"To know Christ and to make him known" – that is the mission statement of the Greybull Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. The Greybull Alliance Church dates back to 1953. Since then, just how well has the Greybull Alliance Church done in regard to its mission statement? Has the congregation been as faithful to this mission and as active as God wants it to be? What impact has the church made on both the local and the global communities? These are important and relevant questions which each individual who is part of the Greybull Christian and Missionary Alliance Church should answer for himself. Perhaps this short history of the Greybull Christian and Missionary Alliance Church will play a small part in helping each person who has an interest in and a love for this church find answers to these questions.

In the fall of 1953, the Reverend R.P. House arrived in Greybull, Wyoming; his goal was to plant a Christian and Missionary Alliance Church here. Reverend House put up notices around town inviting people to attend a series of three meetings which were to be held on Greybull Avenue just west of the current bank building. Not only did Reverend House put up notices, he personally invited people to attend the meetings. Thus began the "uphill deal" to establish an Alliance Church in Greybull.

In order to make Christ known to everyone, the Christian and Missionary Alliance is always looking to expand and plant churches wherever it can. Attempts had previously been made to plant churches in Cody and Worland, but they had been unsuccessful. SO the C&MA district superintendent in Chicago sent Reverend House, a C&MA pastor from Chicago, to plant a church in Greybull. At that time the Western District of the C&MA Church was headquartered in Chicago.

House’s three meetings drew good crowds, and subsequent meetings were held at the home of Ed and Eula Williamson on Thursday nights with as many as sixty people in attendance. Following the meetings, everyone enjoyed a time of refreshment and fellowship. One highlight of these meetings was singing by young people. Reverend House would tape the singing, and for several months it was broadcast along with House’s sermon on Sunday mornings over KPOW radio station in Powell.

Because of such good attendance at the Thursday evening meetings, the group decided to begin holding Sunday services. So in 1954 Stella Baker, who lived on Greybull Heights, opened her home which had adequate space for both Sunday school and worship services. Soon the fledgling congregation decided to purchase the Old Tourist Store (also known as the Ice House) which was located at the south end of Greybull City Park. This building was dismantled, and the lumber from it was used to build the original part of the Greybull Alliance Church on the current site; the two lots on which the church now stands were donated by Stella Baker’s son Orvil and his wife Charlotte. At that time it was the very north end of Greybull, practically in the country. In the meantime, the congregation moved its meeting place from the Baker home to the American Legion Hall on North Fifth Street.

Reverend House supervised the early part of the construction of the church building which was done with volunteer help. Most of the work took place in the evenings with everyone pitching in. Unfortunately, some serious setbacks occurred; perhaps the worst was a strong wind which blew down the nearly completed framework. But the volunteers raised it into place again.

Then in the midst of the construction Reverend House was called north to Alaska, so he left Greybull March 1, 1957. However, help arrived from far away. In July of 1957 the Reverend Paul Stumbo and his family came from Des Moines, Iowa, and spent three weeks in Greybull helping with the construction. Also, an Alliance couple form California spent a week helping with concrete work. In April of 1958 the Stumbo family returned. Serving as Pastor of the Greybull Alliance Church, Reverend Stumbo supervised the completion of the church building.

On February 6, 1959, the church was organized as a Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, and the building was dedicated. Reverend C.R. Thomas, the Western District Superintendent, presented a dedicatory sermon at 2:30 P.M. on February 8, 1959. On December 12, 1959, the church was incorporated. Reverend Paul Stumbo was the church’s pastor at the time of its incorporation.

During the tenure of Reverend Paul Stumbo, the parking lots were purchased from Dale Foe. Also, the tradition of the monthly fellowship dinner began. Eula Williamson double tithed from her baby-sitting money (35 cents an hour; 50 cents after midnight) to buy thirty cups, thirty glasses, sixty plates, and silverware. The congregation saved and redeemed coffee strips from Folgers’ coffee cans to buy coffee makers and a griddle. And Eula Williamson and Juanita Dellos scoured garage sales to buy glass party plates and cups.

Although the church building was completed and free of debt, the decade of the sixties was a time of struggle for the Greybull Alliance Church. In August 1960 the Stumbo family returned to Iowa leaving the church without a pastor. The congregation faced several discouragements, primarily the inability to keep a pastor for any length of time. The Reverend Ralph McConahay led the church for about three years in the early sixties. Following his departure many church families left the area and the congregation dwindled. Among those who left were Dale Dalby who had filled in as lay pastor and led services occasionally from 1954 until 1964. Leland Morris, a Baptist, stepped in to serve as lay pastor for a year. But after he left, District Superintendent Harry Juckstock thought the Greybull Alliance Church would never amount to anything and wanted to close it down.

