In 1985, Great Commission Association of Churches embarked upon one of its greatest challenges when it sought to establish 50 new churches. One hundred young leaders were chosen for the mission, two of whom (Jim Osborn and Pat Batchelor) moved to Atlanta to start a student ministry at Georgia Tech. Jim and Pat worked full time as engineers while using their evenings and weekends to share the gospel on campus. This was the beginning of what would someday become Woodstock Community Church.
In 1986, Pastor Steve Nelson, his family, and a team of young adults moved to Roswell from Clemson, SC. Steve worked to bolster the student fellowship at Tech as well as develop a community church in Roswell. We numbered 45 people meeting in a Montessori school in Roswell. Outgrowing that facility, we moved to the Roswell Athletic Club.
We purchased our first property through much prayer and sacrifice from the church. The congregation worked hard on the renovations and in June 1988, we moved into the new facility at 11420 Crabapple Road.
Pastor Rob Irvine, who was serving as Southeast Regional Director for GCAC moved with his family from Washington D.C. to Atlanta in 1987 and pastored the church from 1987 through 1998.
Growth did happen and as a result we out grew the Crabapple property and sold it to Roswell Assembly of God in 1990. We then moved to Roswell Holiday Inn. Also this time we sent out a team of about 20 from our church to start a new church in the Lawrenceville area called New Hope Community Church, pastored by Steve Nelson. Pastor Tom Short and his family moved to pastor a church in San Diego at the end of 1990.
The year of 1991 was an exciting year of this church as the Lord led to move us from our Roswell location to Woodstock. Upon making this decision, God opened up an opportunity to purchase this facility from First Baptist Church of Woodstock. This was a dream come true for many at the church. No longer moving from one rental space to another, but now our own facility with lots of room for growth!
In 1993, Greg Michael and Steve Shearer were recognized as elders of the church. In 1995, Steve Nelson and his family returned to WCC and in 1998, Steve and Curt Mack were appointed to the elder board. In May of 1999, Pastor Rob Irvine resigned form the church. After much prayer and seeking of God, WCC has focused on having a teaching staff with Greg Michael serving as the Executive Pastor of the church.
Since our move to Woodstock the Lord has blessed WCC abundantly. We have grown from an average attendance of 90 to 350. We have grown from being individuals into a real community of people. God has allowed us to be a beacon to the community using the facilities to help many different organizations from City Hall to the Red Cross. When we moved to Woodstock our desire was that the community around us would understand that "they matter to God" and that WCC would be there to help them understand that truth. We believe that God is answering our prayers!