The Valley Bible Church moves to Merchant Square
WARWICK — The Valley Bible Church, which has been conducting services at Park Avenue School, has a new home and a new pastor.
As of this month, the church will hold services at Ronald Reagan Boulevard in Warwick's Merchants Square with Kevin McGuinness as pastor and Mike Jackson as elder.
Everyone is invited to the official grand opening on Sunday, Feb. 19.
The service time is 11 a.m. with fellowship and refreshments both prior and after the service.
McGuinness (Pastor Mac) graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1981. He was pastor of the Cornerstone Bible Church in Rivervale, N.J., from 1998 to 2016.
Thirty years in WarwickThe Valley Bible Church has a 30-year presence in Warwick.
In April 1985 Pastor Bud Voreland was in Warwick looking for the home of Edith Tanner. Voreland knew Nick DeVries Sr. and stopped at his home for directions. DeVries was able to give directions and also spoke to Voreland about a desire for a new church body in Warwick.
Within three months, a weekly bible study began in the Bellvale home of Bob and Diane Everett.
By March 1986 Sunday Church services were being held in the basement of the Clocktower building on Main Street in the Village of Warwick and the congregation was incorporated as The Warwick Valley Evangelical Free Church.
In March 1987 services were moved to the old Calvary Baptist Church building on West Street in Warwick and were held there until January 1998 when the church body began meeting in the Bellvale United Methodist Church.
The church's name was changed to Valley Bible Church in June 2007 and services were then held in Warwick's Park Avenue Elementary School from April 2012 through this January.
Bellvale residents Sharon and Tony Houston, who was the Town of Warwick supervisor until 2002, became involved with the church through knowing many people who were attending.
"After 30 years," said Tony Houston, "it's great to be in Merchants Square and have full time use of our facility."
Essential informationFor additional information visit: www.vbchurch.org.
- Roger Gavan