Peace Church of the Brethren is the merger of two congregations of the metropolitan Omaha-Council Bluffs area. The official date of the merger was in September of 1964. The lovely building at 2605 Avenue E was dedicated on November 6, 1966. Charles Lunkley, Dale Shenefelt, and Clifford Ruff have served as pastors of the merged congregation. The Omaha congregation was started by the Nebraska Distri
ct as a mission in 1910. Weaver of Boise, Idaho, were called to begin the work. A Sunday school was opened at 2715 Lake Street and three years later, a vacant church was rented at 22nd and Paul Streets. Mack and John W. Rasp played a major part in getting the mission established. With assistance from the Nebraska Mission Board, a new church and parsonage were built at 22nd and Miami Streets. Bough, J.J. Johnson and Milton D. Royer served as pastors in that location. In 1927 the church building and parsonage were sold to a Negro fellowship and a new location was selected at 51st and Lake Streets. A new church building was constructed in 1928. From 1928-1965 the following pastors served the Omaha congregation: L.A. Walker, Homer Casey, Pearl Severn, Ralph Hatton, Milton Early, Roy McCauley, Clinton Weber, Maynard George, John B. Weiand, William Albright and Charles Lunkley. Making the decision to join the Iowa-Minnesota District and cooperate with the Council Bluffs congregation in the hiring of a pastor, led to the merger of the two congregations. While the new building was under construction, the “new” congregation met at the YMCA in Council Bluffs. The building in Omaha was sold to a Grace Brethren Church. The Council Bluffs congregation had its beginnings when the Mission Board of the Southern District of Iowa sent the Reverend and Mrs. Homer Caskey to begin mission work in Council Bluffs in 1912. On August 2, 1913, the congregation was organized with Elder M.R. Weaver of Omaha as elder. In addition to Brother Casey, who gave many years of dedicated service, the following pastors served the congregation: J.H. Browser, C.E. Schrock, Harvey Snell, M.E. Stair, Gerald Rogers, Roy S. Richey, and Charles W. Lunkley. Property was purchased at 808 Avenue E in 1914 and the church building was dedicated on October 25, 1914. A parsonage located at 813 Avenue E was also purchased in 1914. At a joint council meeting on May 21, 1965, the name Peace Church of the Brethren was chosen for the new and current church and congregation.
