Eastview Christian Church History

In December of 1971, God began to move in the hearts of local ministers at the area Christian ministers' meeting. Don Flynn, Monrovia Christian Church, Ralph Christman, Paragon Christian Church, Norman Able, Liberty Christian Church, Larry Allen, Pleasant Grove Christian Church, and Ed Story of Centerton Christian Church discussed the need for another Christian Church in the area. 

On January 10, 1972, a meeting was held with Norman Able, Don Flynn, Ralph Christman and elders from Monrovia Christian Church to discuss the name for the church and a possible location. They wanted to locate on the east side of Martinsville and proposed the name Eastview Christian Church.
 
Eastview's first prayer meeting was held at the home of Bob Brummett on January 18, 1972. The following week, they rented the Home Industrial Building on State Road 252. Tuesday evening Bible Study and prayer meetings were begun which were led by Don Flynn or Ralph Christman. At this time, there were about a dozen people who gathered for Bible Study each week.
 
On March 19, 1972, the congregation of Eastview Christian Church met for their first worship service at the Home Industrial Building. Thirty-one (31) people were present for Bible School, with thirty-five (35) for worship service. Homer Henderson, from Mt. Tabor Christian Church, served as interim minister during this time.
 
Their search for a facility, which would allow for separate Sunday School classes, led them to rent the local YMCA building. The first service at the YMCA was Easter Sunday, April 2, 1972. Glen Jackson, a student from Lincoln Christian College in Lincoln, Illinois ministered to the 40 people present. Glen was hired as a summer intern until a full time minister could be hired.

As the new congregation transformed the YMCA into a church each Sunday, they received some assistance from local churches. Monrovia Christian Church donated communion trays, offering plates and song books, and a pulpit was made and donated by Mr. & Mrs. Aubrey Sichting.

 
In August 1972, Glen left to return to school. Frank Davis, a retired minister from Greenwood, preached until Roger Williams moved to Martinsville as full time minister on September 10, 1972. Roger was associate minister of University Heights in Indianapolis. At that time, Eastview had only 16 members. Roger resigned, because of his health, in December 1973.
 
After much prayer and planning, the congregation launched out on a building program to construct a house of worship. On June 9, 1973, Eastview acquired, from Mr. Hershel Castner, a 7-acre parcel of land located on SR 252 and Old Morgantown Rd., about one mile east of Martinsville. Plans for the new brick building included a sanctuary to seat 250 and a walk-out basement with nine classrooms and a kitchen.

In the meantime, the pulpit committee located a minister from Paoli, Indiana. Norman Ward gave a trial sermon on February 10, 1974 and was accepted as full-time minister on March 29. The average attendance at that time was 75 people.

 
In a congregational meeting February 9, 1975, the congregation voted to enter a finance program to secure the money for construction. They voted to sell $85,000 of 8½ % interest bonds. Ground breaking for the new building was June 8, 1975. Construction began in June with the men of the church doing most of the work while the ladies provided the food for energy. The congregation worshipped together at the YMCA for four years, averaging 120 and used the entire building for their classes. There were 230 people present at the first worship service on February 29, 1976.
 
Dedication service was held June 20, 1976 with Sherwood Evans, editor of Restoration Herald, Cincinnati, OH, as the speaker. Special music was provided by the Good News Publishers. At this time, there was a symbolic exchange of keys with Orville Manley, building committee chairman and Dave Clark, chairman of the board of deacons. There were 130 members at this time.
 
Excitement built as many people were being added to the church. On Monday mornings, people could be found in the grocery stores, the bank, the post office and other public places in town telling everyone about the "great day" they'd had the day before at Eastview. People began to come just to see what was happening.

By 1987, the congregation had outgrown their present sanctuary and Sunday School classes, and began a second phase of building. Ground breaking for the new addition was on May 3, 1987. The 5,080 square foot structure cost $480,000 and was completed in December 1987.

 
Having once again outgrown the current facilities and understanding the potential future growth of the congregation and the community, the congregation voted in May 2000 to begin a capital stewardship campaign for the addition of educational and administrative space. This added the necessary classrooms and other needed items such as an elevator, a larger nursery & toddler room and an office suite.

Currently, Eastview is involved in a Next Steps campaign that has as its goal the remodeling of the sanctuary and a myriad of smaller projects to enhance our ministries.
 
The history of Eastview has been a time of excitement and is evidence of the faithfulness of many Godly men and women. It is because of the foundations laid in our past that we are able to once again step out on faith and follow the will of God into the future. God has uniquely prepared Eastview to do His will in many ways and we invite you to search your heart and join us as we seek His will.