+ History

Greenbrier Congregational Christian Church was founded on January 29, 1981 by a group of 31 people. The founding group issued a pastoral invitation to Rev. Wally Gabel. The first public service was held at Gray Funeral Home on February 8 with 93 people attending. Later that year, the church purchased the four acres of land on Volvo Parkway on which the church currently sits. On July 25, 1982 the congregation broke ground for the first phase of the Greenbrier building. The first worship service in the new building was held on January 9, 1983. 201 people attended.

A building expansion began in 1984 and was completed the following year. By 1987, GCCC’s average attendance had risen to 250, and the third phase of the building was completed. One year later, the average attendance was up to 310.

In 1990, the church name was changed to Greenbrier Christian Fellowship, and a formal vision statement was developed and adopted. Early in 1992, Wally Gabel, announced his retirement. A search committee was formed, and Bobby Hill was called and voted as the new pastor late in the year. Pastor Hill assumed the senior pastor position in January of 1993.

In November 1993, the church launched its current cell group ministry with eight groups. A year later, the church held its first annual missions conference. In January of ’95, the PrimeTime equipping ministry was launched. Later that same year, ground was broken for another building addition, the equipping center. In September 1995, a couple was commissioned as New Life’s first full-time missionaries. It was also in 1995 that the plan for multiple worship sites was initiated. Because of that growth strategy, the name of the church was changed again in October to New Life Christian Fellowship. By this time the average attendance was over 600.

The satellite model was adopted in response to severe overcrowding in the Greenbrier building along with the scriptural promise in 2 Kings 4:1-7, where God provided oil to fill as many containers as were available. The multiple-congregation model was seen as the direction God was leading in order to combine the strength and resources of a large church with the more intimate relationships of a smaller church. The unity of vision, mission, leadership, and money would enable the congregations to combine resources to make a more significant impact in areas such as missions, community outreach, and leadership training, than any of the congregations could make on its own.

The first satellite congregation, New Life at Great Bridge, was launched on February 12, 1996 at Great Bridge High School. Pastor Bobby Hill led the new site, assisted by Steve Morgan, formerly New Life’s youth pastor. Pastor Dan Backens came on board as lead pastor for New Life at Greenbrier. Later that year, the Greenbrier congregation began conducting Saturday evening services. The equipping center was completed in October, and later that month, over 1,200 children and adults attended the church’s first annual “Holy Ghost Wiener Roast” at Triple ‘R’ Ranch. By the end of ’96, the average attendance had risen to over 1,100.

In April of 1997, the second satellite, New Life at Lynnhaven, was launched under the co-leadership of Pastors Bobby Hill and Joseph Umidi. Steve Morgan became Great Bridge’s lead pastor. By the end of that year, the average attendance at all sites had risen to over 1,700. That same year, the church made its first presentation of Heaven’s Gates/Hell’s Flames, and saw over 400 conversions result from that evangelistic ministry. A full-time missions director was added, and three additional families were sent out from NLCF to serve as full-time, cross-cultural missionaries.

The third expansion, New Life at Great Neck, held its first service on August 30, 1998, bringing the total number of New Life congregations to four. Pastor Steve Sileo was brought on board as lead pastor for Lynnhaven, while Pastor Joseph assumed the lead pastor role for Great Neck. An administrative office was opened in the Lynnhaven Mall area to support both Virginia Beach congregations. Under the leadership of a new missions director, short-term missions experienced explosive growth during 1998, with over 260 New Lifers participating in thirteen trips around the globe.

In June of 1999 a radical move was made to reach out into a new area and relieve the seriously overcrowded conditions at the Greenbrier site. Initiating the New Life at Providence congregation, Pastor Dan Backens facilitated a plan to establish a trans-ethnic congregation focusing on a new and diverse demographic area in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. Pastor Eric Watt came on board to become lead pastor at Greenbrier, and during that year Pastor Bill Breon assumed the lead pastor role at Great Neck.

Also in 1999, Pastor Bobby launched Vanguard Ministries, an apostolic network to assist churches, ministers, and Christian leaders in fulfilling their God-given destinies. By that time, the New Life missionary family had grown to include seven families and three singles full-time on the field, with others preparing to go.

In 2000 New Life seized the opportunity to expand once again into an area with great promise, establishing New Life at Western Branch. As Pastor Bobby led the planning, he tapped Brent Lucy to become lead pastor of this new congregation. Pastor Rick Ives led in the development of the Saturday night services at Greenbrier, which came to be known as Saturday Nite Life! (SNL!)

In 2001 New Life recombined the Lynnhaven and Great Neck sites into New Life at Virginia Beach under the new leadership of Pastor Sam Scaggs. As the number of congregations grew, it became necessary to revisit what had been the advantages of the satellite model. Specialized ministries in areas such as children, youth, singles, and worship functioned with central directors in those ministry areas who were responsible for the training and oversight of volunteer leaders in each of the congregations. It became apparent that their effectiveness could not be maintained indefinitely as the number of congregations increased, and a transformation took place to make all congregations more site-sufficient, thus reducing the need for many central staff positions.

