Our History

A Brief History of Guerneville Bible Church

A group gathered together in 1955 for fellowship and to organize a church in Guerneville, California. On March 12, 1956 this became a reality and it received its incorporation papers and later that year a resolution to buy property was passed and they purchased a place at 17290 Highway 116. The first pastor was John Bagley, a well known artist in the area and also a commercial artist. Several pastors served over the years, including Dr. John Bain, a former pastor of Santa Rosa Bible Church. The present pastor is Ervin Jenkins who was semi-retired from thirty-two years of ministry at Grace Baptist Church of Santa Rosa. He came on a pulpit supply and has stayed for twenty one years as the present pastor. Pastor Jenkins is a 1952 graduate of Biola Bible College, and a 1955 graduate of Talbot Theological Seminary. His desire in ministry is to see people brought to the Lord for salvation and to grow in the things of the Lord. He describes his church as one whose members are growing in the things of the Lord, and who love one another.
  
Former Pastors of Guerneville Bible Church

 

Pastor Ervin Jenkins

Born in Enid, OK on June 27, 1928. Early life – spent the first 19 years in and around Enid. Graduated from Enid High School in 1946. Enter Phillips University, in Enid in fall of 1946 and spent 2 years there and majored in Geology and related courses, as I planned to go on to University of Oklahoma and study to be a Petroleum Engineer.

Pastor Ervin Jenkins

 
My plans began to change when in June, 1946, I attended a Revival Meeting at Enid’s Washington Avenue Bible Church where an older minister, Dr. Elwood Bulgin was preaching and I was gloriously saved by accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior!!! The greatest thing that has ever happened to me!!!

I finished my second year at Phillips, but my life’s plans had been gloriously changed because God had called me into His service and I was led to go to a Bible College to study for the ministry. The Lord helped me in leading me to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (or BIOLA) where I graduated in 1952 and President of my Senior Class.

The next year I entered Talbot Theological Seminary, where I majored in Old Testament under Dr. Charles Feinberg, Dean of the school. During those three years I sang with the Talbot Seminary Quartet and it helped fill a place in my heart for singing, and especially, in Quartet works!

I graduated from Talbot Seminary in 1955 without any idea where I would go. In 1951 I married the woman that I loved and still love with all my heart and will continue to do so. She was and is a true God-sent person and who also wanted to do what God wanted to do with her life. Her home church was First Baptist Church of Yuba City, California, and that is where Eula and I went after I graduated in 1955 from Seminary.

In August of 1955 I was called to be the Pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Santa Rosa, California, where I was the Pastor for 32 years. The church had been organized for a year when I came. Over the next 25 years we built a 5 unit Church culminating in a beautiful sanctuary in 1972 or 1973. The Lord blessed our work and then in 1987 we decided to retire.

Pastor Ervin Jenkins and Eula

I did interim pastoral work in various churches in Northern California, spending a year in Ukiah Calvary Baptist Church, and then in the Fall of 1989 came to Guerneville Bible Church as a pulpit supply, but was asked by the church to stay as pastor.

My wife and I have really enjoyed the work and people in our church. God has blessed our church and God has seen to it that we have loved one another. Eula and I are proud parents of four children: Ruth, Lois (the church pianist here), Brian, Linda. And thank God for a wonderful life in Christ!

~Ervin Jenkins

 

 

 

Pastor Don Hieter

Pastor Don Hieter

Pastor Don Hieter lead the weekly Bible study and prayer meeting at Guerneville Bible Church and usually preached the Lord's Day sermon, when Pastor Jenkins was absent.

Don was Pastor for 28 years at Oat Valley Baptist Church, which began under the name Faith Baptist Church on the 15th of May in 1957.  The name was changed March 1 in 1974 when the church moved to a new location under Don's leadership. Being a talented and dedicated builder Don saw a beautiful sanctuary being used for the Lord on two acres near the scenic vineyards of Oat Valley and is responsible for most of the building.

Don is happily married to his wife Ruth. They are parents of two children, Debbie and Nathan.