Christway Church
Celebrating 10 years
1997 to 2007
HISTORY OF CHRISTWAY CHURCH
On September 29, 1997 Bro. Leo Lytle held the first service of a tent revival on the
corner of Rock Hill Road and Highway 167. There were about 35 people in
attendance. He announced at that first service that God had led him to start a new
church in this area. He didn’t know exactly where the church would be built but he was
taking a step of faith to begin this church as he felt this was the mission God had for
him. This church would be for the lost in the area that other churches didn’t seek out to
be a part of their church family. Chuck and Margaret Davis provided the music. Some
of the people in attendance that night were Jerry and Terry Johnson, Jerry’s sister and
mother, Dot and Philbert Bordelon, Rod and Vicki Wiley and children, Nola Ellington,
Charles and Carolyn McVay, Shirley and Dana Canoe, and many others. This revival
lasted one week with the last service being on a Sunday afternoon. Bro. Leo’s family
from Shreveport came on the Thursday night of the revival. His brother-in-law, Kent,
came and played the fiddle. The group, HIS, came and sang on Friday night of the
revival. Brenda Ogden came and sang on Saturday night of that week. During the
revival $1,267 was collected to do a mail out to the area. This was the birth of Christway
Church. During the revival Matthew Wiley and Mr. Charles McVay were saved and
made a public profession of faith.
In September of 1997 arrangements were made to lease a lot on the corner of Rock Hill
Road and Highway 167 in Bentley, Louisiana. The cost of the lease was $1.00 per
year. This was the site on which Christway Church was to be built. Construction began
in September 1997. Christway Church was built by Bro. Leo, his father, Jerry Johnson,
Charles McVay, Bob Ellington, and several others from the community who donated
their time and labor. The church was built on piers, as we knew this was not the
permanent place. The ladies in the church prepared lunch for the men while they
worked on the building. This first incarnation of the church consisted of one building.
There was a small nursery, two bathrooms, and the sanctuary. The seating was metal
and wood folding chairs.
Although the building was not fully completed the first service was held on November 23,
1997. The Lord’s Supper was observed on this first service. The walls had sheet rock,
which had only been taped and floated but not painted; and there was no carpet on the
floor. The only heat in the building was electric heaters placed around the room.
There was no piano but music was provided by Nola Ellington, who brought a keyboard
to play for the service. During the first service in the building the following people
became charter members of Christway Church: Dillon Wiley, Matthew Wiley, Rodney
Wiley Jr, Justin Wiley, Rodney Wiley, Sr., Vicki Wiley, Carolyn McVay, Charles McVay,
Giddian Luke Lytle, Leo Lytle, Adam Lytle, Matthew Lytle, Charolyn Kay Lytle, Alta
Johnson, Jerry Johnson, Terry Johnson, Jackie Bermudez, Amanda Bermudez, Krystal
Bermudez, Francisco Bermudez, Elisa Bermudez, Melba Fletcher, and Mike Fletcher.
The first service was followed by our first Thanksgiving Dinner and praise service on
November 26, 1997. December of 1997 was a very busy month for the Christway
Family. Mr. David Kutz, a missionary to Mexico who resides in Picayunne, Mississippi,
came and brought an organ which had been donated to the church from a family in
Mississippi. Iatt Baptist Church, through the efforts of their pastor, Bro. Arthur Mora,
donated a piano to Christway. In this same month the church received a donation of
hymnals from a friend of Bro. Leo’s. At this time we began a building and heating fund
and welcomed Christway’s Church pianist, Nola Ellington.
The first workday to complete the inside of the sanctuary was held in January of 1998.
In February of this same year the church began a fund raiser selling blocks to complete
the Sunday school building. In May of 1998 Christway held their first “Glory Day” to
help raise funds to begin building Sunday school rooms. We also welcomed Joe Aulds
as our guest speaker in May. The first Vacation Bible School was held in July of 1998.
Moody Adams was guest speaker at our service on July 14, 1998. The first “Christway
Family Night” was held in October of 1998 and in November the youth went to New
Orleans to witness in the French Quarter.
Collections for the church library began in January of 1999. March 14 was our first
revival with guest speaker Kent Leonard. In April of 1999 the original sanctuary was
paid off and moved to its present location. In May of the same year work began on the
building of a Sunday school addition to the church.
This building consisted of an office, a nursery, 4 Sunday school rooms, and a kitchen.
In May 1999 the ladies of Christway Church compiled and published their own cookbook
to sell to assist in the building fund. Mrs. Debbie Bryant printed the books on her
computer and also performed the binding to put the books together. The ladies raised
a total of $400 by selling the cookbooks. Mr. Buddy Eznack generously cooked meals,
including brisket lunches, which were sold enabling the church to raise significant
amounts of money for the building fund. The church celebrated another first in May of
1999 with the first graduating High School Senior, Paul Eznack. July 25th brought
another milestone when it was announced that Christway Church was now the proud
new owners of the land directly behind the church. August 11th Christway Church
celebrated the first ordination ceremony in the church of its deacon, Bob Ellington. On
August 17th the church adopted its constitution and bylaws at the monthly business
meeting. Dr. Glen Bryant spoke at our services on August 29th. We welcomed
missionary from China, Mike Robertson on October 10th. In November of 1999 the
youth went to the Delta Women’s Clinic in Shreveport to provide an informational picket
against abortion. They went again in 2000 for another informational picket.
On January 2nd of 2000 the first Sunday school classes were held in the new building.
