Pastor Ron Lemon (back row-fifth and sixth from left) and their children and grandchildren and Mrs. Lemon’s mother, Barb Wiltsie.
Submitted photos
The July event was into its third day when Pastor Ron Lemon made the announcement. The event continues, starting today, with seven speakers carrying on the silver anniversary celebration, where refreshments will be served after each service and a picnic will be held after the Sunday morning service. Each family attending any anniversary service will receive a cookbook containing a few of the congregation’s favorite recipes, while supplies last.
“We started out and grew very quickly to 80 people,” Lemon said of the church he and his wife, Sheila, began on July 9, 1999.
The pastor had left a full-time job at Truck-Lite to work for the church. Within two years the church went from sustainable to 13 people with the pastor no longer receiving a paycheck. This led him to seek other employment in order to support his family.
“The guys from the bus garage called to see if I was interested (in driving a school bus) and 21 years later, I’m still at it,” he continues. “It showed me what you think is a negative, God can turn into a positive, because being a bus driver has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life. It’s just been an extension of the ministry, because you are really serving people, which is what being a pastor is all about. We have families that attend Koinonia as a direct result of the bus driving opportunity.”
Pastor Lemon plays guitar with one of his bus kids, Arlie, whose mother also rode the pastor’s bus.
Lemon has recently taken on the job of chaplain at Heritage Green.
“I’m just doing what I love to do. I’m just being me,” he says. “I have had my wife, Sheila, right beside me, sharing the load with me. We would not be who we are without her. We’re thankful for the Martin Family and Kelly Smith for their faithfulness through those hard times and the encouragement of Pastor Jeff York and the folks at Calvary Chapel. One of the greatest blessings we’ve ever had as a ministry was to have Dove Award winner and contemporary Christian music artist Dallas Holm, who wrote “Rise Again.” And another was “Jesus People” singer Nancy Honeytree.”
Pastor Dave Eastman of Valley Worship Center in Smethport, Pa., will kickstart the reboot at 6:30 p.m. today when he speaks on “The Church Must Be in Unity.” Eastman and his wife, Linda, were resident missionaries in the Dominican Republic for nine years beginning in 1985, when they founded a church group. Over the years, it has expanded to 14 churches in the Dominican Republic, 12 in Haiti and 14 in Cuba. Pastor Eastman is Missions Director for the organization.
“My wife and I have a zeal to reach the people. We aren’t trying to build churches. Even though we do that, it’s not our goal,” says Eastman. “Pastor Ron seems to have the same heart of reaching people. We appreciate him and have encouraged him from the beginning.”
The Eastmans’ son, Jeff, completed his education after the family returned to the states and is now a resident missionary in Dominican Republic with his wife, Jayma.
Pastor David Eastman will speak today at 6:30 p.m. Pastors from several states will preach at Koinonia Christian Fellowship’s 25th anniversary celebration.
Pastor Jeff York’s message on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. will be about “The Church Has a Commission” from Matthew 28:18-20. York was raised on a dairy farm in Warren. He later moved to California, where he attended Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, which was founded by Pastor Chuck Smith who God used mightily during the Jesus Revolution Revival.
“After being discipled by Pastor Chuck, I was led by the Lord back to Warren in December 1977. In June 1979 the Lord birthed Calvary Chapel of Russell. I am currently in my 45th year of pastoring there.”
York has partnered in ministry many times with Lemon for special occasions, such as Good Friday, Christmas and other services.
Pastor Mike Peters, who was instrumental in the Lemons starting their own ministry, will be speaking on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.. He will preach on “The Church Has a Message.”
“Koinonia Christian Fellowship’s start began after Ron and I ran into each other at a bowling alley. I invited Ron and his family to visit our ministry in Salamanca,” says Pastor Peters. “They remained faithful over the next few years. It was during those years of faithfulness to God that my wife and I sensed and began having conversation with them to plant a ministry in the Frewsburg area.”
Lemon still refers to Peters as “my pastor.”
Pastor Paul Price will have the floor on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and will present the message “The Church Has Opposition.”
“Satan is our opposition. He’s a defeated foe,” says Pastor Price.
Price serves as president of CMI Global. With his wife, Claudia, they founded Cornerstone Worship Center in Indiana, Pa., nearly 40 years ago. His relationship with Peters goes back many years. He remembers the conversations Peters had with him about encouraging Lemon to plant a church.
On Saturday at 6:30 p.m., the Rev. Dennis Kutzner of Fort Wayne, Ind., will preach about “The Church Has a Future.” Kutzner is the General Overseer for CMI Global, “a pastor to pastors.” Dr. Rod Buzzard will speak on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. His message will be “The Church Has Much For Which To Be Thankful.”
Buzzard recently returned from Malawi, Africa, where he dedicated the church for which Koinonia Christian Fellowship donated funds to purchase the supplies to build. He conducts conferences in prisons to help restore people and to help them return to society. He has written three books, the last being Restoring Broken People.
Lemon will close out the series on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. when he will speak on “The Church Must Be Resilient.”
Koinonia Christian Fellowship is located at 1427 Peck Settlement Road in Jamestown. An elevator is located inside the door near the handicap parking area on the left side of the building.