The Vision - Church, Assisted Living Facility, and a Christian School, grades K-5.
Bethel Community Church was founded in February 2007 with nine elders. Our first service was held on March 18, 2007 at the Bermuda Community Center. After 10 months we were able to acquire through a lease w/option to buy, property and building at 2190 Warwick Road in Mohave Valley, AZ.
Our buildings was remodeled and inspected by the County Fire Inspector and County Zoning Inspector and we received approval for a "change of use" to an assembly hall where we hold our Sunday services, and other church activities. We were now ready to move to phase two; the Assisted Living Facility.
We had a recently constructed a detached two-car garage on the property. It was constructed in such a way that it would be cost effective to convert and add-on, creating the perfect building for the Assisted Living Facility. We made all the necessary provisions for licensure and personnel. The facility would accomodate ten residents.
In 2012 architects completed the drawings for the Assisted Living Facility, and we completed the courses, and obtained an Operating Managers Licensing’s. Pert tested the land for building. We were in an agricultural area, and an assisted living facility could not operate within a quarter mile of agriculture spraying. It is uncertain to us if that was a new ordinance, or over looked in our preparation. So we begin to look off site for a suitable place, and move along with phase two, the school.
We had spent over five thousand dollars on the drawings for the living facility, needed a new architect as our plan was to attach the class rooms to the church building. This is when God began to manifest himself in our plans. The new architect showed up and walked just inside the front door and stopped cold in his tracks, and asked if we had termites! Of course we said no, but he insisted we get checked before we go any farther. The test revealed the place was infested with termites, and with the aid of the pest control guy, they were in plain sight. With the report in hand the architect advice was to abandon the project because the repairs would cost more than the value of the building. Now with over sixty thousand dollars invested down the drain, we limped away and found a new location for the Church. Back to square one!
From Mohave Valley, we moved up to Fort Mohave to 5617 HWY 95, Ste. 102, a store front Church. “All About Blinds” on one side, “Puppy Salon” on the other, and Bethel Community Church in the middle. We had a small Sanctuary which held about 40 chairs, a small class room for Children’s Church, a small office space, and the bathroom was in the Sanctuary. We settled in and with God’s help it worked fine. However we kept on the lookout for a bigger place and intensified the search for funds. Not that we hadn’t been looking for funds all along.
We settled down and began to look at how we had been blessed from the time we started in 2007, until then, 2012, we had been provided for, not lacked anything, and barely escaped a major lost, and our Church administration was in dire need of restructuring. We didn’t have a credit history, or a lengthy existence, so our prospects in the business world were next to none, and the economy took a dive. Now you get to see God again; our lease was up July 1, 2013. We had our sixth year anniversary, on March 18th. Pastor Bill met a businessman, Bob, at a Pastors Prayer meeting, and they began to talk and fellowship from time to time, Bob had a friend Dan who was writing a book, and since Pastor Bill had written a few books Bob introduced the two thinking Bill could give Dan some pointers. Bob and Dan attended the anniversary celebration at the Church. As Pastor Bill mingled and greeted guests, a lady said to him; “You need a bigger place.” A short time later, One of Ruth’s friends who’s in real estate said to Bill, “You need a bigger place, I’ll send you some listings, and see if we can find you something.” Later when Bob and Dan prepared to leave, Dan said to Bill: “You need a bigger place, give me a call, I’ve got a place for you.” When Bill and Ruth got home that evening, Ruth said, “Betty said our place was really small, and if we wanted to get a larger place she would help”. Bill revealed the three encounters he had during the day, and said there must be something to this!
Pastor Bill met with Dan as planned, and was shown a Church building recently vacated, Dan asked Bill if he wanted it, and of course Bill said YES! “Short Story,” Dan and the owner could not agree on the terms. No problem, says Dan, “I’ll find you something else.” True to his word, about three weeks later, Dan took Pastor Bill and a delegation from the church to 858 Hancock Road, a complex that houses four office spaces, and the question came again, “Can you use it?” The answer, yes! Again Dan and the owner could not come to terms. Pastor Bill asked, “What would they say to cash?” Dan said he’d ask, and they said yes.
Bethel Community Church had no money! Dan drew up the papers, Pastor Bill signed on behalf of Bethel Community Church. The building was refurbished throughout inside, including carpet and paint, and was ready to move into June 30, 2013, and we did.
We went from one room with a bathroom, to a Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, Children’s Church with a Nursery, five bathrooms, Sound Room, and Church Office, in a recession, with no money down! Now here’s the mystery, all the lending institutions Bill had been in search of funds, his new friend was the owner of Capital Lending Corp., a local lending institution. Pastor Bill had filled out an application and visited several times, speaking with a loan officer. Dan didn’t know I had been there, and I didn’t know who he was until we started the process. The loan officer was no longer Dan’s employee by this time. My human emotion was to walk into that young man’s office, with my arm on Dan’s shoulder and say “Oh! No need to introduce us we’ve already met. Dan this is the guy who turned me down for a loan.”
In God’s time wonders do perform.