But Reverend Ron Clason, the Cody Alliance pastor, held a completely opposite opinion to Mr. Juckstock’s; he regarded the Greybull Alliance Church as an "oasis in the desert" and believed it had real potential. He probably felt this way because of the steadfast commitment of a faithful few – Charlotte Baker, Juanita Dellos, and Ed and Eula Williamson. Reverend Clason offered to hold 8:00 A.M. Sunday services and Thursday evening prayer meetings in Greybull; he was a great help and inspiration to the little congregation. Reverend Clason served the Greybull Church for over two years until September 1, 1968. Then another Cody pastor, Gary Stenlund, led the services for six months beginning August 1, 1969.

In spite of lacking a pastor, the small congregation persevered and never missed holding Sunday school, Sunday morning and evening services, and prayer meetings. During these lean years Charlotte Baker often led the Sunday service as a Bible study, Juanita Dellos did the cleaning, and the Williamsons saw to the church finances.

The 1970’s began as lean times but ended as prosperous times for the Greybull Alliance Church. From 1970 to 1974 the Montana Institute of the Bible in Billings provided the church (which now had about twenty members) with pastors. Garry Toaves (rhymes with caves) and Mark Carson, both from the Bible Institute, pastored the church for a while during this time. But again there were gaps when the church had no pastor. District Superintendent Juckstock (now the district headquarters was in Omaha) again wanted to close the doors on the church, but the membership said no.

The congregation knew that Jim Stumbo, the son of Reverend Paul Stumbo, was about to graduate from St. Paul Bible College, and they remembered that as a child he had said that one day he would return to Greybull to preach. So the congregation contacted Jim Stumbo and offered him the pastorship. Jim Stumbo’s district superintendent discouraged his move to Greybull, but after two days of prayer about the matter, he decided to accept the offer. In July 1974 Jim and his new bride Ronda arrived in Greybull to lead the Alliance Church for the next sixteen years.

Jim Stumbo’s first paycheck from the church was only twenty-five dollars for a week; if he was dismayed, he kept it to himself. Soon his pay was raised to fifty dollars a week, and by January1, 1975, his salary was increased to one hundred dollars a week. The Williamsons bought a trailer and moved it to Greybull for the young couple to live in. Jim and Ronda Stumbo were a real inspiration; they worked hard and never complained about the pay
 

Prior to the arrival of the young Stumbos, church attendance would spurt at times and dwindle at others. But by the end of the 1970’s, attendance at Sunday morning worship services averaged around a hundred people, and the congregation felt a need to add on to the original structure. Thus in the early 1980’s an eighty thousand dollar addition was put on for a cost of only forty thousand dollars due to volunteer help. Juanita Dellos’ brother and his crew did a five thousand dollar drywall job but only charged $1,500. Butch Dillon donated left over tile from his contracting business and did the tile work in the bathrooms. Butch and his family had moved to the area from California for a short time because they felt the Lord had called them here, although they did not know why. Not long after completing the tile work at the church, they moved on. Gary and Cindy Shotton moved to Greybull because Gary was supervising construction at one of the local bentonite plants. He also lent his expertise to supervision of the church addition. Each Sunday he would apprise the congregation of the financial need for the addition; people prayed and money came in. Thus the addition was paid for as it progressed. The congregation purchased pews from the Cowley Mormon Church; the pews were white with gold trim. The pews were stripped and varnished; this task, which was supervised by Bill Glanville, required long, tedious hours. The hole for the addition had been dug May 15, 1981, and by December 1982 most of the work was completed; on October 2, 1983, the addition was dedicated.

Previously the Stumbos had purchased the house on Sixth Street next to the church parking lot, but in 1987 they decided to purchase a larger house on Eighth Avenue North since they now had four children and needed more space. The congregation decided to purchase the Sixth Street house. So then the Greybull Alliance owned five lots – two donated by the Bakers and three purchased by the congregation.

By the end of the 1980’s, Sunday school attendance averaged in the seventies, morning worship drew nearly a hundred people each week, and often more than forty attended Sunday evening services each week. The struggling little church of the 1950’s, 1960’s, and 1970’s appeared to have attained a degree of success.
 

However, with the nineties came a new round of struggle. Once again the church was without a pastor because the young Stumbos were called to the Alliance Church in Helena, Montana, June 1, 1990. The search for a new pastor culminated in the calling of Reverend John Henderson on October 14, 1991. Reverend Henderson, his wife Ruth, and their children came to Greybull from Sacramento, California. Reverend Henderson began his pastorate in Greybull in November; his installation service was held June 30, 1992.

