Derby church congregations to merge

DERBY -- Christian Community Church is dissolving and will become a part of the Bethel-based Walnut Hill Church, according to Walt Mayhew, CCC pastor.

He said Walnut Hill, which already has a Valley campus in Seymour, is a larger church with more resources that would only benefit his congregation and allow them to minister to more people.

"It took a while to make the decision and it took a lot of meetings over the past year -- and a lot of prayers," he said recently. "But the congregation felt it would be a good idea and a good way for moving forward," he said.

Walnut Hill church officials had been looking for a location for another satellite campus, said Lisa Siedlecki, Walnut Hill's director of communication. Besides Seymour and Bethel, there is also a Walnut Hill campus in Waterbury.

She said Mayhew and Walnut Hill officials formed a relationship and saw the two churches were `like-minded."

"We are lined up almost exactly, theologically," she said. "They all felt it would be a good idea to join forces."

Before the merger can take place, the congregation of Walnut Hill, a nondenominational, evangelical church started 30 years ago, has to accept the transfer of the CCC church property, located in the former Lincoln School building at the corner of Smith and Ninth streets. Siedlecki said they don't anticipate a problem.

CCC purchased the building from the city in 1999 for about $50,000 and as part of the contractual agreement, the city retained the right of first refusal if the church membership ever decided to sell or transfer the property.

That matter came before the Board of Aldermen recently and board members didn't oppose the deed transfer.

The property, which is assessed at approximately $370,000, will be purchased by Walnut Hill for $115,000, which, represents the amount to pay the outstanding mortgage in full, Siedlecki said.

The Walnut Hill congregation is scheduled to vote on the real estate transaction Sunday during the church's annual congregational meeting, said Siedlecki.

If the transaction is approved, the new Walnut Hill Derby Campus will officially open July 1, with Mayhew, a teacher in the Derby school system, serving on a part-time basis as campus pastor.

CCC, a family-focused, evangelical church, has a core membership of about 45, said Mayhew.

Walnut Hill's Seymour campus, which holds services at the Strand Theater, has about 100 members, with about 3,000 members churchwide.

Siedlecki said that, even though the two Valley churches are in close proximity, there is a different demographic at each. "It will give Valley residents a choice on which one they want to attend," she said.

As for dissolving his church and merging with Walnut Hill, Mayhew said, those were decisions based on faith.

"Again, it just boils down to what God wants you to do," he said.

aamato@ctpost.com; 203-330-6496; http://twitter.com/annemamato

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