Our Story
Rev. Peter Nickel and family moved from Minnesota to Auke Bay, Alaska in 1948. They began serving in their community were soon involved with the Minfield Children’s Home where Minnie Field had been looking for more help with the children in her care. They started Bible classes at the home and a Know Your Bible club which met in their small house. Attendance quickly grew and they began to look for a place to build. In God’s timing and miraculous way, the property next door became available, so they purchased it and built the Auke Bay Bible Chapel, completed in 1955.
When the Nickel’s sent out a prayer request for more help at the home, Rev. Jacob Hoffman and family answered the call, coming up to Alaska from Montana to help their friends Peter and Alvina in ministry. They started a Sunday school and worship service in the chapel. A few years later, a group of attendees decided to write up a constitution and form an official church organization. Gospel Missionary Church was founded on December 1, 1957.
The church building, where it stands now, was completed in 1961 and the name was changed to Auke Bay Bible Church. That summer, Rev. Hugh Huguley began his service as pastor. His heart for the lost saw an evangelistic movement take hold in the church and attendance increase. In July of 1969, the church, which had up to this point been a ministry of Gospel Missionary Union, was given full independence as a local, congregation-lead church.
From there the church continued to grow and build. The first missionaries were sent from ABBC in 1968 to Japan. After Rev. Huguley resigned, Rev. Ray Mainwaring became the pastor in 1970 and filled the position for 5 years.
In 1975, the church asked Johnny Reimer, who had recently been the speaker at Echo Ranch Bible Camp, to be the new pastor after Rev. Mainwaring’s resignation. Rev. Reimer declined at the time, but by late 1976, in the Lord’s timing, the Reimers were ready to fill the pulpit.
Throughout the ‘80s, the Master’s Men Quartet toured southeast Alaska singing Gospel songs and evangelizing. In 1989 the new church building behind the original, was finished and a dedication service was held. Cary Henrichson became pastor in 1994 and pastored for 5 years. After a long search, Tim Frega moved to Alaska from Florida to accept the position of pastor.
In early 2019 Tim Frega resigned, and the church shifted to being elder lead. During the pandemic, the teaching was shared by a rotating group of leaders in the church. When this pattern worked well and the variety of teaching styles was appreciated by the congregation, the structure was kept.