Following a honeymoon period with the new pastor, a time of turmoil and upheaval set in. During 1993 and 1994 several families grew dissatisfied with and simply quit the Greybull Alliance Church. Also, one Sunday morning in late 1993, Pastor Henderson announced to the congregation that he intended to resign. But a number of the congregation expressed a desire for him to continue as pastor. After much prayer and serious consideration, Pastor Henderson agreed to continue with the Greybull Alliance Church.

The church survived this series of set backs and struggles and began to experience a period of steady growth. Eula Williamson died in 1997, and Charlotte Baker died in 1998, leaving only Phil and Juanita Dellos as the sole remaining charter members still attending the church. Charlotte, Eula, and Juanita were the backbone of the Greybull Alliance Church for many years; if not for them, the Greybull Alliance Church would probably be nonexistent. Many other fine, strong Christian people have joined the congregation and worked alongside these three faithful, inspirational Christian women. The end of the 1990’s saw the church climbing back to an average attendance of fifty-five at worship services and thirty-five at Sunday chool. The AWANA program, staffed by several churches, grew to one hundred in attendance each week.

At the end of 1999, those who were active in the congregation were Daniel and Kasey Arion; Dale and Cheryl Baxter; Bert and Glenda Bresach; Don and Barb Clucas; Carla Cohen; Mike and Pam Dellos; Phil and Juanita Dellos; Tana Dooley; Bill and Sylvia Elliott; Red Fisher; Dorotha Groseclose; Reverend John and Ruth Henderson; Lola McMillan; Doc and Carol Miller; Martha Miner; Lynette Murray; Gary and Linda Patrick; Jerry and Wendy Patrick; Kathleen Paumer; Loanda Reid; Bill and Dee Robertson; Bob and Mary Russell; Bob and Sonja Schenk; Mike and Cindy Scherman; John and Irene Tate; Ken and Lori Thon; Sheila Vorhies; Chris and Rachel Wade; Trevon and Misty Wollam; and John and Lynette Wyatt.
 
 

In the year 2000, the Greybull Alliance Church grew steadily – more people and more ministries. In 2001 four Greybull Alliance men (Mike Dellos, Gary Patrick, Bill Robertson, and John Tate) were called to serve as elders for the church. At the beginning of this third millennium, the Greybull Alliance Church prepares to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary.

Since its inception in 1953, has the Greybull Alliance Church actively sought to implement its mission statement "To know Christ and to make Him known"? If so, just how has the congregation gone about it? Have they actually enabled their own flock to know Christ better? Have they effectively spread the good news of Christ’s love and mercy to those outside the church doors?

Within the church numerous small groups and social events were established to encourage Christian fellowship and enable the church body to better know and encourage one another and to better know Christ. These include Bible study groups, small group meetings, Alliance men’s groups, Alliance ladies’ groups, church camping trips, monthly fellowship dinners, an annual progressive dinner and pie-baking contest, and an annual Valentine’s dinner. At the end of the 1990’s the church began to work actively on growing a healthy church based on the two great commandments and the great commission. Specifically the congregation began to study and seek better methods of winning the lost, building believers, equipping workers, and multiplying leadership.

In addition, many programs have been set up to make Christ known throughout the community. Greybull’s monthly Ladies’ Uplift Luncheon was initiated by Alliance women. The church’s annual mission’s conference draws people throughout the area. An annual concert-in-the-park was another big draw. For several years the church has provided free gift wrapping at the annual community Christmas bazaar. Pam Dellos and Dee Robertson organized and conducted a Weigh Down Workshop, and the Greybull Alliance Church was primarily responsible for bringing the Mike Silva Crusade in May of 1999 which drew hundreds of people to Greybull. The Greybull Alliance Church has joined with other Christian churches in the community to encourage and support organizations such as the Gideons and activities such as the community Thanksgiving Service and the community Easter Sunrise Service.

Perhaps most importantly the Greybull Alliance Church has sponsored and/or supported many programs for young people to provide them with knowledge of Christ and his love for them. For elementary age children the AWANA program sponsored by the Alliance Church has had a major impact since its inception here in the early 1980’s. The AWANA program was initiated by Cheryl Baxter when she and Dale moved to Basin and began attending the Alliance Church in Greybull. Each Wednesday night throughout the school year the community hall overflows with children and AWANA leaders and helpers. In November of 1993 a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle was organized in the Greybull-Basin area for older youth; John Tate was one of the organizers and a driving force for FCA in the area. The Greybull Alliance Church provides both money and encouragement for FCA. For many summers the Alliance Church held a week of vacation Bible School for elementary age children; later instead of VBS, the Alliance Church sponsored Five-Day Clubs. During club time children enjoyed games and food and Bible stories. For several summers the Alliance Church sponsored one or two youth weeks for middle school, high school, and college age youth. The young people enjoyed refreshments and a variety of activities such as float trips and pool parties along with an opportunity to learn more about Christ. In 1997 a Youth Auxiliary was organized to provide prayer and to raise funds for youth programs. To raise funds, the auxiliary sponsored some bake sales, and every summer since 1999 the auxiliary has operated a hamburger stand in Basin during the county fair. The Greybull Alliance also provided leadership and assistance for numerous church camps for people of all ages. In addition, Alliance Church members were actively involved with other community members in the Healthy Community Healthy Youth Committee. Because of the numerous programs and events which the Alliance Church sponsors and or/supports, many people throughout the community have greater opportunity to learn about Christ, and many have been led to make a commitment to Him.

