About CVA
Our History
A story of God's faithfulness, guiding and growing Canyon View Assembly through each season.
“Great Things He Hath Done”
Excerpt from the Dedication Program of Canyon View Assembly, June 10, 1979
1955 – 1971
Humble Beginnings On The Divide
Our church history began in 1955, when Rev. and Mrs. Jerry Wheeler started the Foresthill Community Church, an interdenominational church, in the Foresthill Memorial Chapel. Worship services were held in the Chapel and Sunday School was held in the Memorial Hall. They then leased and refurbished the Foresthill Community Hall and began meeting there in August of 1958.
Rev. Perry Gower became the pastor in 1961 until June 1963, when Rev. Leonard Harris became pastor. It was during Reverend Harris' ministry that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was outpoured on the people and the church became Charismatic.
In 1969 Rev. Gower returned as pastor, and in November 1970 the church body voted to become affiliated with the General Council of the Assemblies of God and the proceedings were initiated. Rev. Gower also initiated a building fund to obtain facilities of their own. The Women's Missionary Council made the first contribution to the fund on May 22, 1970, in the amount of $142.50.
In August of 1971, Rev. Gary Anderson was elected as pastor, and he, his wife Cheryl, and their 2-year-old son Marc moved to Foresthill and assumed the responsibilities of pastor of Foresthill Community Church. A few months later affiliation proceedings were completed and the church officially became part of the Assemblies of God, with Rev. W.O. Vickery, District Secretary-Treasurer, officiating the ceremony.
1972 – 1973
Donated Land And A Turned Shovel
God's time and will for the construction of a new church building was confirmed with the miraculous securing of land in 1972. When Pastor Anderson contacted the American Forest Products Corporation about obtaining land, the 2.2 acres of choice land on the main highway through town was not sold to the church as requested — it was DONATED and DEEDED over to the church, a savings of over $5,000, which was the entire amount of the building fund at that time. The building fund remained intact.
On Sunday, April 29, 1973, the church had their groundbreaking ceremony. Special guests present for this occasion were Rev. Robert Pirtle, Assistant Superintendent of the Northern California Nevada District of the Assemblies of God; Wendell Davis of American Forest Products; past pastors Rev. Leonard Harris and Rev. Perry Gower; and architect Roger Stafford. Pastor Anderson and board members Ilene Johnson, Fillmore Emerson and Lonnie Dodd were also on hand to turn the first shovel of ground.
1973 – 1977
God Began To Move In Mighty And Miraculous Ways
Every step of the build came with a provision no one could have arranged. Again and again, the building fund stayed intact.
The surveyor of the property sent his bill stamped “PAID.” The building fund stayed intact.
The architectural drawings and labor were donated by Roger Stafford, a dedicated layman in a Lodi church — a savings of $5,000. The building fund still intact!
Shortly before construction began, God beautifully supplied the need for a supervisor with equipment and experience by guiding Tony and Helen Fieguth to the area for their retirement. Tony saw the need and opportunity for ministry of his gifts and equipment and volunteered to take on the project. With his construction knowledge and experience, his back-hoe, lift truck, tools, dedication and ingenuity, the building project began and proceeded smoothly with no extra cost.
While Tony Fieguth was excavating the land, he uncovered a box containing a long forgotten, unused water hook-up to the city water supply. Praise God! Moses did it with a rod; we did it with a back-hoe. Water less than 50 feet from where the building would stand, at absolutely no cost.
Although material was needed to pour the church foundation, the cost of purchasing and transporting it up the hill to Foresthill would have depleted the building fund. God moved again — it rained, the first time in July for as long as people could remember. Logging in the woods was shut down for three days, an almost unheard of occurrence during the peak summer months. The mill's dump trucks could not be used in the woods, so American Forest Products sent one of their men and their large dump truck up and down the hill (a 50-mile round trip) hauling sand and gravel to the church property. It took three full days and nine trips to haul the 35 yards of material needed. The cost to us? The material only, at wholesale price.
The day the foundation was poured was a great day of victory and a testimony of unity in building a house of God. The 40-by-100-foot foundation required 30 yards of concrete — 180 bags of cement — and was expected to take from early morning until dark. With the help of 33 men from our church, neighboring churches and the town (including an employee from Grant's Hardware who was told his assignment that day was to help with the foundation, because this town needs a good church building), it took only four and a half hours, using 4 mixers and 10 wheelbarrows.
