History of Nowra City Church
Nowra City Church began in the Illaroo Rd School Hall in August 1987. The pioneering pastors were Ps’s Chas and Fran Gullo, and they chose Nowra from three potential towns, based on a word that the Lord had given to them. The church in the early days was known for it’s Tamborine Ministry and its Double Decker Bus.
During the time that the Gullo’s were the Senior Pastors, several outreach churches were started, as well as the adoption of the Nation of Tonga as the main missions focus.
After 6 years, Shoalhaven City Christian Outreach Centre (as it was known at the time) moved into a vacated church property at the end of McMahons Rd, North Nowra. This was the first time that the church had its own full time facility.
After 9 and a half years, Chas and Fran moved to Queensland to take up the Pastors role of a great church on the Sunshine Coast. Ps Edward and Susan McColl then became Senior Pastors and one of the first projects was to raise the money and purchase the building that the church was currently meeting in. Under Edward and Susan, the church continued to make a substantial contribution into the spiritual life of the Shoalhaven. After 5 years, the McColls stepped aside and Ps’s Peter and Melanie Pilt took over the Senior Pastor Role, in Oct 2000.
Building on the foundations of the former 14 years, Peter and Melanie saw the church grow substantially, leading to the need for the facility to also grow substantially in size. So in 2007, the ground was broken and a new building was built opening in February 2009 – co-inciding with the celebration of the church’s 21st Birthday.
The church is now poised to grow further in faith, maturity and also numerically as God continues to place his grace and favour on Nowra City Church.
The Beginning of COC
The first meeting of Christian Outreach Centre was on June 23rd 1974, when 25 people met in the front room of the founding president’s home, Clark Taylor, in Brisbane, Australia. The following week a group met in the teachers union building and remained there for nine months. As the numbers grew, the church moved into a Salvation Army Hall on Trafalgar St, Woolloongabba, Brisbane. This building was extended at regular intervals due to the Centre’s growing popularity.
The early days of the COC movement were synonymous with excitement, miracles, and a boldness which defied common theories of what church should be. There was a deliberate focus o the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. Prayer for the sick resulted in many being healed, changing lives forever!
In late 1975, COC moved to a warehouse located in the West end of Brisbane, where it remained for 6 years. By 1977 over 1000 people were gathered at West End COC, and other Christian Outreach Centres had been planted in several nearby cities.
Television
1975 also marked the start of the television show "A new Way of Life." Miracles were phenomenal both on the TV screen and in the homes of who watched. Each week hundreds were being born-again, many of them visiting a church for the first time in their lives!
In retrospect, these were the times when God was laying the foundations for a movement which was destined to reach the four corners of the globe.
Increase
Because of the unprecedented growth of the church, and the advent of a steadily growing Christian School, COC Brisbane purchased 25 acres at Wecker Rd in Mansfield and by the end of 1985 had a facility which could accommodate 5000 people.
Meanwhile, throughout Australia, men and women with a heart to pioneer for Jesus Christ began launching Christian Outreach Centres in cities and towns far and wide. These people were fully persuaded. Their focus was to see God move in people’s lives though out Australia.
International Vision
During this time, some churches began to embrace a more international vision, in particular targeting the Solomon Islands. Teams of believers began to travel to such places as the Solomon Islands, the Gilbert Islands, and Naru. One trip by a team in 1986 to Vanuatu, resulted in close to 2000 souls being saved in 13 days!
The COC movement officially became an international movement in 1988 when it started churches in New Zealand, and the Solomon Islands. By the end of 1988 there were 136 churches across the Pacific region, reaching from Auckland, New Zealand, to Perth, Western Australia.
During 1989, churches were established in Papua-New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia. The movement was experiencing rapid growth with some 44 new churches opening in 1990 alone. It was in 1990 the Pastor Neil Miers became president of Christian Outreach Centre International.
Bible College
In 1989, construction of the first Bible College complex was completed in Brisbane. Since then, many training centres and Bible Colleges have been established in Australia, and overseas.
Global Care
In response to the incredible physical and spiritual needs encountered throughout the world, COC launched Global Care in 1996. This organization has a mandate to help reach the world for Jesus Christ through the delivery of relief aid, development programs, and deploying strong Christ centered mission works.
International Growth
The period from 1991 to 1996 saw churches commence in South Africa, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Germany, South America, Tonga, Western Samoa, and Spain. In 1997 COC opened its first churches in the United States, and in 1998, Argentina, and Bolivia.
The Holy Spirit Continues to Bring a powerful sense of destiny and purpose into the hearts of Pastors and leaders throughout the movement. Christian Outreach Centre continues to expand on a world-wide scale, and is focusing on cities and countries that will benefit from the involvement of a local Christian Outreach Centre.
