OUR HISTORY

IN ILLINOIS...

Meeting at a small conference room in September 1988, eighteen men and women came together to form a different kind of church. By God's hand, Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Illinois has now grown into a healthy, functioning Christian fellowship of over 10,000 people. After meeting in a high school for seven years, God supernaturally provided a facility to house this significant ministry and the forty plus full and part-time staff who serve the church.

After planting their first church in 2000, Harvest Bible Fellowship, the church planting ministry of Harvest Bible Chapel, was formed in 2002. Since then, HBF has planted more than 90 churches in 14 countries on 5 continents with 1 mission: to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment.

IN OAKVILLE...

In early 2003, God placed a calling and a dream within a small group of people to see a Harvest Bible Chapel come to the Greater Toronto Area. Through supernatural circumstances, a core group of people was formed and the momentum was building. It wasn’t long before ideas were being articulated, prayer meetings were being scheduled and plans were underway for the launch of the second Canadian Harvest Bible Chapel. 

A Bible study began in the summer of 2003 in response to the demand from people who were passionate about this church plant. The first Bible study met in a local office space. When those quarters became too tight, the Bible study was moved to a church basement in Mississauga. By the grace of God this core group continued to grow and develop and attract high quality disciples of Christ. It was in the early fall of 2003 that God clearly led the leadership from HBC Oakville to be connected with the leadership from Calvary Baptist Church in Oakville. In what can only be described as miraculous, God arranged for Calvary Baptist Church to become Harvest Bible Chapel Oakville, which included giving Harvest their church building, their property and, most importantly, their people. This was an incredible process that presented many challenges. However, this kind of unprecedented event was a sign of what God was up to and what He will do to accomplish His will in building His Church!

Since 2009, the Lord has continued to build His church through Harvest Oakville by planting churches in Brampton (2009), Niagara (2011), and Toronto West (2013).

IN Kelowna...

Meldon Lutzer, a pastor in Western Canada for 20 years, began discussions in October 2012 with Harvest Bible Chapel Oakville (HBCO), to plant a Harvest Bible Chapel in BC. Harvest Oakville is part of the Harvest Bible Fellowship a growing movement of churches committed to unapologetic preaching, passionate worship of Jesus Christ, unceasing prayer and bold witness of the life changing gospel of Jesus. The simple and clear mission of Harvest Bible Chapel in glorifying God through the fulfillment of the great commission in the spirit of the great commandment resonated with the Lutzers.

Meldon joined the staff of HBCO in August 2013 working remotely to prepare for church planting. In the fall of 2013 he began training in the HBC Training Center for Church Planting in Chicago, IL. The Elders of HBCO recognized the Lord’s calling on a faithful group of people in Kelowna who had been praying since the fall of 2012 for the Lord to start a new work in Kelowna. This group became the core group of Harvest Bible Chapel Kelowna under the leadership of the Elders of HBCO and Meldon Lutzer, the HBC Kelowna Senior Pastor. On October 5th, 2014 Harvest Bible Chapel officially launched in Kelowna and the reality that Jesus is building His church was once again demonstrated powerfully to the glory of God. We are thankful for God’s leading and provision and anticipate the Lord will continue to work powerfully in Kelowna through the proclamation of His Word at Harvest!

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21