A revised organizational model emerged, which recognized four congregations as “hub” sites: Greenbrier, Great Bridge, Virginia Beach, and Providence. The title for the primary pastor in those locations was changed to senior pastor. The plan was that as other New Life congregations are established, they would be satellites of those designated hubs; their leaders will be designated as lead pastors. Western Branch has just such a relationship with the Providence hub.

In July 2001 Bobby Hill transitioned from the New Life staff to lead Vanguard Ministries on a full-time basis. Joseph Umidi assumed the role of senior director, with a strong emphasis on developing New Life’s senior leadership. In August 2001 the elders and senior leadership voted to recognize SNL! as a congregation in its own right, positioned as a satellite of the Greenbrier hub. With the emergence and development of Vanguard Ministries as a powerful apostolic networking association, it became the vehicle for apostolic oversight for New Life.

As we entered 2003, the Great Bridge congregation was positioned to be the first New Life expansion to break ground for its own building, with others making plans for permanent facilities. The cross-cultural missions emphasis continues to grow, with seventeen short-term trips scheduled for 2003 and twenty-three full-time families, singles, and ministries comprising the 2003 New Life missionary force.

In the spring of 2003, the Senior Leadership Team began introducing a new organizational plan that would effectively transform New Life from one church with many congregations to a well-connected family of churches. Such a plan would allow each congregation to develop in its own uniquenesses and will free up funds for expansion and church planting. At the same time, the pastors fully embraced the blessing of their continued relationships with one another and a strategy of combining efforts in selected areas to the benefit of the entire New Life Family of Churches.

Final steps have now been taken to formalize New Life's status as a "Family of Churches." On July 1, 2003, New Life became individual churches, each with its own governing eldership. These elders are responsible to govern every spiritual and financial aspect of the church they lead.

New Life Ministries International could be defined as an apostolic network of churches that share common vision, common values, and common practices, while maintaining a high commitment to covenantal relationship.

Under the incorporated banner of New Life Ministries International, an apostolic team (or board of spiritual fathers) was formed with Dr. Joseph Umidi, as Senior Director. The team is responsible to give training, oversight, correction and mentoring to the leaders from each of the family churches. They are also called upon to give clear vision and direction to the entire movement. The team includes, Dr. Joseph Umidi, Dr. William Brown, Dr. Chris Feucht, Pastor Dan Backens, Pastor Bobby Hill, and Pastor Eric Watt.

In October, 2003, New Life at Great Bridge launched their first church expansion, in Barco, North Carolina, New Life of Currictuck with Dan Bergey as the senior pastor. In January, 2004, NewLife Providence adopted their first Hispanic Church, Nueva Vida, with Pastor Italo Gil. In September 2004, Saturday Nite Life! was launched as its own congregation, pastored by Kevin Nuber.

On December 7th, 2004, New Life Ministries Int'l and New Life Ministries Int'l Missions Department moved to their new offices at 1244 Thompkins Lane in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

In January 2005; the NLMI Apostolic Team was expanded to include: Dr. Joseph Umidi, Dr. Chris Feucht, Pastor Dan Backens, Pastor Sam Scaggs, Pastor Steve Morgan, Pastor Brent Lucy. Advisory members include: Pastor Bobby Hill and Dr. William Brown. On January 1, 2005, New Life at Greenbrier withdrew from New Life Ministries Int'l. New Life Providence Church adopted their second church; Power International Center of Hope in Buffalo, NY, with Pastor Helen Turpin as senior pastor on April 17, 2005. December 8, 2005, Pastor Kevin Nuber and the SNL! Congregation were sent out to the other New Life Congregations in the Tidewater Area.

On January 8, 2006, New Life of Virginia Beach adopted their first church, New Life of the Shenendoah Valley, pastored by Kevin Strite.

The NLMI Apostolic Servant Team was revamped on March 26, 2008. The directors would include Dr. Joseph Umidi, Senior Director of NLMI, Dr. Chris Feucht; Director of Missions and Pastor Dan Backens; Pastor of one of the New Life churches. On November 1, 2008 New Life Ministries Int'l adopted two more churches; Living Faith Christian Fellowship in Virginia Beach, VA pastored by Mariano Biazon and Renaissance Community Church in Chesapeake, VA pastored by John McCloud.

On April 17, 2010,after a very brief illness, Dr. Chris Feucht, Director of Missions, went home to be with the Lord. He leaves a huge legacy all around the world of a call to the unreached people groups to hear the gospel through short term mission trips and launching long term missionaries.

As the New Life 'Family of Churches' matures, new churches will be birthed and other ministries will be adopted under the New Life Ministry International umbrella, all sharing the same family values.