Due to “red tape” difficulties, construction was delayed until the following Spring. At the time of the original start date, lumber prices had hit an all-time high — but by the time lumber was purchased in 1975 it had hit bottom, with savings of 40% to 50%. Man cannot predict the ups and downs of lumber prices, but God can. The delay was for our benefit and God's glory.
The Van Gas Company donated the labor of two employees for two days to help direct and install the heating duct work, and George Grant, a local businessman and plumber, donated all installation of plumbing free of cost and provided many of the necessary materials at slightly over wholesale prices. A temporary electric pole was donated and erected at no cost by the Foresthill Telephone Company.
The problem and cost of erecting the large, heavy trusses for the cathedral sanctuary was solved with the ingenious construction of a crane by Tony Fieguth. The 30-foot boom he built proved invaluable for lifting the five huge, handcrafted trusses with the help of only three men, along with the other heavy beams, posts and trusses.
Large sums of money were saved as God led many times in the purchasing of materials at very reduced prices, including the opportunity to obtain paneling direct from an Oregon mill at one quarter of list price — delivered free of charge.
After moving into the new church, the dirt parking lot was becoming inaccessible with the coming rains. American Forest Products offered the use of their serpentine pit and a dump truck, but all of their loaders were tied up in the woods. The superintendent of the Placer County Road Department, Mr. Fisher, consented to let us use one of their loaders for one day, and a quarter of the needed rock was hauled. When Pastor Anderson asked for more help, he was told the loader was tied up for weeks — then God moved. The very next day a salesman asked the County for the privilege of demonstrating a loader they might purchase. Mr. Fisher replied, “Yes, you may demonstrate the loader… in Foresthill!” The loader was available to the church for a week, during which all 300 yards of rock was loaded and hauled. The mill then sent two graders, a dozer, water truck and roller, complete with operators, to finish the lot — all at no cost. Of course, soon after completion, the rains began!
Built Debt-Free
The Building Fund Never Ran Out
God blessed miraculously with the finances, as over $37,000 was donated during construction. The entire structure was built on a cash basis, with the building fund never running out and the materials on hand never depleted. An indebtedness of $20,000 was incurred at the end of the construction phase in order to purchase furnishings, carpet and provide the final touches, making a total of only $58,000 invested into the entire project — which was valued at over $150,000 at the time of dedication.
The money contributed came through monthly contributions by the church body, cash gifts from friends, relatives and interested community members, various projects of our Women's Missionary Council and Boy's Club, and a $1,000 donation from the Auburn Assembly of God, Reverend Martin Engerbretsen, Pastor.
August 21, 1977
Moving Day
August 21, 1977 was a great day as the congregation moved into their long-awaited and newly constructed facilities — almost nineteen years to the day from when they had first moved into the Foresthill Community Hall. And with the new facilities came a new name: “Canyon View Assembly of God” was selected by the congregation, replacing Foresthill Community Church. And what a canyon view there is!
Because the Community Hall had been designated for use by another group sooner than expected, it became necessary to occupy the new building before all of the finish work was complete. The congregation entered with praise and thanksgiving, knowing that only through God's miraculous works and their determined effort had the facilities been approved for occupancy. The electricity still was not ready for inspection two days before moving day — and by God's grace the inspection and hook-up were completed in those two days instead of the weeks the process usually requires.
On moving day the congregation met in the Foresthill Community Hall for Sunday School, then made a car caravan parade to the new facilities for morning worship. Reverend Wheeler, the founding pastor, ministered in the morning service, and Reverend Harris, a former pastor, ministered in the evening, with a pot-luck dinner served between.
As the congregation sat in their new, unfinished building for the first service — and as they gathered for the dedication of the completed building — they felt the same unity of praise to God for His mighty works and miraculous hand in making this building possible. We realize that we have not built this church. God has! And He will continue to bless and complete the purpose which He has for this congregation as a witness and lighthouse in this community…
To God Be The Glory!
Still Writing The Story
Be Part Of What God Is Doing Next
Join us any Sunday at 10:00 AM at 23221 Foresthill Rd, Foresthill, CA 95631.