Elmbrook Church
Encyclopedia
Elmbrook Church is a non-denominational, evangelical Christian
megachurch
located in the Greater Milwaukee-area suburb of Brookfield, Wisconsin
, in Waukesha County. Since the church's founding in 1958, it has become one of the largest churches in the United States
. Weekly church attendance
averages 7,000, making it the largest church in Wisconsin
and one of the 100-largest churches in the United States.
Church of Brookfield, when 30 Christians met at Leland Elementary School in Elm Grove
. The next year, Elmbrook called its first salaried pastor, Ted Anderson. In 1963, Pastor Bob Hobson was called to lead the church and the name was changed to Elmbrook Baptist Church. The following year, the church moved into its first building on Calhoun Road, in Brookfield. In 1966 the church built a 450-seat sanctuary and attendance increased from 300 to 700 by 1970. In 1968, the pastoral staff grew to two persons, a second morning service and evening service were added, and the church dropped the Baptist affiliation and officially became Elmbrook Church.
In 1970, Evangelist
Stuart Briscoe
was called by the church leadership to be its new senior pastor, upon the resignation of Bob Hobson. Briscoe had been serving with Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers
, in Carnforth
, England
and had originally come to Elmbrook to preach at a series of meetings. In 1972, rapid growth led to Elmbrook using the Ruby Isle Theater for its second service. In 1973, Elmbrook purchased 39 acres (157,827.5 m²) for $100,000 at 777 South Barker Road, in Brookfield, and began construction on a new facility. In 1975, the first service was held in a new 1,380-seat sanctuary, the pastoral staff grew to six, and a second Sunday morning service was added with a Saturday evening service beginning in 1977. A third Sunday service was added in 1979.
In 1982, the South Wing classrooms and staff offices were added and the sanctuary was expanded. In 1984, Stuart Briscoe's messages began to be telecast on Sundays on WISN-TV
in Milwaukee. In 1988, the West Wing Activity Center, including the Gymnasium and classrooms, were added. With weekly church attendance exceeding 5,000, in 1992, construction began on a 3,400-seat Worship Center (completed in 1994) and educational wing. At the time, Elmbrook had 18 pastors, 3,200 members, and supported 150 missionaries. Several construction projects were completed in 1996: the 3rd floor education addition, Amphitheater and remodelled Chapel (the old sanctuary), Resource Library, Garden of Readin’ bookstore, Fellowship Hall and Kitchen, with 7,000 adults attending each week, 20 pastors on staff, and 3,600 members.
In 1998, Elmbrook celebrated its 40th Anniversary. The next year, a live, 10:45 am Sunday morning radio broadcast of worship services was added. In 2000, the church Plaza was completed, Dr. Stuart Briscoe retired as senior pastor, and his protegé, Dr. Mel Lawrenz
, was installed as his successor. Stuart and Jill Briscoe
were commissioned to be international Ministers-at-Large. In 2004, the International Center was established, a third Sunday service was added, and an 8:00 am live Sunday radio broadcast was added. In 2008, a grass activities area and the Mission Cafe coffee shop opened.
In addition, the church has planted nine churches in the Milwaukee area: Eastbrook Church (1979), Hmong
Alliance Church (1982), Lao
Christian Church (1982), Westbrook Church
(1983), Northbrook Church (1985), Meadowbrook Church (1989), Southbrook Church (1997), Centrobrook Church (1998), and Metrobrook Church (2005). Elmbrook also has global church partnerships with: Glennabey Church (Northern Ireland
), Iglesia de LaPuerta Abierta (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Nairobi Chapel (Nairobi, Kenya), Covenant Evangelical Free Church
(Singapore
) and Jerusalem Alliance Church (Jerusalem, Israel).
Currently, Elmbrook has 18 pastors on staff, more than 100 employees and supports over 100 missionaries all over the world, while averaging 7,000 people in attendance per week. The church celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008. In early 2010, Lawrenz resigned to become Elmbrook's third Minister-at-Large and former associate pastor, Scott Arbeiter, was appointed lead pastor.
On October 10, 2010, the church announced that Philip Griffin, the bilingual son of Latin American missionaries and a former senior pastor, had been selected as Elmbrook's new senior pastor after an international search that lasted for more than 18 months.
In 2000, after serving for 30 years as Elmbrook's senior pastor, Stuart and his wife Jill
embarked on new ministries as Elmbrook's Ministers-at-Large, concentrating on reaching out to pastors, missionaries and church leaders all over the world, while maintaining close ties with Elmbrook, their home church. Dr. Briscoe is credited with transforming Elmbrook from a church of a few hundred people to one of the largest in the country.
, Dr. Mel Lawrenz, was the senior pastor of Elmbrook from 2000-2010. He began serving at the church in 1980. Having grown up in Green Bay, Wisconsin
, Mel became senior pastor of Elmbrook in 2000 after serving under Stuart Briscoe's leadership for 20 years.
He received his B.A.
in English from Carroll University (Carroll College then), his M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
and his Ph.D.
in historical theology from Marquette University
. He is the author of eight books.
