Community Bible Fellowship sits along State Route 251 just a mile north of the intersection with Route 24 in El Paso, Illinois, a small Woodford County town framed by central Illinois farmland. With the motto "Transforming men, women, and children into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ," the church describes itself as a caring, culturally relevant Christian fellowship committed to biblical teaching, quality ministries, and mutual care for one another. On any given Sunday at 10 AM, the sanctuary fills with a multi-generational mix of worshipers who come as they are, drawn by Bible-based teaching, real prayer for one another, and a simple promise that "you belong here."
The church's Sunday service is offered both in person and online, and a sermon archive and podcast carry the same invitation to anyone who cannot be in the room. What sets CBF apart from many other central Illinois churches is the way it has chosen to organize its ministry to young people around an offsite student center in the middle of town, and the breadth of its global missions network that reaches from Berlin to Abidjan.
From Six Families in 1990 to a Growing Campus
Community Bible Fellowship traces its roots to January 1990, when six local families began meeting in homes with Pastor Wes Ooms and his young family. The Ooms family had moved from Texas to central Illinois with the express purpose of planting a church, and East White Oak Bible Church in rural Carlock served as their "mother church" during those early years, providing pastoral support until the young fellowship could sustain itself financially.
The first permanent home was an old creamery on North Main Street in El Paso that had previously housed the Pfister Hybrid Corn office and then a community center. Purchased at what the church describes as a miraculous initial cost of two thousand dollars, with an additional five hundred dollars for an adequate parking lot, the building went through five separate renovations as the congregation grew. Eventually, the limits of that in-town property pushed the church to seek a new facility.
The current campus on State Route 251 offers room for expansion under a long-range Facilities Master Plan that leaders expect to develop into a fully built-out Christian campus over the coming decades. Throughout its first quarter century, CBF centered its values on the Bible, youth, community, missions, and fellowship, and that same set of priorities still shapes the church's identity today.
What to Expect on Sunday Morning
Sunday mornings at CBF follow a familiar rhythm designed to be approachable for newcomers. Adult Sunday School meets at 9:00 AM in what is called the Safe Room, with studies that have recently worked through the Gospel of Matthew. The main Worship Service begins at 10:00 AM and typically runs to about 11:15. Children begin the service with their families in the sanctuary, joining in the congregational singing before being dismissed to Children's Church partway through the gathering.
Casual dress is the norm. Some people dress up, while others come in jeans and shorts. There is no "passing the plate"; instead, an offering box sits on the angled wall just inside the auditorium doors for those who wish to give. Prayer requests can be shared at the Connection Counter before the service and are lifted up during a corporate prayer time within the worship gathering. Communion is observed monthly during the service as a memorial and testimonial of Christ's sacrifice.
Music at CBF varies from week to week. Some Sundays lean more traditional, others more contemporary, and the church family includes jazz, bluegrass, and classical musicians who lend their talents to the worship team. The aim is Christ-honoring worship that engages every generation seated in the room.
For those joining from home, the Sunday service is livestreamed online, and recordings are released through the Sunday's Sermon Podcast on Apple Podcasts as well as through the church's online archive.
Raising the Next Generation: Kids and Students
Children are a particular focus at CBF, reflecting the conviction that they are a blessing from the Lord and that their upbringing comes with great responsibility. Three distinct ministries serve young people from birth through high school.
Nursery. A clean, safe nursery is available during the worship service for children from birth through age three, designed and equipped to show the love of Christ to the little ones while their families worship.
Children's Church. Following the opening portion of the worship service, children ages three through fifth grade are dismissed to their own teaching time. The curriculum is The Gospel Project, which is coordinated with the adult sermon and Adult Sunday School so that the whole family studies the same Bible stories each week and can continue the conversation at home throughout the week.
Joy 4 Jesus (J4J). On Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:15 PM, CBF runs a midweek children's ministry called Joy 4 Jesus for ages three through fifth grade. The program is designed to help kids experience the joy of learning about Jesus through Bible stories, music, games, and friendships that grow their faith. Sara Holderby oversees J4J, and registration forms are available for families interested in joining. The program runs during the school year and culminates in an end-of-year celebration each spring.
The IMPACT Center: Student Ministry at the Heart of Town
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of CBF's ministry to young people is the decision to locate student ministries offsite, in the middle of town, rather than at the main campus. The IMPACT Center sits on West Main Street in El Paso and is intentionally positioned so that students can walk or drive easily to its doors. Church leaders say experience has proven that weekly programming works best when it is centrally positioned where kids live, work, and gather during the week, allowing them easy access to the activities and the pastoral staff who are available daily.
Two weekly gatherings meet at the IMPACT Center.
- Junior High IMPACT meets Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:15 PM. Each night includes time for fellowship, fun games, and an interactive faith presentation that brings the Gospel and the truth of God's word into practical, applicable conversations for middle schoolers.
- Senior High IMPACT meets Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8:45 PM. The older students still enjoy fellowship and fun, but the format leans more heavily into relationship building, sharing what's happening in their world, and engaging with faith topics that address the daily struggles teens face.
Throughout the year, IMPACT students participate in short-term mission trips. Past trips have included service at Camp Timber-lee in East Troy, Wisconsin, and outreach in New York City with Spread Truth. See You At The Pole gatherings are also a regular part of the student ministry calendar each fall.
