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:

  1. Robert Whatley 1958
  2. William Collins       1958-1959
  3. Lawrence Pollack    1959-1960
  4. Elyot Johnson        1961-1962
  5. Harold Jarvis         1962-1966
  6. Whitson Woodard 1966-1968
  7. Carl Hills    1968
  8. A. R. Rutledge       1968
  9. William James        1969
  10. Harry Hackelman  1970-1971
  11. William James        1972
  12. Clyde McGee        1972-1976
  13. Ron Todd   1976-1978
  14. Charles Carfrey     1979-1980
  15. J. Frederick Hagberg         1980-1990
  16. Russ Weeks 1990-1991
  17. Byron Buck 1991-1999
  18. Tim Brower           1999-2021
  19. 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.