It is important to note that the beginning of the church came shortly after the beginning of Mount Vernon Nazarene University.  Lakeholm met weekly on the campus of the university in the student lounge of the Campus Center and the Multi-Purpose Building, which at that time was used as the university chapel. Sunday school was held in some of the university classrooms.  A number of the early members of the congregation were faculty, staff, and students of the university. 

Since few children were in the congregation, early Sunday school workers like Mildred Clinker and Eileen Hess built the children’s Sunday school through visitation in the surrounding neighborhoods.  Keith Clinker became the first Secretary of the Church Board. During those days, Lakeholm was determining its direction as a congregation.  With such close proximity to the university and the community of Mount Vernon, Lakeholm sought to establish itself as a community church.  Reports indicate that it did not desire to become a typical college church.  Over time, however, it became “a community church with a face toward the university.”  

The First Pastor and Building.  After about one year of John Nielson’s leadership as interim pastor, Lakeholm called its first full-time pastor, Rev. Luther Watson.  Watson pastored the church during that year until his resignation.  Rev. Charles McCall served as interim pastor until Lakeholm’s second full-time pastor, Rev. Jim Cummins, was able to move to Mount Vernon in 1972. 

Under Pastor Cummins’ leadership, Lakeholm began to work toward developing a permanent home.  The church acquired the property at its present location on the north end of the university and built the original sanctuary, fellowship hall, offices, and classrooms.   It celebrated its first worship in that new sanctuary on September 9, 1973.  The church by that time had grown to 84 members and had raised an annual budget of $40,000. Under Cummins' leadership, Lakeholm began to develop one of its early characteristics as a congregation.  Cummins attracted a number of people who, though they were Christians, felt disenfranchised in earlier church experiences.  These new members came from a number of denominations including the Church of the Nazarene.  At the same time, the church began to develop a significant relational community within the congregation, and over time, the Lord has used that to bring healing to many of these people.  Over the years, Lakeholm has continued to be a haven for such persons.

Also under Cummins, the church reached out to the student population at the university through the Lakeholm Associates.  This was an association of students who were committed to specific connection with Lakeholm and who were mentored by Cummins.  They were used in worship, Sunday school, and ministry to their fellow students in various ways. In August of 1977, Pastor Cummins resigned.   Under interim pastoral leadership, Lakeholm continued its ministry until Rev. Ron Lush accepted the call to Lakeholm during the fall. 

The Developing Ministry.    Lush’s leadership continued the focus at Lakeholm on relational community.  The congregation, while small, continued its pattern of development toward deep caring friendships.  During earlier years, some of the adult Sunday school classes had begun meeting in members' homes in close proximity to Lakeholm. This practice continued and seemed to encourage the community of the congregation.  Many in the congregation were drawn into relationships that went well beyond Sunday services.  Pastor Lush promoted  these through his biblical preaching and teaching, and his friendly and open style of leadership. 

Pastor Lush also brought Lakeholm into its fuller connection to the General Church of the Nazarene.  Lakeholm began to be more faithful in paying Church budgets.  Lush also put greater emphasis on missions.  Lush left Lakeholm in 1979.  During the interim, Lakeholm was led by the rich preaching of Dr. David Cubie.  That year, the church called Rev. Larry White as its fourth pastor. 

The White Years.   Pastor White brought inspirational preaching, strong organizational leadership, and vision for Lakeholm.  One important contribution in the beginning of White’s tenure was his  insistence on Lakeholm’s financial responsibility to the General Church.  Under his leadership, Lakeholm paid its budgets before any other bills. 

One of the most important early events at Lakeholm during these years was a board trip to Washington, D.C.  Under the influence of Dr. William Youngman, the board put aside an extended discussion of a church building program and began a complete reexamination of Lakeholm’s vision as a church.  This led to Youngman’s organization of the Washington, D.C. trip with White and several other church board members.  That trip involved visiting a variety of ministries in the Washington area, and especially those of the Church of the Savior.  The result was the development in White and other board members of a new vision of ministry at Lakeholm.  The basic focus of this new vision was a church where each one ministers out of his or her gifts as given by the Spirit.  One result of this new vision was White’s establishment of the practice of following the consensus of the Spirit in board meetings.  In that practice, any negative vote in a board meeting had to be explained so that the group could ascertain what the Spirit might be saying in that direction.

