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Few disagree that God was up
to something in 1945. On a global level, it's clear the
Lord's hands were busy behind the curtain of world events as
an end was dramatically wrought to World War II.
It was in
January of 1945 that American troops invaded Germany,
pressuring Nazi leader Adolf Hitler to retreat in isolation
to
Führerbunker, his underground shelter. The following month,
on February 23, allied forces heroically invaded the
Japanese island of Iwo Jima, where US Marines are
photographed raising the American flag on the top of Mount
Suribachi. Indeed, a plan was unfolding for Europe and Asia.
God's orchestration of events in 1945 can also be seen
on a local level. For a small community in central
Arkansas, it's clear the Lord was multitasking. For
the people of Crystal Hill, it's clear He was hard at work
in their midst, as well abroad.
1945: Humble Beginnings
Our story begins with a scenic drive down Crystal Hill Road
by two men. T.J. Harness, a deacon from Pike Avenue
Baptist Church, and R.D. Harrington, a young man newly
called to gospel ministry, were following up on their plans
to scout the area for possible mission work. What they found
was a field "white unto harvest." A steadily rising
residential population, as well as small business market,
had created a new demand for area churches. According to
Harness and Harrington, the time for action
was obvious, and the need for
workers, clear.
With the support of Pike Avenue Baptist Church, the
"Crystal Valley Baptist Mission" was established in March
1945. Equipped with little more than vision and
determination, this minister-deacon team would begin their
work entirely from scratch. Rev. R.D. Harrington would
serve as mission pastor and Bro. T.J. Harness as Sunday
School Superintendent.
Lacking facilities, the mission began by hosting
services in a honky-tonk bar and dance hall owned by the
black community. Sunday School classes met outside in
cars and under shade trees. Baptisms were held in
neighboring churches, ponds, creeks, and rivers.
Though entrusted over "little," the mission sought to be
faithful.
It was only a matter of time before the Lord saw fit to
entrust the group over "much." By way of a generous
contribution from a Mr. and Mrs. John Tompkins and T.J.
Ballew, God blessed
the mission with three acres of land to establish a more
permanent outreach along Crystal Hill Road. His
provisions continued further as men and women from Pike
Avenue Baptist stepped forward to donate their time and
talents toward the construction of a new building.
On July 4, 1945 the roof was completed on a small frame
wooden meeting house. The following month, on August
12, 1945 (only days after American bombers passed over Hiroshima
and Nagasaki), the Crystal Valley Mission was organized as a
self-supported Southern Baptist congregation known as
Crystal Valley Baptist Church.1
Twenty-six charter members made up the new church plant.
1950's: A New Home
By March of 1950, only five years after the Crystal
Valley Mission was originally launched, Crystal Valley
Baptist Church was witnessing a fair deal of growth.
Like the early church of Acts, the Lord appeared to be
adding to their number daily those who were being saved. As
such, the congregation was quickly outgrowing their
facilities. In an effort to create more space for small
groups, and to buy some time to think through a larger
building project, the option was pursued to add four
classrooms to the wooden meeting house.
Another six years later, the church had completely
outgrown their building. The time had come for a new
church home. On April 8, 1956, ground breaking and
dedication services were held for a new concrete block
building which was to house the church. With volunteer
labor, work on the auditorium and five classrooms began
without delay. On August 13, 1958, the first services were
held in the new building.
1960's: Building Momentum
 By
God's grace, the church's numbers continued to rise.
By 1965, plans were on the table for the construction of a
third addition to the church. Plans included an
auditorium with seating capacity for 280, with two overflow
rooms and the first church baptistery. The building
would also contain five classrooms, three offices, three
restrooms, a basement fellowship hall, and storage space, as well as
a broad front porch. Once plans were finalized,
construction began. On February 19 1967, the new
auditorium was first used. Later that year, on August
13, 1967 (Homecoming Sunday), the building was formally
dedicated. God's kindness was celebrated.
1970's: A Decade of Marvelous Ministry
 Following
the resignation of their recent senior pastor, the church called
and installed Bro. Ed. Walker as their interim pastor on
Easter Sunday, 1970. Ten months later, in January of 1971,
Bro. Walker accepted the position of senior pastor.
In 1974 the need arose to add four pews to the
auditorium's overflow rooms bringing its seating capacity to
over 300. This was to buy the church more time so
plans could be made and executed for the construction of a
fourth auditorium. On Sunday, August 8, 1976 (Homecoming
Sunday), ground was broken for the project. On March
28, 1977, the new sanctuary was dedicated "for the glory of
God." During the year of 1978, the old auditorium
dedicated in '67 was remodeled to provide 12 new classrooms.
Under the leadership of Bro. Ed. Walker, and the roof
of a new sanctuary, Crystal Valley Baptist Church benefited
from the fruits of pastoral longevity and enormous
congregational laboring. It was during this period
that church membership exceeded [___] hundred persons.
Bro. Walker ministered at the
church for over a decade before resigning in 1985.
1980's
to Present: New Beginnings and Fresh Horizons
With the construction
of the new Sanctuary, the option was pursued to renovate
part of the old building, dedicated in 1976, into a new
Fellowship Hall with a fully equipped kitchen (named "Ed
Walker Hall"). The old basement Fellowship Hall would later
be remodeled into new classrooms, currently used as our
Student Ministry and Benevolence centers.
Since the dedication of this most recent Sanctuary,
Crystal Valley Baptist Church has benefited from God's
rotation and introduction of new challenges, ministry
opportunities, vision and leadership. Today, under the
pastorate of Paul Loyd (installed on March 25, 2007),
Crystal Valley Baptist is enjoying a season of Organized
Church Reform through which the church is seeking to
refine its model of leadership, its method of ministry, and
its means of instruction. Regarding it's model of
leadership, Bro. Loyd is promoting a reformed approach to
church polity, working to re-present the biblical offices of
pastor (i.e. elder) & deacon, as well as to restructure a
system of healthy congregationalism (see
"A
Display of God's Glory"). Regarding it's method of ministry, an emphasis is being
placed on more scripturally defined and regulated approaches to worship,
fellowship, evangelism, discipleship, and service.
Regarding it's means of instruction, priority has been given
to chapter by chapter, verse by verse, expositional
preaching. |
