The Mountain View Story
Mountain View Fellowship began as new church plant in January 1998 with a few couples in Eastern Rockingham County meeting in homes on Sunday evenings. That fall, they began meeting in the McGaheysville Town Hall for Sunday evening worship. By 2000, they realized they needed to hire a part-time pastor and approached Wayne Pence, who had helped plant the church. He accepted, splitting his time between Mountain View and the Lebanon Church of the Brethren, where he was pastor at the time. In January 2001, Mountain View began Sunday morning worship in the Town Hall. Worship attendance averaged 24 that first year and has grown to 80-85 from 2012 to present. By the end of 2004, Pastor Pence resigned from the Lebanon church and worked from home while Mountain View explored the possibilities of building a church. Members saw God’s hand in helping find a location for the church and then learning about Carpenters for Christ, whose members helped build the church in 2006. The first services at the new church were held in late November 2006.
The church is committed to following Jesus and serving others. It reaches out to its neighbors through community picnics, a Backpack Program for students at Cub Run Elementary School, an annual Easter Egg Hunt, Vacation Bible School, and an annual Trunk-or-Treat and Pet Parade. It holds an annual mission event to help ministries in other countries. The church has an active children’s and youth program, with a coordinator of children’s ministry position added in 2013. The church recently finished paying its mortgage and held a mortgage-burning celebration in November 2020.
Brief Timeline of events at Mountain View Fellowship
The church is committed to following Jesus and serving others. It reaches out to its neighbors through community picnics, a Backpack Program for students at Cub Run Elementary School, an annual Easter Egg Hunt, Vacation Bible School, and an annual Trunk-or-Treat and Pet Parade. It holds an annual mission event to help ministries in other countries. The church has an active children’s and youth program, with a coordinator of children’s ministry position added in 2013. The church recently finished paying its mortgage and held a mortgage-burning celebration in November 2020.
Brief Timeline of events at Mountain View Fellowship
- January 1998 – A half-dozen people began meeting in homes
- October 1998 – We began Sunday evening worship in McGaheysville Town Hall
- December 2000 – Fellowship status was granted by Shenandoah District
- January 2001 –Beginning of Sunday morning worship with pastor Wayne Pence
- Spring 2002 – Purchased 4.6 acres of land on McGaheysville Road
- 2004 – Constitution and by-laws adopted, congregational status attained
- 2005 – Plans for a church building developed, architect hired – huge step of faith!
- 2005 – First of many of our members to serve in Brethren Volunteer Service, Don and Pauline Hess to World Friendship Center in Hiroshima, Japan, for 2 years
- March 2006 – Groundbreaking service with church members plowing a furrow
- June 2006 – Carpenters for Christ group from Alabama helped construct building
- August 2006 – 14 people attended National Youth Conference in Colorado
- November 26, 2006 – first worship service in new building
- March 2007 – Dedication service held on anniversary of groundbreaking
- Spring 2008 – Church members built a large picnic shelter
- Summer 2008 – started monthly chicken barbecues as fundraisers
- Easter 2009 – Began annual Easter Egg Event for community kids
- June 2009 – Began Community Vacation Bible School with McGaheysville Untied Methodist Church
- July 2010 – Paved parking area thanks to unanticipated generous donation
- March 2011 - A Decade of Blessings celebration marked our ten-year anniversary
- September 2011 – Started Backpack Program with food for students at Cub Run Elementary School
- August 2012 – Held Mission Weekend with missionary family working in Thailand
- August 2013 – Created new position of Coordinator of Children’s Ministries to assist with all phases of our ministry to children in our church and community
- September 2013 – Started Mid-Week Together, with meal and activities or classes for all ages on alternating Wednesday nights
- October 2013 – Our first annual Trunk or Treat and Pet Parade for children in the community
- Spring 2014 – Began year-long process of creating a Safe Church policy
- February 2015 – 20/20 Vision Retreat – seeking God’s direction for our church for the years 2015-2020
- January 2016 - Regina Cyzick Harlow is called to the position of Associate Pastor.
- Spring 2017 - Began inviting specific neighborhoods each month to our Community Picnics.
- 2018 Participated in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class, and began using Power Church Plus for church record keeping.
- November 2020- Mortgage burning ceremony to celebrate paying off the church mortgage
- December 2020- Pastor Wayne Pence retired
- January 2021- Jerry Ruff started at interim pastor
- September 2021- Regina Harlow inerim pastor