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Relocation Effort Planned In Three Phases
Buena Vista Pentecostal Holiness Church broke ground on phase 1 of its relocation project last month on property behind the Buena Vista Food Lion.
The project, over 25 years in the making, has been labeled “Forward by Faith.”
It was in 1997, under the leadership of the Rev. W.A. Mills Jr., that church members first stepped foot on the property that will one day be the church’s new home. The vision started then and almost three years later that piece of property was purchased by the church, in what church members consider a God-given miracle. Hilltop Developers accepted a proposal for a combination purchase/gift offer. They sold BVPHC 10 acres and then gifted them another 15.889 acres at no charge.
In 2008, God gave BVPHC another financial miracle, members say. The 2008 World Series Champions Philadelphia Phillies, coached by Buena Vista’s very own Charlie Manuel, donated $20,800 in memory of Charlie’s mother, June Manuel. This enabled the church to pay off the outstanding debt on the land. On Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008, it was announced to the congregation that the debt was paid in full.
Since then, the church has been waiting for the right moment to go “Forward by Faith.” In October of 2023, the church administrative council, alongside the leadership of the Rev. Adam Williams, decided that God was leading them forward in this endeavor. They launched a two-year fundraising campaign in January of 2024 to raise $330,000. Then on July 11, 2024, the administrative council voted to begin phase 1 of a three-phase master plan for relocation.
Phase 1 consists primarily of the excavating and infrastructure for the future buildings, as well as a softball field and a soccer/football field.
Phase 2 will be the construction of the Family Life Center, and phase 3 will be the construction of the new sanctuary. There is currently no timetable for the completion of the project.
On Aug. 14, BVPHC along with many people from the community, celebrated the breaking of ground. “With shovels in hand and smiles on faces, people rejoiced at what the Lord had done,” said a spokeswoman.
THE MASTER PLAN for the relocation project of Buena Vista Pentecostal Holiness Church shows the soccer/football and softball fields at left and the Family Life Center and sanctuary, envisioned in phases 2 and 3, at right. Food Lion is located just off the top of this image, a little left of center, and Forge Road is located to the left of the map.
AT RIGHT, present and former pastors of BVPHC, along with the bishop and assistant bishop of the Appalachian conference of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, on hand for the groundbreaking included (from left) Associate Pastor Tristen Russell, Lead Pastor Adam Williams, former Pastor W.A. Mills Jr., Bishop Preston Mathena, former Pastor David Bain, and Assistant Bishop Larry Meadors. BELOW, BVPHC family and community lift their hands in praise to God for the breaking of ground during the Aug. 14 ceremony.
