Our Story

In May of 2000, God orchestrated the meeting of four couples from diverse backgrounds, all with a desire to carry out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission while doing church in fresh new ways.  He then used these couples - Mike & Stephanie Mitchener, Mark & Lisa Miller, Peter & Cindy Norton, and Bill & Michele Woodson - to plant Westside Fellowship.  They met in the offices of a gracious local church (Integrity Community Church) on Wednesday nights, and even in each others' homes as they formed bylaws and a statement of faith.  On Sundays each couple visited different healthy churches to conduct research and focus in on who they felt God was calling them to be.

In October, 2000, the first Sunday morning church service was held in the Elon Elementary Gym.  Present were the four original families along with David & Tammy Brown and the Brown girls, as well as Chris & Elaine Shepherd and their two girls - 29 people in all (31 if you count Tess Shepherd and Josiah Mitchener who were in their mothers' wombs).

Six months later, on April 1, 2001, Westside held its official Kick Off Service with nearly 200 in attendance.

God accomplished much during our time at Elon Elementary, even without a physical church building.  Westside was committed to preaching the absolute truth of scripture in an atmosphere where both believers and nonbelievers could "let their guard down" and allow the Word of God to penetrate their hearts.  Our unique ways of "doing church" and our "come as you are" atmosphere allowed many to attend who would not have felt comfortable in a more formal church environment.  God has used this strategy to produce much fruit, and Westside has grown in both numbers and depth.  Lives have been eternally changed!

One of the highlights of Westside's early days at Elon Elementary was the Old Towne Fair.  In order to reach the community, Westside held it's first Old Towne Fair on June 8, 2002, and attracted approximately 1,000 people, jamming traffic in Elon as folks gathered on the Elon Firehouse Fields.  The event included old-style games, including a watermelon seed spitting contest and sack races.  Westside volunteers also gave out free snow cones and prizes to the kids.

In December, 2002, Westside made the decision to purchase nearly seven acres of land adjacent to Western Alamance High School, and on March 28, 2003, the sale closed.

A special Sunday morning tent service was held to celebrate the purchase, and the home located on the property (which is fondly called "The Big House") began to be used as a location for midweek Bible study and prayer, youth gatherings, and offices.
On November 16, 2006, Westside moved to its new Worship Center on Highway 87 North.  

On Aug. 23, 2020, Westside’s founding pastor, Mike Mitchener, announced that he had accepted a position as senior pastor of Riverview Baptist Church in Ripplemead, VA.  His return to his home church brought tears, but also the peace of knowing that God had divinely orchestrated this move.  The following Sunday, Westside hosted a celebration of the Mitcheners’ nearly 20 years of ministry in Alamance County. The Aug. 30 “farewell” included comments from the elders, and from Mike and his wife, Stephanie, as well as the presentation of a plaque of appreciation.

Over the next few months, God, in His sovereignty, would also move Associate Pastors Kurt Ward and Steve Janicello to step in to the role of Senior Pastor in other communities.  Kurt Ward became the Senior Pastor at Northside Fellowship in Burlington, NC;  and Steve Janicello would take the helm at Historic Providence Christian Church in Graham, NC.

In November 2020, after a majority vote, former Worship Pastor, Jacob Danieley, was welcomed as the Senior Pastor of Westside Fellowship.  He and his wife, Elizabeth, and their three children, began a new chapter in their lives and in the life of Westside.  

2020 was a year of excitement and change at Westside Fellowship! But amidst the excitement is the underlying peace and overarching theme of God's faithfulness, and the joy of watching the Lord work, as He placed His servants exactly where they needed to be to best serve Him and His people.  

On January 29, 2023, Westside held the ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of a new children's addition, which gave Westside six new classrooms for the children's ministry and small groups.  From breaking ground on April 10th, 2022, to the final touches, the whole project was an exciting time in the life of the church, and watching God provide the funds for this addition was equally exciting.  Much care was taken by church members to set up the new classrooms in time for the ribbon cutting on January 29th, and for the first week of classes for the children on February 5th, and we look forward to seeing how God will use this space over the coming years.

Come join us as Westside's story continues...