In 1957, Western Baptist Home Missionary Robert Johnson, L.W. Pierson, and Western Baptist Bible College student Robert Whatley contacted teacher Elaine Burt in Glen Ellen, and then met with Mr. and Mrs. Deffenbaugh and the Earl Joslins for the purpose of establishing a gospel ministry in the Valley of the Moon. At first, meetings were held in a home, but as the group grew larger, the Grange Hall in Boyes Hot Springs was rented.
The first recorded business in November 1957 was to discuss formal organization of a church. Two years later, on November 4, 1959, the church voted to incorporate, and affiliate with the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches. The Sunday School averaged 48; church 42; prayer meeting 17.
In 1961, under Pastor Elyot Johnson’s ministry, the search for a permanent location began and a building fund was started. In August, the property at 19255 5th Street West, Sonoma, was acquired for $25,000. It consisted of nearly 4 acres, with a 3 bedroom house and several other buildings, including a large chicken house that was “converted” into a chapel seating 80 people….
Groundbreaking ceremonies [for the main building] were held May 23, 1965, and the first service in the new building was on Palm Sunday 1966….
The Pastors of former years are:
- Robert Whatley 1958
- William Collins 1958-1959
- Lawrence Pollack 1959-1960
- Elyot Johnson 1961-1962
- Harold Jarvis 1962-1966
- Whitson Woodard 1966-1968
- Carl Hills 1968
- A. R. Rutledge 1968
- William James 1969
- Harry Hackelman 1970-1971
- William James 1972
- Clyde McGee 1972-1976
- Ron Todd 1976-1978
- Charles Carfrey 1979-1980
- J. Frederick Hagberg 1980-1990
- Russ Weeks 1990-1991
- Byron Buck 1991-1999
- Tim Brower 1999-2021
- Ron Sondergaard 2021
We pray that God will use this local church for many years in the future to exalt His Name and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.