Pastoral History
1957 - Elder A.R. Sousa
1958 - Elder C.M. Christianson 1960 - A.A. Douglas 1962 - Elder Owen P. Jones 1965 - Pastor Paul Johnson 1969 - Elder Harry B. Sackett 1971 - Elder Lewis Wynn 1972 - Elder John Newbern 1975 - Elder C. Jim Owens Elder Clifford Pastor Moore Pastor David Sharpe 1997 Pastor Paul Gibson 2012 Pastor Jim Hakes 2019 Pastor Paul Blake |
Our Church - Life in Paradise
Most days, open doors will greet you at 28th Street and Cactus Drive in a section of Phoenix, Arizona known as Paradise Valley. This valley was not always so centrally located in Phoenix. In fact, when the land for the current sanctuary was acquired by the Seventh-day Adventist church is was well north of what was, at that time, Phoenix.
The current sanctuary hosted its first worship service on March 1, 1975. The grand opening welcomed special guests: Elder E. Frank Sherrill, (then Arizona Conference President), Elder John Newbern (Pastor of PV during construction), Elder C. Jim Owens (Pastor of PV in 1975), Elder John V. Stevens, Sr. (Former Arizona Conference President) and was held on May 10th of that same year. This was the third church building that the dedicated group of Adventists originally known as the Sunnyslope group constructed.
1954
As early as March 6, 1954 a branch Sabbath School in Sunnyslope had begun with about 18 adults and six children attending. The Sunnyslope efforts took on various methods over the next few years. In 1956 a small group of dedicated Adventists, meeting for weekly prayer in the Aldo Ghelfi home, were impressed to form a new church in the Sunnyslope area. Plans began in March of the same year with Elder A. R. Sousa erecting a metal portable tabernacle for meetings. These meetings commenced on January 20th of 1957 with Elder W.R. French as the speaker. On March 2nd the church was formally organized with 49 charter members. Their expressed mission was to “cease not to teach and preach Jesus Christ”. Two of these charter members, still minister in Paradise Valley today.
1957
In accordance with their mission, by April of 1957 the Sunnyslope congregation organized a Dorcas Welfare Society (now called Community Services). The very next month, found the first Arizona Conference “Voice of Youth” evangelistic meetings being conducted by the young people of Thunderbird Academy at Sunnyslope. This was an MV (Missionary Volunteer) program. The MV program became what we now call Pathfinders. Again, in December the Sunnyslope church hosted capacity crowds as the Arizona Conference officers shared the gospel message through spoken word and students from Thunderbird Academy shared the gospel through music with the Sunnyslope community. The first church building was completed this same year.
1959
By June of 1959 a new addition was under construction. As the church maintained its vision to “cease not to teach and preach Jesus Christ”. The entire congregation accepted responsibility for and actively participated in outreach. On December 19, 1965 the new sanctuary with a seating capacity of 300 and a membership of 121 was dedicated. The former building was used for Sabbath School rooms and the Dorcas Welfare room. In March of that year a crusade was held with an average nightly attendance of 178 people, nearly 142 attendees were non Adventists. This crusade ended with 46 souls joining the church.
1966
In the March 28, 1966 edition of the Pacific Union Recorder the Sunnyslope congregation told how Vacation Bible School was an effective outreach ministry. Doris Lamoreaux had invited her neighbors, Mr. & Mrs. Leo Schreven, to bring their children to VBS. This turned into the family attending Sabbath School and eventually being impressed through their study of Scripture to join the church. This spirit of friendship evangelism and personal responsibility continues in Paradise Valley each summer as over 60 children come to VBS and learn of our gracious Lord. Many of these children continue in Sabbath school and the various youth programs of Pathfinders and Adventurers.
1968
The Sunnyslope Dorcas Welfare Society began working with local public health nurses and school nurses providing for the physical and spiritual needs of their community and other communities. This outreach spread to the Wickenburg area where in January of 1968 the Sunnyslope church sponsored the first public evangelism in that town which was then home to a population of 3000. By February there was an active company there of 13 members. 1968 also saw the Sunnyslope church sending its first missionaries abroad. The Dr. Don Ross family left on September 13th for Congo, Africa. Still today, as members leave our church family to continue their ministries wherever Christ may call them, we send them off as Missionaries from Paradise Valley.
1974
By 1974, the Sunnyslope church had outgrown the quarters which they had lovingly built by hand. Selling these original buildings for $108,000 they purchased 2.5 acres at 28th street and Cactus. For over a year the congregation rented the Cross in the Desert Methodist church while construction of their new facility was underway. Nearly 100 people attended the groundbreaking on January 27, 1974. Again, the youth were a focal point. Four year-old Anthony Newbern began in earnest to build the church with his toy tractor and dump truck reminiscent of the child Jesus called into the midst of His disciples to illustrate His point in Matthew 18.
1975
Always faithful to their calling; work on their home church did not stop the congregation, now known as Paradise Valley, of engaging in outreach. March of 1974 saw them involved in an In-Service training program with the Thunderbird church. This program culminated in 80 people from six churches converging on the small town of Casa Grande, Arizona, securing 91 gift Bible enrollments. This was a large boost to the tiny Casa Grande company after its recent organization. November saw the PV pastor returning from evangelism labors in Sedona.
The Paradise Valley Church has been served by 11 pastors through the years, starting with Elder C. M. Christianson being asked to pastor Glendale and Sunnyslope churches along with the Phoenix Southside Church in February of 1958. In April of 1960, A. A. Douglas took on the responsibility along with that of Camelback. In September of 1962 Elder Owen P. Jones took on the responsibilities of Glendale, Mountain View and Sunnyslope churches. Pastor Paul Johnson was serving the Sunnyslope congregation in March of 1965. He served at least through 1968. In September of 1969 Elder Harry B. Sackett came to the Sunnyslope congregation from the Minnesota Conference with his wife Shirley.
In September of 1971 Elder & Mrs. Lewis Wynn, came to Sunnyslope from the Georgia-Cumberland Conference. He was followed in 1972 by Elder and Mrs. John They came from the Cleveland-Gainesville, Georgia District where they began a new church school and added a wing to the Gainesville church. Other Pastors have blessed the Paradise Valley church. Many of whom will never be forgotten; perhaps a few who have already been lost to the paling strains of time. Yet they have each served the purpose and today, Paradise Valley is still a church fully under the leadership of the one True Shepherd – Jesus Christ, our Lord. And still life in paradise is to “cease not to teach and preach Jesus Christ”! |
|
