New Fairview Church sits along New Fairview Church Road on the southern edge of York, Pennsylvania, where the road itself takes its name from the congregation that has gathered there for generations. Members and visitors describe it as a place where traditional reverence meets the everyday rhythms of a working community, with Sunday School classes at nine in the morning, a worship hour at ten, and a calendar of potlucks, banquets, and Bible School that fill the year. The congregation belongs to the Church of the Brethren, and Sunday morning messages come from a team of five ministers who rotate preaching duties rather than a single pastor. The service is livestreamed each week for those who cannot attend in person.
The Five-Minister Model
What sets New Fairview apart from many churches is how its leadership is structured. The five ministers are all bi-vocational, meaning each serves the church without drawing a full-time salary and holds another job besides. Doug Striebig serves as Lead Minister, Roland Hoet as Assistant Lead Minister, and Paul Bentzel, Tom Lauer, and Ryan Billet round out the ordained team. Each was a member of the church fellowship who was called into leadership and completed a course of study on the way to ordination. As the church notes, "If you stop in on a Sunday morning you could see any one of them sharing the morning message."
Leadership extends well beyond the pulpit. A deacon and elder board works alongside the ministry team, and active volunteer committees handle missions, benevolence, trustees, and youth and children's ministry. The aim, as the church puts it, is for the work of the church to be "shared and supported" by the entire congregation rather than carried by a single staff. The church's overarching purpose is summarized in 2 Corinthians 4: "For the glory of God and as a light to the world, we will continue the work of Jesus Christ by living and sharing His Word."
Sunday Mornings: Sunday School and Worship
A Sunday at New Fairview begins before the worship hour with three parallel programs unfolding between nine and ten in the morning. A free nursery is available for infants and toddlers up to age two from nine to eleven, covering the full Sunday School and worship block. Children's Sunday School includes five classes covering ages two through fifth grade, while a Youth Sunday School gathers students in grades six through twelve. Eight adult classes serve anyone of college age and older, addressing a wide range of study interests.
The worship service itself runs from ten to eleven in the morning and is described as a "traditional, conservative worship service" that pairs timeless hymns with contemporary music. Visitors who arrive expecting a single pastor will instead find one of the five ministers at the pulpit, with preaching duties rotating across the team. The gathering is livestreamed each Sunday at ten through the church's YouTube channel, and a complete archive of previous sermons is available on a YouTube playlist for anyone who would like to sample a teaching before visiting.
Wednesday Nights Around the Table
Wednesday evenings have their own rhythm at New Fairview, built around a shared meal. The week begins with supper at 5:30 in the afternoon, after which hour-long programs for children, youth, and adults begin at 6:30 and run to 7:30. Children's Worship and Praise God Story Hour meets for ages two through fifth grade, providing a time of fellowship and learning about God's word. The adult program alternates between a discipleship video study featuring Ray Vander Laan and a book study series that has worked through authors such as C. S. Lewis. Older youth are welcome at the adult study as well, making Wednesday night a multi-generational gathering.
The Wednesday night schedule runs in two main seasons. A fall kick-off each September pairs the meal with the start of hour-long programs, and a winter and spring session begins in early January with another communal supper and a fresh unit of study. The pattern of breaking bread together before opening the Bible has become a defining midweek feature of the congregation.
Calendar of Fellowship Events
Beyond the weekly schedule, New Fairview's calendar is filled with events that bind the congregation together. Bible School, the church's summer Vacation Bible School, runs each June for one week of evening sessions, with a meal served before the program. Themes have explored the nature of God and what it means to trust Jesus in a changing world. A Mother and Daughter Banquet and a Father and Son Banquet take place in early spring, each bringing in guest speakers and selling tickets in the lobby on Sundays beforehand. The Oyster Bake and Potluck draws people together in late March with provided oysters and a sign-up sheet for sides and desserts.
Each summer brings a Cruise In, when car owners fill the grounds with hot rods, trucks, motorcycles, and tractors. Coffee and donuts are served from nine to ten in the morning, the regular worship service continues at ten, and a free lunch and fellowship runs from eleven until two. Spring also brings the annual Yard Sale, with hundreds of donated items and a bake sale spread across a Friday and Saturday.
Lent is marked with a Good Friday service and an Easter Sunrise service held outside as the sun rises, both focused on the themes of sacrifice, redemption, and love through scripture readings, hymns, and prayers. Advent closes the year with a Christmas Eve candlelight service celebrating the birth of Christ. Other recurring touches include a Sunday Mission Sunday that gathers every adult Sunday School class in the sanctuary, potluck meals after church, an Angel Tree program for sponsoring children at Christmas, and a Secret Sisters ministry that encourages prayer, cards, and small gifts between women of the church through the winter months.
Missions at Home and Abroad
Mission work threads through everything the church does. The Mission Committee supports a list of organizations that span the local community and the world, including InterVarsity, New Life for Girls, WEC USA, Ethnos 360, Good News Jail and Prison Ministry, the Brethren Nigeria Crisis Fund, BRF Witness, and Servants. Locally, the church backs LifePath York and other York-area ministries. Short-term mission trips have been a regular part of the church's rhythm, and a Mission Sunday is held each year for the entire congregation to focus on this dimension of its calling. The framing verse is John 17:18, "Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world."
What the Church Believes
The church opens its statement of faith by emphasizing that its focus is "not a creed, rather a commitment to follow simple obedience, to be faithful disciples in the modern world." Members affirm that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and was sent to earth as a perfect sacrifice for sin. They hold the Bible to be the divine word of God and a perfect record of the birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is honored, and members seek His guidance in all aspects of everyday life. The charter verse of the church is Matthew 28:18-20, the Great Commission, and the church's stated aim is to nurture both members and guests, helping them grow as disciples of Jesus Christ and empowering them to share His message of salvation with the world.
Visiting and Giving
Visitors are invited to come as they are, and the church's Sunday morning schedule is built to welcome newcomers. Sunday School classes for visitors and new attendees can be identified at the door, and the worship service at ten is the central weekly gathering. Those who want to follow along online can find the livestream through the church's YouTube channel.
Giving to the church can be done by placing a check or cash in the donation plate at the back of the sanctuary, by mailing a check to the office at 1873 New Fairview Church Road, York, PA 17403, or by setting up automatic withdrawal from a bank account through the church's giving coordinator.
New Fairview Church stands at 1873 New Fairview Church Road in York, Pennsylvania, and can be reached at (717) 741-2378.