God used pastoral couple Dave and Helen Eshleman to help revitalize Cottage City Mennonite Church – and launch Capital Christian Fellowship, a missional church in Lanham, Maryland.

LANHAM, Md. – Cottage City (Md.) Mennonite Church had a long and venerable history. Ever since 1927 it had preserved “back home” worship styles and fellowship for Lancaster, Pa. and Harrisonburg, Va. folks who lived and worked near the nation's capital.

The congregation especially thrived in the 1950s and 1960s – ministering to many community youth. That’s when “1-W boys” and their brides filled the pews while also fulfilling alternative service requirements in the region's medical facilities. But by 1994, Cottage City had dwindled to only about 50 attenders.

Some of the Mennonite service volunteers had found professional jobs and stayed on in the city, but few local people had joined the congregation in spite of its vigorous summer Bible schools and community outreach programs.

Dave and Helen Eshleman moved to the Cottage City area in August of 1994. They’d already planted two churches, one in Elyria, Ohio, and one in North Port, Florida, but this was their first experience in church revitalization. They asked for a coach from Eastern Mennonite Missions to assist them during the first three years.

The Eshlemans came praying and believing that change was possible. They knew God’s Spirit could breathe new life into this declining church. As Dave worked with the congregation for most of a year, three clear options emerged: “stay as we are and die; stay, but make radical changes in congregational life; or move to a new location and start over.”

By April of 1995, after much prayer and conversation, the congregation decided unanimously to risk maximum change, and start over in a new location. “It was a miracle!” Dave said.

They moved ten miles to the northeast and reopened as Capital Christian Fellowship in an auditorium on the campus of Capitol College. The congregation felt confirmed in their decision the first Sunday when more people came from the Cottage City community than had come before the church moved.

And the congregation continued to grow. Each month “Pastor Dave” consistently called hundreds of new movers to the area and canvassed the more than 700 homes in the immediate neighborhood.

It was not unusual for Dave and Helen to log as many as 600-800 calls a month on their phone. Typically new people wouldn’t come until they’d been called 4-5 times, and a "phone friendship" had developed.

“I was amazed that people didn’t want us to take them off the list for calls – even when they didn’t come to church,” Dave said. “Very rarely, maybe one time in a 100, did people resent the calls and slam down the phone. Rather, they welcomed our interest in their lives and invited prayer for everything from sick dogs to frustrating jobs – even though we’d never met face to face.”

Helen, who has suffered from painful arthritis for many years, often spends sleepless nights in prayer – interceding for church members, new Christians, or other acquaintances. Friends feel privileged to know their names are on Helen’s prayer list.

Other church members also got involved in new levels of prayer for the community, and invited friends for regular “Friendship Sundays” at Capital Christian.

As the congregation grew, leaders searched for a home for the congregation. After obstacles that seemed insurmountable because of extremely difficult regulations in a region so near NASA and other federal programs, they acquired a building site in a prime location along Route 193 in Lanham, Maryland. They built a 26,000 square foot facility and moved into their own spacious new home in October 2004.

The congregation has grown steadily to an attendance of around 300, with baptisms nearly every month. Currently the attenders represent about 20 different nations; many hail from West Africa and South America.

Dave, who is 69, has recently turned over the responsibilities as lead pastor to Noah Kaye, a young man who attended Capital Christian during his high school years. As Dave and Helen retire from Capital Christian and move to Lancaster County in May, they are turning their eyes to the many smaller congregation of Lancaster Mennonite Conference (LMC).

“These struggling little congregations break my heart," Dave said, "I am thrilled to see LMC members buying into Lancaster Conference's Vision 2010. The key to church growth and revitalization is learning how to reach out with unconditional love and never give up on people.

“Many Mennonites don't know how to evangelize effectively, but they can learn. We need to know who we are in Christ, teach people how to reach their peers, and not be ashamed to invite people into our homes and churches. I believe many of these struggling congregations in LMC can turn around – like Cottage City did.”

And Helen, ever the encourager, says, “One of God's gifts to me is encouragement. As God comforts me in my pain (2 Corinthians 1:4) I, in turn, can comfort and encourage those who are hurting. What a joy to be able to serve God, and see him at work in the church family he calls together.”

With their prayers, their persevering love, and passion for the 99 – and the 100th – sheep, Dave and Helen have helped to turn around one struggling church. They'd like to see it happen again, again, and again – as God gives life and strength.

-Jewel Showalter


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