On March 18, 2009, Lawrenz announced that he would be stepping down as senior pastor to serve as Elmbrook's third Minister-at-Large. He resigned in early 2010 and was commissioned as a Minister-at-Large and serves as a consultant to other churches.
.
, a Wisconsin-statewide Christian men's conference.
productions in the United States. An average of over 30,000 people attend the event per year, which transports guests back to a realistic 1st century Bethlehem
village, during the time of Jesus Christ's birth. Using more than 200 actors and dozens of animals, the production runs for two weeks prior to Christmas
, and is held inside the church's gym
.
43.022757°N 88.169368°W
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
located in the Greater Milwaukee-area suburb of Brookfield, Wisconsin
Brookfield (town), Wisconsin
Brookfield is a town in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 6,390 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Goerke's Corner is located in the town.-Religion:...
, in Waukesha County. Since the church's founding in 1958, it has become one of the largest churches in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Weekly church attendance
Church attendance
Church attendance refers to the reception of religious services offered by a particular church, or more generally, by any religious organisation.-Participation statistics:...
averages 7,000, making it the largest church in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and one of the 100-largest churches in the United States.
History
The church was founded in 1958 as the First BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church of Brookfield, when 30 Christians met at Leland Elementary School in Elm Grove
Elm Grove, Wisconsin
Elm Grove is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 6,249 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Elm Grove is located at ....
. The next year, Elmbrook called its first salaried pastor, Ted Anderson. In 1963, Pastor Bob Hobson was called to lead the church and the name was changed to Elmbrook Baptist Church. The following year, the church moved into its first building on Calhoun Road, in Brookfield. In 1966 the church built a 450-seat sanctuary and attendance increased from 300 to 700 by 1970. In 1968, the pastoral staff grew to two persons, a second morning service and evening service were added, and the church dropped the Baptist affiliation and officially became Elmbrook Church.
In 1970, Evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
Stuart Briscoe
Stuart Briscoe
Dr. D. Stuart Briscoe is an evangelical Christian author, international speaker and the former senior pastor of Elmbrook Church, in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Elmbrook is the largest church in Wisconsin, averaging 7,000 in attendance per week, making it one of the 100-largest churches in the United...
was called by the church leadership to be its new senior pastor, upon the resignation of Bob Hobson. Briscoe had been serving with Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers
Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers
Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers , more recently known as Torchbearers International is an evangelical Christian educational organization...
, in Carnforth
Carnforth
- References :...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and had originally come to Elmbrook to preach at a series of meetings. In 1972, rapid growth led to Elmbrook using the Ruby Isle Theater for its second service. In 1973, Elmbrook purchased 39 acres (157,827.5 m²) for $100,000 at 777 South Barker Road, in Brookfield, and began construction on a new facility. In 1975, the first service was held in a new 1,380-seat sanctuary, the pastoral staff grew to six, and a second Sunday morning service was added with a Saturday evening service beginning in 1977. A third Sunday service was added in 1979.
In 1982, the South Wing classrooms and staff offices were added and the sanctuary was expanded. In 1984, Stuart Briscoe's messages began to be telecast on Sundays on WISN-TV
WISN-TV
WISN-TV, virtual channel 12.1 , is a television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin serving as an affiliate of the ABC television network. Its signal covers most of southeastern Wisconsin and parts of northeastern Illinois, including Racine, Kenosha, Sheboygan and Waukesha...
in Milwaukee. In 1988, the West Wing Activity Center, including the Gymnasium and classrooms, were added. With weekly church attendance exceeding 5,000, in 1992, construction began on a 3,400-seat Worship Center (completed in 1994) and educational wing. At the time, Elmbrook had 18 pastors, 3,200 members, and supported 150 missionaries. Several construction projects were completed in 1996: the 3rd floor education addition, Amphitheater and remodelled Chapel (the old sanctuary), Resource Library, Garden of Readin’ bookstore, Fellowship Hall and Kitchen, with 7,000 adults attending each week, 20 pastors on staff, and 3,600 members.
In 1998, Elmbrook celebrated its 40th Anniversary. The next year, a live, 10:45 am Sunday morning radio broadcast of worship services was added. In 2000, the church Plaza was completed, Dr. Stuart Briscoe retired as senior pastor, and his protegé, Dr. Mel Lawrenz
Mel Lawrenz
Mel Lawrenz is the former senior pastor and current Minister-at-Large of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin. He began serving at Elmbrook in 1980 and the church currently averages 6,000 people in attendance per week, making it one of the 100-largest churches in the United States Lawrenz...
, was installed as his successor. Stuart and Jill Briscoe
Jill Briscoe
Jill Briscoe is an evangelical Christian author and international speaker. In 1970, Briscoe came to Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin from England when her husband, Stuart was called as senior pastor. She immediately established a youth ministry called God Squad and later took the lead in...
were commissioned to be international Ministers-at-Large. In 2004, the International Center was established, a third Sunday service was added, and an 8:00 am live Sunday radio broadcast was added. In 2008, a grass activities area and the Mission Cafe coffee shop opened.