Besides making an impact for Christ locally, the Greybull Alliance Church seeks to make a global impact as well. The congregation has contributed many prayers and thousands of dollars in support of foreign missions. Also. Two Greybull Alliance Church people have gone to the mission field. Don Dellos, son of Phil and Juanita Dellos, became a missionary in 1987; Don and his family lived and served in Latin America.  Additionally, our church currently has one of our own ministering in a Middle Eastern country closed to the gospel.

It is important to always keep in mind, however, that the programs and events and activities have not and will not ever experience any degree of success in and of themselves. Their success is dependent upon God. It is God alone who works through the congregation to make any of our efforts bear fruit. To God be the glory. Praise God!

I gladly make friends and acquaintances aware of my affiliation with the Greybull Alliance Church because it is a source of pride for me. At the same time, I feel humbled in the presence of such fine Christian men and women. My experience with Christian groups is probably more limited than is most of yours. However, I cannot imagine that a more faithful, more dedicated, more accepting, and more charitable congregation of Christians can be found anywhere. This congregation truly abides by the two great commandments. I thank you for allowing me to worship and serve with you. May you always be blessed with God’s peace and grace.
 
 

This history of the Greybull C&MA Church is based primarily on interviews I conducted with Juanita Dellos and Eula Williamson and statistics from the church’s annual report.

Respectfully, Lynette Murray

January 9, 2000

(Updated July 5, 2002)

Greybull Alliance Church History:  May 2007 Update

2000 – May, 2007

In August 1999 the congregation participated in an NCD (National Church Development) survey to assess the health of the church. The survey results indicated two areas of weakness: inspiring worship and holistic small groups. Thus, worship leaders attended a workshop seminar in Casper. In October 2006, the congregation participated in a second NCD survey. This survey showed that holistic small groups had become an area of strength, but inspiring worship continued to be an area of weakness. A committee was organized and charged with the task of finding ways to make worship services more inspiring.

The congregation became increasingly aware of the need for the church to have handicap access. In 2006 the trustees appointed a handicap access committee. Thanks to the committee’s diligence, Dee Robertson’s generous donation, and Ken Thon’s gracious acceptance to act as supervisor for the church to oversee the construction and installation of the lift, work on this project began in January 2007. The lift should literally be up and running before the end of this summer.

In 2000 the church’s governing board began to explore the possibility of calling a youth pastor. In 2003 the board appointed a Youth Pastor Search Committee, and in April 2004 the church initiated the call for a youth pastor. Pastor David Bottom from Nebraska answered the call and arrived in Greybull September 28, 2004, to begin his ministry as a community-based youth pastor. Pastor Bottom’s wife Debbie and their three children joined him in Greybull early in 2005.  One of the first things Pastor Bottom did was open the Shack, formerly the Greybull Alliance Youth House, for two hours every day after school for middle school and high school students. He stated, “The vision for the Shack is to offer a variety of services, events, and opportunities for students in Big Horn County. The purpose of the Shack is to provide middle school and high school students, especially at risk students, a faith-based, youth friendly atmosphere.” The Lord does seem to be blessing Pastor Bottom’s ministry. Throughout 2005 and 2006 the Shack grew considerably “as an organization with more volunteers and structure, more financial support, to the point it is on the verge of major expansion.” Though the Shack serves as the cornerstone of Pastor Bottom’s ministry, his work is not limited to the Shack, but is far more encompassing. For example, he serves on the Community Youth Ministries Council and plays a major role in organizing a variety of youth activities.  Due to the success of the Shack and the potential for expansive growth, Pastor Bottom foresees the need to split the jobs of Shack coordinator and community youth pastor.

In December 2006 Pastor Henderson, who has led this church since 1990, tendered his resignation effective July1, 2007. Under Pastor Henderson’s leadership, the church has grown in numbers, prospered financially, and taken a more active role in service to the community. God does seem to have continued to bless the Greybull Alliance Church!  A pastoral search committee is now working toward the calling of a new pastor.

May God continue to bless the Greybull Alliance Church in its mission to spread the Gospel and serve the Lord.

Lynette Murray

May 22, 2007