History

   On September 26, 1981, at a meeting in the Community Center at Thomas Village, William H. Jenkins, then Director of the Division of Ministries, represented the Baptist General Board regarding building a Missionary Baptist Church in Thomas Village. Three years earlier the Clinch Valley Baptist Association had purchased a lot in the planned community. Originally, the planners had designated the lot for the Free Will Baptist Church in Clinchport; however, the option was not exercised, and the lot was relinquished to the Association.
   Groundbreaking services were held on April 24, 1982, for Thomas Village Baptist Mission Sunday School, with an enrollment of 17. Worship services had already begun on January 2, 1982, at Rayburn Lodge Hall in Duffield under the direction of the Area Missionary. The Mission was sponsored by the Association and assigned to the direction of the Missions Committee. On September 7, 1982, the Executive Committee of the Association extended a call to Rev. Darrell Fletcher to become the first Pastor. Rev. Fletcher accepted the call and began his pastorate on October 3, 1982. Dedication services were held for the Mission on November 7, 1982.
   The churches of the Association and the Virginia Baptist Board supported the Mission with financial aid and direction until September 9, 1984, when Thomas Village Baptist Church was constituted. The Church was completely self-supporting by December of 1984.
   In September 1986, the Church purchased a house on Powell Mountain to serve as the parsonage. The parsonage was sold in 1996.
   By early 1992 enrollment had grown to 241. On March 18, 1992, at a special business meeting, the Church voted to accept a gift of three acres of land located at the intersection of Highway 58 and Route 604 from Floyd and Ruth Carter. An 8-member building committee was formed to oversee construction of a new church building. On August 12, 1992, the deed was signed, and a groundbreaking service was held at the property on September 27, 1992.
   On March 21, 1992, after more than ten years of service, Rev. Darrell Fletcher resigned as Pastor. On March 31, 1992, the church elected Rev. Ralph Crawford of Kingsport, Tennessee, to serve as interim pastor. The first pulpit committee was formed. After nine months of fervently praying and searching, the pulpit committee recommended that Rev. Johnny Kendrick be called to the pastorate of the Church. The Church approved the recommendation on December 19, 1993, and Rev. Kendrick preached his first sermon as Pastor of the Church on January 9, 1994.
   On March 13, 1994, Mark Freeman Associates of Kingsport, Tennessee, presented preliminary plans for the Church’s new facility. Upon recommendation by the building committee, the plans were accepted by the Church on March 27, 1994. On April 17, 1994, the Church had an enormously successful Great Day of Giving for the construction of its new facility.
   On July 9, 1994, Dr. Richard Norton purchased the Church’s old facility on

Quillen Drive

. Little B Construction Company of Castlewood, Virginia, arrived at the construction site of the new facility on October 11, 1994. Duffield Funeral Home served as a temporary home to the Church from November 16, 1994, until the Church’s new facility was completed on August 11, 1996. Rev. Johnny Kendrick spoke at the first worship service in the Church’s new facility on August 18, 1996.
   Rev. Johnny Kendrick resigned in October 1996; Rev. Ralph Crawford was called on August 10, 1997, to pastor the Church which had an average weekly worship service of 180. Rev. Crawford began his pastorate at the Church on a bi-vocational basis on September 7 1997.
   The new facility was dedicated to the Lord’s work on November 10, 1996. Rev. Bob Lynch, representing the Virginia Baptist General Board, was the speaker at the dedication service.

The Church was growing not only in size but also in ministry and activities.

·        The Church’s first revival in the new building began Sunday, March 16, 1997, and 20 souls were saved.

·        The Church hosted the fall meeting of the Clinch Valley Baptist Association on October 17, 1996.

·        The Church, in cooperation with the local PTA, accepted responsibility for coordinating distribution of clothing through the Rye Cove and Duffield intermediate schools in October 1999.

·        The Church participated with other churches in the Association in a World Mission Conference from April 7-May 20, 2000.

·        Under sponsorship of the Church, Brother Garland Stokes was licensed into the ministry and assumed the duties as chaplain for the Scott County Sheriff’s Department in June 2000.

·        Stan and Amy Lewis completed their studies at Clear Creek Baptist School and began full-time ministries in 2000.

   Rev. Ralph Crawford resigned as Pastor of the Church on September 16, 2001. During the period of Fall 2001 through Spring 2003, the Church was lovingly served by interim Pastors Rev. John Perkins of Elizabethton, Tennessee, and Rev. Carl Strickler of Kingsport, Tennessee.
   Brother Jeff DeBoard was called on August 18, 2002, to become the Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church, Gate City, Virginia. On November 10, 2002, Brother Roger Edens was ordained into the Ministry. Rev. John Perkins brought the charge to the candidate and to the Church. Dr. Edens was called to the pastorate of Calvary Baptist Church, Stonega, Virginia.
   In 2002, the Church became one of approximately 12,000 churches in over 110 Countries with the AWANA program. The name of the program has a biblical origin, II Timothy 2:15 (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed), and is a nondenominational ministry that assists churches in reaching children with the gospel.
   At a special called business meeting on May 18, 2003, the Church voted to call Rev. Garry Edwards as Pastor. Rev. Edwards accepted the call and began serving the Church on June 8, 2003. Rev. Edwards has been in the ministry for 32 years, serving five churches during this time. He and his wife, Sarah, are the parents of a son and daughter who are married and have families of their own.
   In September 2004, the women of the church sponsored the first Women’s Conference. The program has been very successful and the Church will host the Fourth Annual Women’s conference in the fall of 2007.
   In 2005, the long-awaited renovation of the downstairs area of the church was completed. Dedication services were held January 9, 2005, with Darrell Fletcher as the speaker.