In addition, the church has planted nine churches in the Milwaukee area: Eastbrook Church (1979), Hmong
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
Alliance Church (1982), Lao
Lao people
The Lao are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia.-Names:The etymology of the word Lao is uncertain, although it may be related to tribes known as the Ai Lao who appear in Han Dynasty records in China and Vietnam as a people of what is now Yunan Province...
Christian Church (1982), Westbrook Church
Westbrook Church
Westbrook Church is a non-denominational, Evangelical Christian church located in Hartland, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. The church is autonomous and independent of any denominational control. Westbrook is a member of the Willow Creek Association....
(1983), Northbrook Church (1985), Meadowbrook Church (1989), Southbrook Church (1997), Centrobrook Church (1998), and Metrobrook Church (2005). Elmbrook also has global church partnerships with: Glennabey Church (Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
), Iglesia de LaPuerta Abierta (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Nairobi Chapel (Nairobi, Kenya), Covenant Evangelical Free Church
Covenant Evangelical Free Church
Covenant Evangelical Free Church has two worship centres – one in Bukit Panjang and the other in Woodlands.-History of CEFC:Covenant Evangelical Free Church started life in 1978 as a church plant with 17 pioneer members from Emmanuel Evangelical Church...
(Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
) and Jerusalem Alliance Church (Jerusalem, Israel).
Currently, Elmbrook has 18 pastors on staff, more than 100 employees and supports over 100 missionaries all over the world, while averaging 7,000 people in attendance per week. The church celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008. In early 2010, Lawrenz resigned to become Elmbrook's third Minister-at-Large and former associate pastor, Scott Arbeiter, was appointed lead pastor.
On October 10, 2010, the church announced that Philip Griffin, the bilingual son of Latin American missionaries and a former senior pastor, had been selected as Elmbrook's new senior pastor after an international search that lasted for more than 18 months.
Dr. Stuart Briscoe
Former pastor Dr. Stuart Briscoe was called as senior pastor of Elmbrook in 1970 after a banking career in England and an international preaching ministry under the auspices of the Torchbearers. During his pastorate Elmbrook grew tremendously and planted a number of churches in the local area while Briscoe continued his international teaching ministry. He has written more than 40 books and the media ministry, Telling the Truth, which he founded in 1971, continues to reach out daily around the world.In 2000, after serving for 30 years as Elmbrook's senior pastor, Stuart and his wife Jill
Jill Briscoe
Jill Briscoe is an evangelical Christian author and international speaker. In 1970, Briscoe came to Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin from England when her husband, Stuart was called as senior pastor. She immediately established a youth ministry called God Squad and later took the lead in...
embarked on new ministries as Elmbrook's Ministers-at-Large, concentrating on reaching out to pastors, missionaries and church leaders all over the world, while maintaining close ties with Elmbrook, their home church. Dr. Briscoe is credited with transforming Elmbrook from a church of a few hundred people to one of the largest in the country.
Dr. Mel Lawrenz
Stuart Briscoe's protegéMentoring
Mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person....
, Dr. Mel Lawrenz, was the senior pastor of Elmbrook from 2000-2010. He began serving at the church in 1980. Having grown up in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, Mel became senior pastor of Elmbrook in 2000 after serving under Stuart Briscoe's leadership for 20 years.
He received his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English from Carroll University (Carroll College then), his M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is an evangelical Christian seminary located in Deerfield, Illinois. TEDS is one of the largest seminaries in the world, enrolling more than 1,200 graduate students in professional and academic programs, including more than 150 in its PhD programs...
and his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in historical theology from Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
. He is the author of eight books.
On March 18, 2009, Lawrenz announced that he would be stepping down as senior pastor to serve as Elmbrook's third Minister-at-Large. He resigned in early 2010 and was commissioned as a Minister-at-Large and serves as a consultant to other churches.
The Ave College Ministry
The Ave is a ministry of Elmbrook Church, serving college students in the greater Milwaukee area for nearly 40 years. The Ave functions through a weekly large group worship and teaching service, as well as small groups, service projects and other events. The Ave also gives college students the opportunity to partner with missionaries world-wide to further the kingdom of God. In recent years it has been involved with water filtration work in the tribes of the Shipibo people of PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
"No Regrets" Conference
Elmbrook is one of the hosting churches for the "No Regrets" ConferenceNo Regrets Conference
The No Regrets Conference is a Wisconsin-statewide Christian men's conference started in 1994.The yearly conference is generally held on the first Saturday of February...
, a Wisconsin-statewide Christian men's conference.
Bethlehem Marketplace
Since 1988 and held every three years, Elmbrook has hosted Bethlehem Marketplace, believed to be one of the largest living nativityNativity scene
A nativity scene, manger scene, krippe, crèche, or crib, is a depiction of the birth of Jesus as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke...
productions in the United States. An average of over 30,000 people attend the event per year, which transports guests back to a realistic 1st century Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
village, during the time of Jesus Christ's birth. Using more than 200 actors and dozens of animals, the production runs for two weeks prior to Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, and is held inside the church's gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
.
External links
43.022757°N 88.169368°W