There is an article about Angwin Village Church in Pacific Union Recorder, March 20, 1989 by Althea Roderick
entitled "Group Founded for Fellowship Organized Into New Northern California Church".
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For many years Pacific Union College operated a dairy farm on its campus. Cows had to be milked and other chores had to be performed on the Sabbath. The workers could not dress up for church, so around 1976 a few people realized the need to have a Sabbath School class in the Agriculture building for Ag major students and student workers, mostly theology major students and their friends. The first Sabbath School class was led out by Ad Addison, an older married PUC student, and his wife, a PUC teacher; Jim Gruenholtz, a PUC Theology student and his wife Millie, sister of Kathy Nelson; Dayton Flick, PUC English teacher, and his wife Sandy, a KCDS employee; and a few others.
Things went so well that the 11 a.m. Church Service was added. A few months later Dan Tompkins joined the group and suggested having Vacation Bible School for children's outreach on the weekday evenings. Together with Sandy Flick, Dan also led a Bible Study for adults. Later Jim Pappas and John and Debi Taylor joined the leadership. By this time, many older PUC students and others from the community attended the services. It was then referred to as the Farm Church. |
Original Farm Church Members:
Ad and Tommy Addison
Leland Barnhart
Frank and Cindy Burgess
Jeff and Trina Castille
Dayton and Sandy Flick
Jim and Millie Greunholtz
Herbie and Vickie Hostler
Brad Jones -- first official
(paid) Bible Worker
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Joel and Jane Mitchell
Rick and Marilyn Mitchell
Linda and Jim Pappas
Bev and Jay Senter
Gil and Le (sic) Serna
Dan Tompkins
Walter (Christopher) and Bonnie Yost
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Around the summer of 1980 when the group outgrew the facility and some conflicts arose, the Farm Church moved to Pope Valley Farm Center . By the summer of 1982 it was asked to move again. During this time Jim Pappas (Dorothy Davis' brother) and Wills Bell negotiated with Gordon Elliot about using his abandoned building at 412 Circle Drive as a church. This building was built in the 1940s. At one time it had housed the Village Market, Adventist Book Center , Sears Roebuck Catalog Store, printing press, bakery, dentist office, and Bubbles of Beauty salon. Unfortunately, the building was not well-maintained and eventually was left full of trash for many years. During this time it was badly vandalized and used as a meeting place for devil worshipers, who painted satanic symbols on the walls and lit bonfires inside.
When fundraising and the negotiation for the building usage was successful, Bill Hust (PUC Technology teacher) and his wife Pat obtained the permit and helped with the remodeling. It then became known as the Pope Valley Company. It also established a church school. It became the Angwin Village Company in 1985, and on February 4, 1989, they celebrated the official organization of the church which is now known as the Angwin Village Church of Seventh-day Adventists.
For the first 10 years, the entire building was being used rent-free in exchange for the extensive remodeling project. But suddenly we became renters. For the next 12 years the kitchen and dining room were rented separately by Don Christenson, who graciously allowed us to continue to use them rent-free for our fellowship meals and various other meetings and functions. Now we have lost the use of these 2 rooms, but not the special warmth, the caring atmosphere, and the frequent guest speakers that still attract many people to this church.
Bill Smith, College Youth Pastor, was the pastor 1979-84.
Elder Vernon Koenig (Retired Pastor of Elmshaven SDA Church) was the pastor 1985-89.
Elder Norman Doss (former President of New York Conference) was the first official pastor 1989-90.
Elder Rich was the pastor 1990-98.
Pastor Tom Kopko has been the pastor since 1999.
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Remodeling Crew:
Leland Barnhart
Wills and Gay Bell
Pat Cochran
Bill Hust
Jeff Nelson
Mike Nelson
Jim Pappas
Jay and Bev Senter
Debi and John Taylor
Bonnie and Chris Yost
-- and many others |
Historical details provided by :
Leland Barnhart
Wills Bell
E G Blackburn
Gail and Doug Hamilton
Pat Hust
Mike Nelson
Dan Tompkins
-- and others
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Note: If you have more info., suggestions, or corrections to the above history of our church, please feel free to contact Sienna Johnson at AVCsecretary@yahoo.com or 707-965-2215.
Revised 09-19-06
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