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Mercy Church has been a dream for years in the mind of God. Our first launch team worship gathering was April 25, 2004. This could be called our pre-natal phase. Our first public service - our birthday (September 11, 2005) launched the church within 17 months of starting to build a launch team. We tend to think our history is not nearly as important as our future and ancient church history.

Pebble Creek Alliance (C. 1970s-1990s) was the first Alliance church plant attempt in Sioux Falls.

In November of 2007, Good Shepherd Community Church and Mercy Church voted to merge after 11 monts of discernment, discussion and debate. As of January 1, 2008 Mercy Church and Good Shepherd are one church. There will be more history now that we have added a church with a 50 year history to our our.

If you have any comments or information you would like to share please contact us at contact@mercy-church.org.

History of the Alliance denomination (A good summary from Wikipedia)
The Christian and Missionary Alliance was not founded as a denomination. Rev. A. B. Simpson was a Presbyterian clergyman motivated by the spiritual needs of the metropolitan multitudes in North America, as well as by those of the unevangelized peoples in other lands. He was compelled by a sense of urgency to take this message to all nations because of Jesus's statement in Matthew 24:14: This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (NIV translation)

During the beginning of the twentieth century, Simpson became closely involved with the growing Pentecostal movement, an offshoot of the Holiness movement. It became common for Pentecostal pastors and missionaries to receive their training at the Missionary Training Institute that Simpson founded. Consequently, Simpson and the C&MA had a great influence on Pentecostalism, in particular the Assemblies of God and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. This influence included evangelical emphasis, C&MA doctrine, Simpson's hymns and books, and the use of the term 'Gospel Tabernacle,' which led to Pentecostal churches being known as 'Full Gospel Tabernacles.'

Eventually, there developed severe division within the C&MA over issues surrounding Pentecostalism (such as speaking in tongues and charismatic worship styles). By 1912, this crisis was a catalyst for the emergence of the C&MA as an organized denomination, shifting more authority to the council and becoming more ecclesiastical. To ensure the survival of the C&MA in the face of division, Simpson put all property in the name of the C&MA. In the event of separation, all property would revert to C&MA.

After Simpson's death in 1919, the C&MA distanced itself from Pentecostalism, rejecting the premise that speaking in tongues necessarily indicates being filled with the Holy Spirit, and instead focused on the deeper Christian life. By 1930, most local branches of the C&MA functioned as churches, but still did not view themselves as such.

By 1965, the churches adopted a denominational function and established a formal statement of faith. This new mission society soon became a major evangelical movement. Today it is a growing missionary denomination committed to evangelism around the world through church planting.

A Short History of the Mennonite Church
On any Sunday you will find Mennonites gathered for worship in about 60 countries around the world. With over one million members, the Mennonite church has been in existence for more than 475 years, expressing their faith in various ways and including a wide variety of people: from a Midwest farmer, to an European architect; from the African chieftain, to the South American sociologist. Although they speak dozens of languages, the thousands of different Mennonite congregations count themselves as one family of faith--one of many faith families in the Christian church.

The Mennonite (Anabaptist) faith movement began in Europe in the 16th Century when a small group of believers challenged the reforms of Martin Luther and others during the Protestant Reformation, saying they were not radical enough and calling for adult rather than infant baptism. In 1525, several members set themselves apart from the official church by publicly declaring their faith in Jesus Christ and re-baptizing each other.

Church-state structures did not tolerate these Anabaptists or "Anabaptizers," meaning re-baptizers. Over the course of two generations, thousands were persecuted. Many met death as martyrs. In order to preserve the movement, the survivors went into hiding. From 1575 to 1850, membership grew primarily when adults passed their faith to their children.

Mennonite Church USA is one of nearly 20 formally organized groups of Mennonites in North America that vary in lifestyle and religious practice but all stem from the Anabaptist movement. Though their streams of faith may differ, Mennonite groups hold common beliefs: Jesus Christ is central to worship and to everyday living. Behavior is to follow Christ's example. The Bible is considered the inspired word of God. Membership continues to be voluntary, with adult baptism upon declaration of faith.

Mennonites are known for their peace stand, taken because they believe Jesus Christ taught the way of peace. Many members choose not to participate in military service. Some take their belief further by objecting to government military expenditure; a few choose not to pay the percentage of their annual income tax that would go for military purposes.

Mennonites are also known for their strong commitment to community; interest in social issues; voluntary service to those who have experienced hardship and loss in floods, tornadoes and other disasters; and mission outreach.