When John Wesley began his ministry in 1738, morality and religion had collapsed in England. In May of that year, Wesley had his Aldersgate experience and went out to minister to the multitudes in the open fields. A century later, the social and moral climate of England had changed dramatically. Queen Victoria was on the throne and "Victorian" became a synonym for piety and morality. Conditions can change for the better. It has happened.

The Fight Begins

Of the many moral and social reforms resulting from the spiritual awakening of the eighteenth century, perhaps the abolition of slavery was the most conspicuous. In 1772 England freed her slaves. This was partly the work of Granville Sharp, who pressed the "King's Bench" (England's Supreme Court) to make the decision that liberated slaves in England--but not in British colonies. His Lordship Judge Mansfield noted that the court did so because slavery is contrary to God's law.

Great Strides in England

A couple of years later, Wesley wrote his famous essay on slavery, in which he said: "Notwithstanding ten thousand laws, right is right and wrong is wrong still." Soon thereafter, a gifted young Member of Parliament, William Wilberforce, took up the abolitionist cause. Just a few days before he died in 1791, Wesley wrote his last letter to this Christian statesman, urging him to continue the fight. It was an almost impossible assignment, but in 1807, Wilberforce did get the government to forbid British ships to engage in the lucrative slave trade. Wilberforce died in 1833, one month before Parliament passed the law liberating all slaves in the British Empire.

In his book Saints and Society, Dr. Earle E. Cairns wrote that English evangelicals accomplished more for good than any reform movement in history. That is a precious part of our heritage. Why do so few Christians today know about these great achievements?

The Cause in America

The American Wesleyan Church came into being in 1843 because the mainline denominations refused to take a stand on the issue of slavery. Presidents Washington and Jefferson had been apologetic for the ancient evil and wished it to go away. Indeed, another Virginia slave holder, Colonel George Mason, urged the Founding Fathers to abolish slavery when they were drafting the U.S. Constitution in 1787, and he warned them that God would judge the nation if they failed to do so.

By the 1830s, the South had begun to justify its "peculiar institution." Defenders of slavery claimed that the Bible actually approved of that practice, and it was not expedient to disagree with them. The situation was not much better in the North. In 1837, Elijah P. Lovejoy, who published an antislavery newspaper, was killed in Illinois. William Lloyd Garrison, the publisher of The Liberator, was dragged down the street in Boston with a rope around his body and would probably have been hanged if he had not been rescued and lodged in jail for his own safety.

Our Great Heritage

This was the atmosphere in which a few courageous Christians, including Orange Scott and Luther Lee, founded our church. Their purpose was both to spread "scriptural holiness over these lands" and to secure justice for their fellow human beings. "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ," Paul wrote (Romans 1:16). In the same way, let us be thankful for our Wesleyan heritage.

A Brief History of Valley View Wesleyan Church

 

In the fall of 1941, three families, Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Peale, Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Bayse, and Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Butner felt the need for a Wesleyan Church in the Williamson Road area. Valley View Church began with the first service on December 7, 1941, in the basement of the Peale home on Hillcrest Avenue. J.C. Bayse served as the acting pastor. Plans to purchase land on Valley View Avenue did not materialize, but the name, Valley View, was retained for this new church and is 15 charter members.

 

The first church building was located on Tenth Street and was completed in 1942 by contractor, Carston E. Butner, and volunteers. In just 10 years after its beginning, the church was paid for. The youth of the church raised funds to purchase a new organ with William Lotz, of Lotz Funeral Home, making the first donation.

 

After 30 years it became evident that a new building was needed. Property was purchased in the Hollins area, but did not prove acceptable. The Lord opened the present site on Oakland Boulevard, and groundbreaking took place on March 13, 1975; with construction starting the very next day by contractor Aubrey Leonard of Vinton. After many hours of donated labor, by Pastor Ray Powers and other volunteers, the building was ready for the first service on Palm Sunday, April 11, 1976.

 

Over the past, nearly 30 years, there have been a number of renovations and improvement projects. As the Valley View Mall began expanding, it became possible to purchase an additional 2 ½ acres for future expansion and to serve as a buffer zone form the Mall growth.   Since Pastor Art’s arrival there have been more renovations including a chair lift in the south stairwell, a projector and screen in the sanctuary, a new sound system, construction of a new sound and media booth in the back of the sanctuary, expansion of the platform, addition of steps to the altar area and pew chairs for the choir. We are presently enlarging the foyer to include a fellowship area, installing new flooring in the foyer and moving the nursery and sanctuary classes to the lower level to facilitate a new 9:30 a.m. contemporary service, scheduled to begin March 16, 2008. We have also had numerous ministry changes and additions; Melvin Collins was added to our staff as our volunteer Care Pastor to help with pastoral visitation, Robin Milliner serves as our new Prayer Ministries Director, Susan Altizer has agreed to serve as our Community/Congregation Connection Director, where she will be helping our church to better reach into the heart of our community so we can better serve them. God is moving at Valley View. We give thanks for such a rich heritage of faith and look forward to an even more promising future. Truly, the best days for Valley View Church are ahead!

 

 

 

 

 

1941 – 1943              J. C. Bayse

 

1943 – 1945              John Slosser 

1945 – 1947              J.W. Jennings

 

1947 – 1953              L.R. Higgins

 

1953 – 1959              Earl T. Gentry

 

1959 – 1960              Richard H. Addison

 

1960 – 1965              Herman H. Mandel

 

1965 – 1967              Charles Heavlin

 

1967 – 1970              Howard Cecil

 

1970 – 1982              Raymond Powers

 

1982 – 1989              Kenneth Dupin

 

1990 – 1996              Randy Garner

 

1996 – 2004              Barry Lawson

 

 

2004 – Present         Arthur F. Good