Our Church
Indian Creek Church of the Brethren is first of all a Christian church. All that we do is a result of what God has done for us through Christ Jesus, God's Son and our Savior. Our desire is to express in word and deed the love, the joy, the peace and the hope, which are found in Jesus.
Indian Creek is also a Brethren church, with a rich heritage dating back to 1708. We emphasize:
- the authority and reliability of Scripture,
- a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ,
- salvation by grace through faith,
- a sense of community among believers,
- and God's call to a life of discipleship, witness, service and peace.
Our Mission
The mission of the Indian Creek Church of the Brethren is to become more Christ-like through the grace of God, our Father, the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
As a New Testament fellowship of believers, we will respond to our neighbor's needs as ministers doing God's will, so that others will experience the love of God, the warmth of our touch, and the joy of salvation.
Our People
Our congregation represents all age groups, many different walks of life and a variety of worship backgrounds, both Brethren and non-Brethren. What brings us together is a common love for God and a common faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
We seek to maintain a firm stand upon the changeless truths of God's Word. We aim to communicate with fresh relevance to each generation the lessons learned and the convictions developed from our past.
Our Pastor
Pastor Mark Baliles
Mark Baliles has served as pastor of the Indian Creek Church of the Brethren since 1996. Prior to that, he served nine years at the Locust Grove Church of the Brethren, Cambridge City, Indiana.
Mark is a graduate of Grace Theological Seminary (Grace Brethren) in Winona Lake, Indiana. He has been married to Reba for 25 years. They have four children, ages 15-23.
Mark's special interests include singing, sports, sailing, stamp collecting, and studying popular culture through film. He can occasionally be seen on stage at the local DCP Theater or on the basketball court, officiating a game for the Souderton-Harleysville Youth Basketball Association (SHYBA) or a local Jr. High School. Mark also enjoys writing and is the author of a commentary on the book of Acts in the Brethren New Testament Commentary Series being published by the Brethren Revival Fellowship.
Mark's passion in ministry is to help people encounter God genuinely and deeply by opening themselves more fully to the authority, reliability and relevance of God's Word. He is particularly burdened to see people released from the chains of both cynicism (the Sadducees of Jesus' day) and legalism (the Pharisees of Jesus' day) into faith and freedom in Jesus Christ.
For a brief welcome message and more information about Pastor Mark, please go to
Indian Creek Church of the Brethren Affirmation of Faith
The Congregation: - Is founded upon the faith that there is but one God who is a personal God, who in holy love creates, sustains and orders all.
- Confesses Jesus Christ as the Lord of the Church and all life.
- Believes that the Holy Spirit is at work in the hearts and minds of believers, creating and sustaining the church through the Gospel, giving guidance and comfort and uniting believers with their Lord and with one another.
- Maintains the New Testament as its only creed and rule of faith. . . . Through His Holy Word, God still speaks and continues to accomplish His redemptive purpose.
- Believes that the Gospel is the Good News that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.
- Holds that the Church is the body of Christ and is under the Lord's mandate to be faithful in accepting and transmitting the Gospel by word and deed.
- Considers that all members of the congregation are responsible for the total ministry of the Church.
- Accepts the ministry of the Church to be the proclamation and fulfillment of the Gospel for all people both near and far, and the nurture of individual believers in the Christian faith and life.