Another result of that trip was the establishment of an educational/spiritual formation program known as the School of Christian Living under the leadership of Youngman and Pastor White.  This weekly program encouraged a number of people in the congregation to develop and use their gifts for ministry within the church.  The impact of the school was to draw several of members from the periphery into the core of the church and its ministries. 

At the same time, Pastor White began to think of his own ministry in a new way - as just one among many within the church.  White began his visitation ministry to the local Juvenile Court.  This developed out of collaboration between Rev. White and Judge Mosholder, the Juvenile Court Judge, in support of the court’s faith-based effort to pair local church members with the families of troubled youth.

Likewise, some years later, Pastor White initiated the first Divorce Recovery program in the county, which has largely continued to this day.  While engaging his own ministries, he also encouraged others in the congregation to do the same.  Over time, several other members gave leadership to the Recovery program.  Likewise, other members maintained and developed a vital nursing home ministry.

During these years with Pastor White, Lakeholm developed a strong missions emphasis that continues to this day.  Faith Promise was promoted, as were multiple Work and Witness trips.  Many in the congregation took leadership in these, as they still do today.  Through these trips, some participants were drawn into membership at Lakeholm. At the same time, the board established the principle of tithing to missions on the building fund. 

Pastor White’s ministry during these years was always connected to his development of close personal relationships to people both within and outside of the church.  His visitation of the sick and hospitalized was systematic and widespread.  The church reflected this relational quality through the ministry of fellowship.  One aspect of this was that gifted people in the area of food preparation and fellowship used their talents with a flourish. This ministry continues in a strong way to this day. 

Music Ministry.  Music Ministry has had a strong place in the history of the Lakeholm congregation.  The first music minister was Reubin Rodehaever, during Rev. Luther Watson’s tenure.  David Halverson followed him during the early Cummins’ years and Virginia Cameron had her first tenure under both Cummins and Lush.  Dr. David Liles became music minister for a period of four months under Pastor Lush.  Virginia Cameron returned to the position early in Pastor White’s ministry (1981), and she continued in that position under Rev. Bob Morrison until her resignation in May of 1999.  Rogera Smith filled in for several months during Virginia Cameron’s maternity leave.  After Virginia Cameron’s resignation, Cameron Robertson became the interim music minister until Randall Dennis was hired in January of 2001.  Randall Dennis stayed until 2002, followed by interim music ministers, Dr. Stan Wood, Mark Morrison, and Dr. Geoff Fuller.  In 2004, Aaron Thacker took over as the worship leader, while Dr. Bob Tocheff agreed to direct the Lakeholm choir.

The music ministry at Lakeholm is probably best understood in terms of what developed during the 18 years of Virginia Cameron’s tenure.  The congregation has had a diversity and wealth of musical gifts both in music direction and performance.  This began to surface most during the Virginian Cameron years.  The diversity of musical taste in the congregation varies from classical, traditional hymn, gospel, blue grass, southern gospel, to contemporary Christian styles.  In addition, there has been a vast array of instrumental talents from voice, brass, strings, woodwinds, etc., enough to establish regular ensembles for special musical contributions.  What largely characterized the Cameron years was worship that blended all of these styles from a rich body of musicians within the congregation. During any given year, perhaps 100 different adults shared their musical talents in one way or another. This was supported by an adult choir of 15-25 members which performed weekly anthems as well as cantatas during special seasons of the year.  Moreover, several women’s, men’s, and mixed trios, quartets, and ensembles were formed for regular contributions to worship.  Likewise, Lakeholm spawned a strong children’s and teen choir program that regularly contributed to the adult worship services and to district competition events. 

During these years, the philosophy of music ministry was to incorporate and blend the diversity of tastes and talents of the whole congregation in authentic worship.  Each contribution, whether children or adult, whether professional quality or not, was viewed as an offering of worship to the Lord.  This was not viewed as performance or entertainment, but as a legitimate offering of worship.  This philosophy was nurtured throughout the various ages and groups. 

With the resignation of Virginia Cameron and the move to a more contemporary emphasis in the services, a narrowing of musical styles and breadth of congregational contribution to the musical dimensions of worship developed.  Yet the congregation still possesses significant musical abilities and diverse tastes. 

Continued Growth.  Under Pastor White’s strong leadership, Lakeholm continued its growth in community and growth in size.  With this growth, the need for more space led to the funding and building of Gilley Hall in 1987.  Lakeholm developed strong Caravan and Sunday school programs.  In the mid-1980s, the church hired its first youth pastor, Rev. Dennis Spinnie, who built the youth program over a decade.  In 1991, Pastor White resigned after 11 years of ministry and the Church Board called Rev. Bob Morrison. 