Adult Ministries: Growing Together in Faith
For adults, CBF offers a range of ongoing opportunities to grow.
- Community Groups meet throughout the year for Bible study on various topics, with at least one church-wide study offered annually when the entire congregation studies the same topic together. Newcomers are encouraged to call the church office to find a good fit.
- Adult Sunday School meets at 9:00 AM in the Safe Room before the worship service.
- Ladies' Friday Morning Bible Study meets at 10:00 AM at the church. The Ladies' Ministry focuses on encouraging women to grow in their relationships with one another, in God's Word, and to support one another through fellowship, Bible study, and prayer.
- Ladies' Fellowship Evenings are held roughly monthly for additional connection outside the regular Bible study.
- Caring Ministry organizes meal trains for families experiencing illness, surgery, injury, childbirth, or hospitalization of a loved one, and sends cards in response to prayer requests.
Reaching Out: Local and Global Missions
CBF takes seriously the call to support missionaries both close to home and around the world, and a Missions Team organizes both financial support and short-term trips for junior high students through adults. CBF members themselves serve on the team, alongside Pastor Luke Holderby, and trips past and present have reached more than a dozen countries.
Local partners include Hope Pregnancy Center, where CBF members serve alongside a free clinic that offers services in a warm, compassionate, and confidential setting. CBF also supports the El Paso Food Pantry, which distributes food on the first and third Saturdays of each month from 9:00 to 11:30 AM.
Global partners include several missionary families and ministries.
- Tofig and Amy Mammadov lead The I-Hub, a ministry of International Students Inc. that welcomes, disciples, and equips international students in central Illinois through Friday Game Nights, Supper Club dinners, a Meet and Greet Host Family program, and a weekly Bible study.
- Tom and Jennifer Roth, charter members of CBF, lead Can Do Kids International, a children's ministry that started at Community Bible Fellowship in 2007. CDK Clubs now operate in central and western Illinois, Kenya, and the Philippines, with additional clean-water projects, school supply distribution, and student sponsorships in Kenya.
- Chad and Cherry Gfeller serve in Berlin, Germany, focusing on unreached people groups through creative initiatives that meet personal, academic, and athletic needs.
- Paul and Abbey Campbell are planting Gospel Peace Church in Logan, Utah.
- Jack and Lindsay Campbell serve with Wycliffe in Côte d'Ivoire, working on Bible translation in French-speaking Africa.
- CBF also supports a missionary connected to a religion often considered hostile to Christianity, standing behind them in prayer for safety and courage.
Past short-term trips have taken CBF members to Russia, Belgium, Puerto Rico, England, North Africa, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Brazil, Japan, Kenya, and St. Vincent, as well as within the U.S. to Tennessee, Kalamazoo, New York City through Spread Truth, and the Pontiac Caring Pregnancy Center, and into local prisons.
What CBF Believes
The doctrinal foundation of Community Bible Fellowship is laid out in seven core statements.
- The Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original documents, and the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and life.
- The Godhead is one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- The Creation and Fall of Man: humans were created in God's image; through Adam's transgression and personal sin, all are totally lost and separated from God.
- The Person and Work of Jesus Christ: conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, truly God and truly man, Jesus died as a substitutionary sacrifice to justify and reconcile believers to God. All who trust Christ as Savior are eternally saved by his finished work.
- The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit: the Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and indwells and baptizes all believers into the Body of Christ at the moment of salvation.
- The Final Things: CBF believes in the personal, imminent, pre-millennial return of Christ for his own; the saved will be in his presence in glory forever, while the lost will suffer eternal punishment and separation from God.
- The Ordinances are water baptism, as a testimony of a believer's faith, and the Lord's Supper, as a memorial of Christ's sacrifice.
Core Values
Six core values shape how CBF approaches ministry.
- Biblical Truth: the Bible is timeless and timely, taught accurately, lovingly, and without apology.
- The Privilege and Power of Prayer: prayer is the means by which God's purposes are accomplished.
- The Culture of Grace: God's grace, demonstrated fully and permanently through Christ's finished work, makes forgiveness, healing, and restoration possible.
- Authentic Community: honest, loving, healthy relationships that motivate one another to love and good works.
- The Next Generation: a commitment to raising children to know the Savior personally and equipping them to reach their generation.
- Missional Living: every believer is gifted by God for service in his Kingdom.
Leadership
Pastoral staff at Community Bible Fellowship includes Glenn Matlock as Lead Pastor, Luke Holderby as Family Life Pastor, Mathew Kalvelage as Student Discipleship Pastor, and Sara Holderby overseeing the Joy 4 Jesus children's midweek ministry. Pastor Matlock and Pastor Kalvelage both preach regularly to the congregation, with Pastor Luke Holderby occasionally filling the pulpit as well. The Sunday sermon is released each week as a podcast.
CBF is served by a five-member Elder Board: Wade Furrow (Chair), Alex Betts (Secretary), JJ King, Tom Hand, and Chris Render. The church office is staffed during the week, and giving is available online or via the offering box at the back of the sanctuary. Members and visitors can follow the church on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and stay connected through the CBF Directory and weekly announcements.