Cornerstone Bible Church moves onto the hill

Cornerstone Bible Church has moved into town.

The church, which started under the tutelage of Pastor Jeff Ehko in October 2006, had been meeting at Shalom Christian Academy. It recently purchased the former Greencastle Bible Church at 350 W. Madison St., and the first worship service was held March 20.

“We had an incredibly wonderful relationship with Shalom,” Ehko said. “It is sad to leave that, but we’re very excited to have our own place.”

The building had stood empty for several years, Ehko said.  The day after the February purchase from Appalachian Bible College, to which the facility had been donated, the congregation from Cornerstone started work getting everything ready.

“Just little things,” said Ehko. “The building was in really good shape. It had been well maintained.”

The volunteers did some cleaning, painting, and put in new lights and railings.

The Sunday service is at 9:30 a.m., with Sunday School following. Approximately 130 people attend regularly. Most of them are from Greencastle.

Ehko has been a minister since 1993. He graduated from Philadelphia College of the Bible, and earned his Master of Divinity degree from Seminary of the East, now called Bethel Seminary. Ehko and his wife Valerie have four children: Joshua, Stephanie, Nicholas and Timothy. Valerie is involved in the music ministry of the independent church.

Cornerstone sits in a unique position behind Homestyle Family Restaurant.

“We want to serve this community any way we can,” Ehko said. “We want to be a beacon on this hill.”