The Bob Morrison Years.   Under Pastor Bob Morrison, Lakeholm continued to grow in numbers and develop several new dimensions in its ministries.  Pastor Morrison continued a rich pulpit ministry begun by White.  Both through his own preaching and teaching as well as through a wealth of outside preachers, the pulpit set a high standard for the proclamation of the Gospel.  Pastor Morrison’s own pulpit ministry often sought to proclaim the message of salvation through faith in Christ along with occasions for calling Christians to holiness.  Moreover, Morrison’s preaching attempted to stretch the congregation’s vision toward evangelism in Knox County.  Over the years, he also made great strides toward networking the ministry of Lakeholm with the ministry of other evangelical churches in Mount Vernon through the Ministerial Association, especially with First Church of the Nazarene, Evangelical Church of the Nazarene, Mulberry Street United Methodist Church, and Trinity Assembly of God.  Through prayer and concerted leadership, Rev. Morrison lead Lakeholm to participate in city-wide outreach events like Fourth of July celebrations, the 9/11 Church Reconciliation Service on the Square, the city-wide 9/11 Remembrance Service, Red Cross support services, and many others.  

From the beginning, Morrison emphasized prayer.  He continued and expanded the prayer times before services begun by White.  Great emphasis was given to fasting and prayer for decision-making and spiritual formation within the church throughout the year. 

Pastor Morrison also led Lakeholm to reach out to the unchurched.  The Dare to Care program sought to nurture relationships with new people in attendance as well as with established members of the congregation. 

During the late 1990s, Pastor Morrison led Lakeholm through the processes of fundraising and building the new Worship Center, Banquet Room, classrooms and nursery.   The primary purpose of that process was to meet the multi-purpose needs of the congregation for worship space and recreational outreach to the community.  In 1998, with the help of the Lord, that building was completed. 

During the recent years, Lakeholm has continued to grow in numbers and diversity.  During the early years, the congregation was extremely young.  There were almost no older or retired persons in the congregation.   For decades, there was no funeral in the church.  But in recent years, a number of older and retired persons have located at Lakeholm.  Some of these are retired ministers, missionaries as well as others.  At the same time, a number of formerly unchurched persons are attending services and finding Christ in the process.  The congregation still has a large number of university faculty and staff. 

In 1997, Rev. Mike Keffer was hired to replace Pastor Spinnie after Spinnie’s resignation.  Pastor Keffer has continued to develop the youth program with great success.  The emphasis remains on involving the teens in spiritual formation and ministry.  Emphasis on worship, prayer, Bible study and witnessing continues.  Keffer has been very active in supporting the Christian ministry of Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the local high school and middle school.  Mission trips are regularly planned for deeper spiritual engagement of the Lakeholm youth.  In the 1990s, Lakeholm added a third staff person, Rev. Thom Fowler, as the Pastor for Children and Families.  This was because of the growing numbers. 

After Pastor Fowler’s resignation, Pastor Linda Swinderman was hired in September of 2000.  Pastor Swinderman has brought a rich ministry to the Lakeholm children and their families.  She too has engaged the children in spiritual formation and ministry.  Emphasis on the conversion of children to Christ, prayer, support of missions, and witness are evident throughout her ministry.  

In the late 1990s, Lakeholm restructured its approach to Sunday school and Sunday morning worship.   Sunday School was moved to Sunday evening.  Though there had been two traditional Sunday morning services for years, in 1999 the two services were reformatted to one tradition service at 9:30am and one contemporary service 11:00am.  Then, in 2001, the two services were simplified to a unified format that was something between the contemporary and the traditional styles.  The most recent change has been the addition of a third worship service, the Word and Table Service at 8:00am.  This service began the first Sunday in December, 2002, and continues to provide a rich worship experience in the form of John Wesley’s own worship.

Pastor Larry Hall.   In the spring of 2003, Pastor Morrison resigned after 12 years.  After four months of pulpit supply by several members of the Lakeholm congregation and other guest speakers, the church board called Pastor Larry Hall to be the sixth pastor of Lakeholm.  Hall began his ministry at Lakeholm on August 10, 2003.  

In January of 2004, Pastor Keffer resigned as the youth pastor to accept a call to Detroit First Church of the Nazarene.  Pastor Stephen Zirkle was hired as the new youth pastor in the spring of 2004.