White Oak Chapel had its first meeting in the Green Township Senior Center, on December 6th, 1987. For the first three months we used its smaller conference room, and then moved to the larger room.
As the building was used by many groups, we had to set up our equipment each Sunday morning before service, then take it down again immediately following the service. Nonetheless, we had a wonderful time in the Lord and He added to our number as it pleased Him.
Within one year, in October of 1988, Dr. Kostelnik had the opportunity to lease a small space, seating about 100, in the White Oak Shopping Center at the corner of Cheviot and Jessup Roads.
Although physically smaller than before, we would have a place to call our own, where we could leave the audio equipment and partitions for the children's Sunday school and nursery. God continued to build His church and many wonderful things happened over the years spent there.
The Lord Jesus brought us to our current location on North Bend Road, on July 4th, 1993 (pictured here)!
Through great favor with the building's owner, we were given lease of the entire building.
This beautiful church seats 200, came furnished with pews and audio equipment, which we have upgraded over the years as God has provided.
As mentioned in "Our Vision," this word came from the Lord about a new work in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area, while Dr. Kostelnik was pastoring in northern Kentucky.
The mural on our high window, built by another congregation before we arrived!
Situated from the beginning within a 98% Roman Catholic area, White Oak Chapel truly has been a rare witness for the whole counsel of God these past 20+ years in this White Oak area, in each of its three physical locations.
This word came again in the Spring of 1989 while meeting at the White Oak Shopping Center. At the same time, in 1989, our current location was being built for "Lighthouse Baptist Church" (congregation since disbanded). The building has a color mural of a lighthouse in the sanctuary's high window, and an engraving of Matthew 5:16 on the exterior entrance.
Numerous testimonies abound of people healed of all manner of sickness, the lost being found in Christ, and the believer being filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit and clothed with His power. Clearly, God had been leading Pastor Joe & Barb the entire time!
This word came in the Summer of 1989, and has since been the mission of this local assembly: to prepare the dedicated disciples of the Lord Jesus in this local area for His soon return.
Through teaching, worship, and fellowship, God's people in this local area have had the opportunity to be built up as Christ's Body, to be transformed more and more into His perfect image, and to be ready for His Coming in the clouds.
Since 1987, this goal has included the printing and distribution of over 20,000 hard-copy, printed editions of our various publications (not including our ministry courses).
As Dr. Kostelnik saw our current building, while we were still meeting in the White Oak Shopping Center, he heard the Lord say, "I've given you the land."
To the naked eye, there was no possible way we would be given preference above the many other interested parties. Many told Pastor to give up because the owner was impossible to work with. But, Pastor held on to the word of the Lord without fainting, and the harvest came!
We have since celebrated over 15 years in this wonderful building, graced by God to have been led here. The Lord has also blessed us with a wonderful relationship with the landlord in the process.
In early 1999, Dr. Kostelnik was praying about how to expand the reach of his ministry courses, written to disciple and train ministers of the Lord for the work of the Kingdom. While he was discussing this issue over dinner with one of our Media ministers, Jeff Eldred—a close friend of his—Jeff said, "Oh, that's easy. Internet."
That word, prompted by the Holy Spirit, launched us into new websites to disseminate the courses as well as his many books. Solomon began scanning the original type-written courses and books into the computer, using OCR software, spell-checking and reformatting each page. Some typos probably still exist today as a testimony to how old the software was!
Over the years, as a testimony to God's grace, we now have over 22816 registrations in one of those ministry courses, with many more unknown to us, as apostles and pastors overseas use the material to disciple and train other ministers 198 territories around the world, including all 50 States of the USA. The vision of II Timothy 2:2 applying to this work of God is being carried out, glory to the Lord!
As membership has ebbed and flowed over the years, we have remained faithful to the word which began this work: we are to be a chapel of an international outreach.
While praying for continued direction, Dr. Kostelnik received this word. With the help of his son, Solomon, a new work began of transferring his and other messages preached at WOC from the original audio cassettes onto the computer for download from our website. Shortly thereafter, our Radio Director, Jeff Eldred, took over and finished the task. And now, as of this writing, we have 3947 available online for free download. For those local to us who prefer CDs, we can also burn copies on demand!
As of right now, 92821 audio sermons and 64624 books have been downloaded since both were first available in 2007! And this is all without any cost to the recipient, that all might freely receive according as they have the desire.
We hope all of our online outreaches will be used to reach those the Lord has in mind, as we focus on using the Internet to carry out His call! Consider how the Holy Spirit might have you become part of this ministry--to bless and be blessed, to build up and be built up--and visit us soon!