The Archbold Evangelical Mennonite Church had its beginning about the year 1870, arising out of a movement toward regeneration within the Amish Church.  The movement arose out of a controversy which began in the 1850's in Berne, Indiana and centered on Henry Egly, who began to preach an emphasis on salvation, repentance and forgiveness.  In 1865, the problem came to a head when Egly professed a willingness to "re-baptize" anyone who had been baptized without repentance.  The congregation could not be reconciled, so Egly formed his own church which later became the Evangelical Mennonite Church.

Stan Nussbaum, in his book, You Must Be Born Again, describes Egly: "He was not a bitter or quarrelsome man, but neither was he one who could sit quietly as half-truths were preached as gospel truths.  He chose to found a new church rather than to remain in one where 'repentance, saving grace or forgiveness of sins, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the new birth' were not proclaimed in the way his Bible and his experience taught him."

The people of the Evangelical Mennonite Church were first known as Egly Amish, because although Egly broke with some of the doctrines of the Amish Church, he kept much of the Amish culture.  During these early years of the church, Egly helped to found many of the early churches..

Around 1870, the Archbold community seemed ripe for Egly's message.   He came to the community following several other evangelical preachers who preached the message of the gospel of regeneration.  Two preachers from the local Amish church left their congregation and formed a new congregation which later became known as the Defenseless Mennonite Church.  Joseph Rupp served as the first minister of the group, and in 1876, Daniel Rupp was called to preach.  After meeting in homes for a time, the congregation built a brick church one and one half miles east of Archbold.

The congregation grew and organized a Sunday School soon after.  In 1903 following a six-week revival, about sixty, many of them young people, joined the church.  Because of the number of people living in town, the congregation purchased an old frame church and moved it to the present site on Park Street, alternating services between the country and town churches.  In 1922, all of the services were consolidated into a new brick building in town.

Rev. E.M. Slagle served as pastor from 1921 until 1941.  Rev. Reuben Short served seven years and then resigned to become president of the conference. Rev. H.E. Bertsche then served as pastor from 1948 until 1965.  Rev. Charles Zimmerman served as pastor from 1965 until 1992.  Rev. Matthew Boyers began his ministry as senior pastor in September of 1992. Rev. Boyers served as senior pastor through December of 2001. Bradlee Bame became our senior pastor in August of 2003.

In August of 2003 at the Annual Convention delegates voted on and approved a name change for our conference. We changed from the Evangelical Mennonite Church conference to Fellowship of Evangelical Churches conference.

On July 22, 2007 we had a special ground breaking service at the site where our new church will be located.