The weekend before the first classes were held there was a 24-hour prayer vigil held in
the new building. Mrs. Jackie Schneider was the teacher for the children of school age,
Mrs. Charolyn Lytle was the teacher for the pre-school, and Laurah Gray was the youth
teacher. On April 24th of that year we welcomed a new member to the church, Sam
Lytle. Congratulations to Bro. Leo and Charlene Kay, his proud parents. October 23rd
2000 guest Tim Wallace and Perry Sober joined us for a revival.
As of April, 2001, there were 60 members on roll at Christway. There were a total of 10
people saved and baptized during the first year of Christway’s existence. With baptism
services being held at Iatt Baptist Church, Hudson Creek Baptist Church and even a
swimming pool at member’s residences. On April 22nd of 2001 Christway welcomed
Travis Glenn, grandson of Charles and Carolyn McVay, as our guest speaker. A men’s
prayer breakfast was held on May 29th of 2001. The first baby dedication was held on
September 30, 2001.
On January 20th, 2002 the youth staged an abortion protest by placing a sign and 250
white crosses on the grounds in front of the church for all passer byres to see. March
24th 2002 Christway welcomed for the first of many visits Paul Daly and his family,
performing The Wild Horse Ministries. In May of 2002 work began on a larger
sanctuary. In August of 2002 Linda Messing and Carolyn McVay traveled to Mississippi
to purchase new pews for the new sanctuary. On October 22nd 2002 Bro. Leo Lytle
performed his “Baking Soda Whiskers” Tour in Ruston, Louisiana. In February of 2003
Christway Church purchased a used electric piano out of Jonesville, La. for $3000 this
money had been raised by the ladies selling lunches.
One special member was Mrs. Lanell Eznack. For 2 years some of the ladies of the
church cooked and sold meals every Friday. Mrs. Eznack was there every Friday until
the late summer of 2004. She was able to attend the first two or three Sundays in the
new sanctuary before going home to be with Jesus. Another very special member of our
church family was Curly Maxey, father of Philip Maxey. Mr. Maxey was a breath of Holy
Spirit when he entered the church. His prayers were anointed by God and you could
feel God’s love in Mr. Maxey. We were so blessed to have had both Mrs. Lanell and
Mr. Maxey in our church family.
In August of 2005 we provided a temporary home to several families displaced by
hurricanes Katrina a Rita. We continued to house some of these people for three
months. There was a lot of work involved in getting the Sunday School rooms turned
into bedrooms but what a blessing our church family received by getting to know and
help these families.
In October of 2005 the Lanell Eznack Samaritan House opened. This was planned
earlier but plans had to be put on hold due to the hurricanes and the need for the
church to be a shelter for the people from New Orleans. The Samaritan House started
out in a very small mobile home behind the church. Soon after opening the doors the
Samaritan House became inundated with donations and items were stored in the
unfinished building behind the church. At that time Buddy Eznack blessed the church
again by allowing the Samaritan House to relocate to a house he owned at 6979 Hwy 8.
This house has 3 large rooms, a kitchen, bathroom, and a small room. As of November,
2007 the house is completely full of clothing and other articles to be sold. The
community has taken notice and almost every time a church member goes to the
Samaritan House the carport is full of donations left anonymously. The people in Grant
Parish have been so wonderful in donating to the Samaritan House. The money raised
from the Samaritan House is used to help senior citizens. The church has helped many
with utilities, medicines, and sponsored several seniors at the Food Bank. The
Samaritan House also aids seniors in completing forms to get signed up for free or
reduced price medicines. The motto of the Samaritan House is “ Serving Christ By
Serving His People”, and that’s exactly what we are trying to do. The Lanell Eznack
Samaritan House was named after the beloved Mrs. Lanell Eznack because she loved
the lord, and was always serving Christ’s people both physically and spiritually. Mrs.
Lanell’s church family named the Samaritan house after her to remind them of what she
stood for and the wonderful example that she led for her church and her family. We felt
this was the best way we could to honor the memory of this great Christian lady. “Who
can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.”
On May 25th 2006 Christway was joined by guest speaker Bobby Campo from
Montgomery, La. The church started a fund raising project in the fall of 2006 in order to
pay the remaining balance of the loan for the church. We established a “Joash Box”.
By the spring of 2007 our church became totally debt free.
From the beginning of Christway until June, 2007 there have been at least 10 babies
born and 6 members who went home to be with God. There have been 6 weddings held
at Christway. Christway Church was built by many while being led by two of the best and
most beloved men. From the first service in 1997 to August of 2004 Bro. Leo Lytle led
the church in worship services. At which time he began a one year sabbatical until
August of 2005. During this time Bro. Richard Kaufman joined the church as interim
pastor. Since this time Bro. Richard has gone on to preach at his own church in
Marthaville, La. The lord has truly blessed the church and its members by bringing
these two Christian men and their families to the community. They have been welcomed
in as part of the family and will remain in our hearts no matter where the Lord takes
them. On December 2, 2007 we held a special anniversary service. Bro. Richard
Kaufman read The Church Triumphant and then gave a testimony on what his time of
being interim pastor for 9 months at Christway meant to him. Then Robert Mendenhall,
Deacon, awarded a certificate of Pastor Emeritus to Bro. Leo Lytle. Several members
gave their testimony on what Christway means to them as part of the church family. It
was a great servce. God has truly blessed Christway.
In the beginning of June, 2008 we were blessed again when God sent Bro. Delbert
Cates and his family to be our pastor. He is bringing new life and growth to Christway
and we are so happy to have him as our pastor.