bay. Average attendance was between 50 and 60.
In early 1995 the church plant moved to a vacant church building on Goodman Road, the old Calvary Baptist Church. While meeting there, a service of organization was held at Riveroaks PCA to declare the work a particular church, receive charter members, and ordain and install elders. The following year the first deacons were elected and ordained. During this period God blessed the new church with significant growth, and by 1997 average worship attendance had reached 125 people. From the very beginning our church had hopes of building a facility more suitable for worship, nurture and ministry. Through the generous gift of any anonymous donor, several acres on the corner of Craft and Goodman were acquired. The first phase of an ambitious building program was undertaken resulting in the completion of the current structure in November of 1999. In 2002 the founding pastor, Richard Rieves, was called to be a church planter in Fort Collins, Colorado. During this time of transition, much of the pastoral responsibilities fell to the elders and newly hired youth director, Mike Winebrenner. In 2005 the church called Rev. Robert Browning as Senior Pastor.
Presbyterian Churches of America (PCA)
The PCA is a growing denomination in the United States, with over 1400 churches and missions throughout the USA and Canada. There were over 340,000 communicant and non-communicant members as of 2008. Being a “reformed” denomination refers to the fact that the Holy Spirit is continuing to “re-form us as new creatures” through the process of growing more holy (sanctification) into the image of Christ. It also refers to the doctrines of Scripture rediscovered during the time of the Reformation.
The PCA is a representative form of church government is rooted in its name — Presbyterian. Local churches are governed by elders (presbyters) elected by church members. This form of government extends through regional presbyteries and on to the national General Assembly.
Christ Presbyterian Church is within the boundaries of Covenant Presbytery.
Christ Covenant Church
Christ Covenant Church was formed out of the ongoing vision and strategy of Riveroaks and Christ Presbyterian Church. Rev. Clint Wilcke accepted God’s call to be the church planter in Hernando as granted by the Elders of Christ Presbyterian Church in Olive Branch, MS. This established only the second PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) church in DeSoto County, the fastest growing county in our state and region. Weekly vision casting bible studies began on September 14, 2008 to establish focus and direction for this new church. This in turn led to a regular Friday men’s prayer breakfast / bible study as well as a women’s mid-week bible study in Ephesians. This was a very significant time in which God expanded the vision as men and women began to share a mutual concern for one another spiritually.
The next major step in the life of this church was regular public worship which began on Sunday, January 4, 2009. Soon after, the first community groups began to meet that fall with approximately 30-40 people in regular bi-monthly gatherings. At the same time, new members and inquirers’ seminar began in the home of the Wilckes. Over the next year forty-seven people began to be trained and instructed in the biblical necessity and priority of the Church of Jesus Christ. These men, women, and children took formal vows to become members of the Christ Covenant family. In the winter and spring of 2010 six men were nominated and trained to become officers who would lead Christ Covenant into the future. Bob Barber and Shaun Sipe were elected as Elders, along with the pastor, to establish the first Session of this church. Christ Covenant Church was particularized as a self-supporting church on Sunday evening, September 12, 2010. On October 31, 2010, Dick Brankstone, Rab Edwards, and Scott Sartor were installed to serve as deacons for this congregation and community. This was just another step of our desire to know Christ and make him known in Hernando, DeSoto County, and the uttermost parts.
Christ Fellowship
Christ Fellowship is the latest mission church in our family of churches furthering the vision of spreading the gospel and Christ’s kingdom through church planting works. Former CPC staff member Rev. Mike Winebrenner leads this effort in the Horn Lake area of Desoto County, a diverse community where only 17% of households are active in evangelical churches. Christ Fellowship wants to be a church that is so committed to the unifying Gospel of Jesus that everyone in their community will know them by their love for one another – regardless of ethnicity, social status, age, or gender.
A small group began meeting at the public library in January 2014 for food, fellowship, prayer, and Bible study. In September 2014, God provided the middle school band hall as a meeting location and the church began preview worship gatherings. The church plant officially launched in the Spring of 2015. The church plant is currently in its fourth year of meeting at the local middle school and continues to grow with an average attendance of 65+.