About Us

Who We are

Longville Bible Chapel is a Northwoods Community of Faith that firmly stands on the truths of the Bible, God’s Holy Word.  We are a connected group of believers.  We are not just connected on a spiritual level as are all believers in Christ, but we are connected on a relational level.  This means that we are family.

Those who come to this local assembly are not just people who go to “that church” down the street.  We are a family of believers who love and care for each other, support one another, and do our best to encourage one another in our daily spiritual journey.  As believers, we are all part of the universal Body of Christ, but here in Longville, we are a part of this local body of believers and as such, we are “family.”

Short History

Longville Bible Chapel began in 1954, when the Northern Gospel Mission launched its mission of establishing a new church in the city of Longville.  It began with about a dozen people meeting in homes.  Walter Davis was the Bible Chapel’s first pastor and they met in a room built over some tree stumps.  They were people with vision and a heart to serve the Lord in whatever capacity they could.

Walter Davis was the Bible Chapel’s pastor for 6 years before he was called by the Lord to another church in 1960.  That same year Bill Payne was called to be the Bible Chapel’s pastor.  Bill, along with his wife Margaret and family, served for 38 years until he retired in 1998, with only a brief exception in 1963-1964 when Bill pursued a ministry in missionary aviation.  During that brief time Bob Bowers was the Bible Chapel’s pastor, along with his wife Darlene.  Bill Payne returned as the Bible Chapel’s pastor in 1964.

Throughout the long tenure of Bill Payne’s pastorate, the church grew.  It grew in the number of people in its congregation, grew in its ministry to the community, and grew in its outreach to foreign missions.  After Bill retired in 1998, the church called Levi Durfey as their pastor in 1999.  As a young man just out of seminary, Levi came with much enthusiasm to pastor the Bible Chapel.  Pastor Levi, with his wife Tami and their children, served in the church for 6 years.  However, in the fall of 2005, the Lord called Pastor Levi to a church in Montana.

In the fall of 2006, the Longville Bible Chapel called Mike Partch to be their pastor.  He, along with his wife Carrie are natives of Colorado, but spent the previous 16 years in Wisconsin and Minnesota working and going to College and Seminary.

Longville Bible Chapel is known in the area for its commitment to the Bible as God’s Word.  The Bible is held as the supreme authority for the believer’s life at the Bible Chapel.  It is the desire of the Bible Chapel’s members to learn and be obedient to the Bible as God’s Word.  Longville Bible Chapel is also known for its commitment to gospel preaching missionaries.  The Bible Chapel supports several missionaries in many places around the world.

There is one thing that is especially evident at the Bible Chapel. The people of the church are family.  Buildings may come and go, but it is the ministry of the people which remains.  The buildings are not the church, it is the people who make Longville Bible Chapel the ministry it is today.