Indy Alliance began in 2004 as a Bible Study that met at Vecino's Coffee House in the Riley Towers on Sunday evenings. Guy Pfanz, pastor of Muncie Alliance Church in Muncie, IN, was involved with the initiation of this Coffee House and started the study after the business was open.

Muncie Alliance Church embraces business and ministry and offers an internship program where people spend half of the day studying the Bilble and exploring missions, and the other half of the day either working with Alliance World Coffees or at another job. These 'interns' are given free housing and live relatively communally in Muncie, IN.

Josh Garrels was one of those interns who eventually became a certified pastor and a 'fill-in' teacher for Guy at Vecino's. Eventually, Josh moved to Indianapolis and took on the role as a bi-vocational pastor. He spent half of his time making music and touring and the other half involved with the Vecino's body.

Two year's later, the Coffee Shop went out of business and the church was forced to move. An opportunity to meet at the Harrison Arts Gallery on Delaware St. arose, and the body moved to a Sunday afternoon time and purchased a coffee bar to carry the church's heritage. In 2007, Josh was becoming more strained trying to balance music and his role in the church and made the decision to step down.

The church welcomed Mark and Ange Guinn (also former MAC interns) in September 2007 as they prepared for thier journey to Ireland. Knowing that they would only be able to pastor temporarily, the church braced for another transition in the beginning of 2008. Guy Pfanz stepped back in, but logistically, it became harder for him to be able to teach regularly or to be in Indianapolis more than once a week. During times when he was traveling, he asked Danny Carroll (another former MAC intern) to 'fill in' a few times. The church loved it when Danny taught and miraculously he was convinced to delay his plans to plant a church in Bloomington, IN and to come to Indianapolis.

Meanwhile, due to the often inconvenient 2:30pm meeting time, the church had been looking for a new place to meet and had explored Roberts Park United Methodist Church. Within a three week period, we got confirmation that Danny would be the pastor, the church would be moving locations, the time would change, and the church name needed to change. It was an opportunity for a fresh start.

Danny is the first Indy Alliance pastor that is not bi-vocational and we are more than excited to have him and his wife Niccole as a part of this body.

Inevitably, every emotion has been let loose during all of the moves and within this 'organic' structure, but for some reason, God has held this body together and beautiful moments of growth and maturity have blossomed. The church is happy to help support Peter's House, the Guinn's mission to Ireland and other local organizations, but our main vision is to get to know Jesus better ourselves and to share that truth.

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