OUR HISTORY

           Excerpt from Dedication Program of Canyon View Assembly, June 10, 1979:

"Great Things He Hath Done"

"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 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.

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, but was DONATED and DEEDED over to the church at a savings of over $5,000 (the amount of the building fund at that time and leaving the building fund intact.

On Sunday, April 29, 1973, the church had their groundbreaking ceremony. Special guests present for this occasion were the 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.

God began to move in mighty and miraculous ways:

• the surveyor of the property sent his bill stamped "PAID"...the building fund intact!

• the architectural drawings and labor were donated by Roger Stafford, a dedicated layman in a Lodi church, a savings of $5000... the building fund still intact!

• shortly before construction on the building began, God beautifully supplied the need for a supervisor with equipment and experience by guiding Tony & 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...the building fund still intact!

• 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 that 50 ft. from where the building would stand at absolutely no cost...the building fund still intact.

• although material was needed to pour the church foundation, the cost of purchasing and transporting the materials 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. This was an almost unheard of occurrence during the peak summer logging months. The mill's dump trucks could not be used in the woods due to the rain. Instead the American Forest Products Corporation sent one of their men and their large dump truck up and down the hill (50 mile round trip) hauling sand and gravel to the church property. It took THREE full days...nine trips, to haul the 35 yards of material needed. The cost to us?...for the material only at the wholesale price...the building fund still intact!

• a temporary electric pole was donated and erected at no cost by the Foresthill Telephone Company.

• the day the foundation was poured was a great day of victory and testimony of the unity of spirit and goal in building a house of God. The 40 ft. by 100 ft. foundation, which would require 30 yds of concrete (180 bags of cement) was expected to take from early morning to dark to pour. However, with the help of 33 men, including those from our church, neighboring churches and towns people (including an employee from Grant's Hardware that was told his assignment that day was to help with the foundation because this town needs a good church building), it took only 4 1/2 hours to pour all of the concrete needed...using 4 mixers and 10 wheelbarrows.

• due to "red tape" difficulties, construction was delayed (except for the pouring of the foundation) 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 from 40% to 50%. Praise God! It is certain that man cannot predict the ups and downs of lumber prices, but God can! The delay in starting construction and the purchase of lumber was for our benefit and God's glory!

• The Van Gas Company donated labor of two employees for two days in order to help direct and install the heating duct work.

• 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.

• The problem and costs of erecting the large heavy trusses for the cathedral sanctuary was solved with the ingenious construction of a crane by Tony fieguth. The 30' boom he constructed proved invaluable for lifting the five huge, handcrafted trusses with the help of only three men and the other heavy beams, trusses, posts, etc.

• 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 1/4 the list prices and it was even delivered free of charge!

• after moving into the new church, we faced the problem of the dirt parking lot becoming inaccessible with the coming rains. Again the American Forest Product Corporation generously offered to assist us by offering the use of their serpentine pit and a dump truck. Praise God! But, all of their loaders were being used in the woods and were unavailable until after the rains caused the work in the woods to close for the season...much too late to do us any good. It was then that the superintendent of the Placer County Road Department, Mr. Fisher, was contacted who consented for us to use one of their loaders for one day. With the mill's dump truck and rock pit and the County's loader, 1/4 of the needed rock was hauled to our parking lot. Additional rock was needed, but when Pastor Anderson approached the County for additional assistance, he was told their loader was tied up for weeks. But, then God moved! The very next day, a salesman approached the County Road Department requesting the privilege of demonstrating a loader that he hoped the County might purhase. Mr. Fisher replied, "Yes, you may demonstrate the loader...in Foresthill!! Praise God! The loader was available to the church for a week, during which time all of the rock needed (300 yards) was loaded and hauled. The American Forest Products mill then sent two graders, a dozer, water truck and roller, complete with operators to complete the parking lot and give us a smooth base of 6 to 12 inches...all at no cost! Praise God!  Of course, soon after completion of the parking lot, the rains began!

• God has also blessed miraculously with the finances as over $37,000. was donated during the construction of the building. The entire structure was built on a cash bases 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 is currently valued at over $150,000. The money contributed came through monthly contributions by the church body, cash gifts from friends, relatives, interested community members, various projects of our Women's Missionary Council, Boy's Club and a $1000. donation from the Auburn Assembly of God, Reverend Martin Engerbretsen, Pastor.

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!

Since the Community Hall had been designated for use by another group sooner than expected, it became necessary to occupy the new building sooner than anticipated and before all of the finish work and final touches had been completed. The congregation entered the new facilities with praise and thanksgiving knowing that only through God's miraculous works and their determined effort, the entire facilities had been approved for occupancy. An example was the electricity, which still was not ready for inspection and hook-up two days before "moving day". With God's grace and by His hand, the inspection and hook-up was completed in those two days instead of the weeks that this 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 services. Excitement and anticipation mounted for the first service in the new building. Reverend Wheeler, founding pastor, ministered in the morning service and Reverend Harris, former pastor, ministered in the evening service with a pot-luck dinner served between services.

As the congregation sat in their new, unfinished building for the first service and as we gather together today for the dedication of this beautiful completed building, we feel the same unity of praise to our 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!!