Our history
Cottage prayer meetings were held for quite a while before any meeting house was built. On March 9, 1933, J. D. Steadman deeded a triangular lot of land on south side of Old Rutherford Road for a chapel site for a meeting house. By donations of labor and lumber by the interested community people, a framed wooden meeting house was soon erected. The community prayer meetings were continued, holding their meetings in this new meeting house as soon as it was ready and a Sunday School was organized soon after. The Sunday School was organized under the direction of Rev. J. Earl Freeman, who soon after was elected as General Advisor to these religious services, and preached one Sunday afternoon in each month for those who assembled.
Organized on September 23, 1934 – Mt. Creek, Taylors, Double Springs and Fairview Churches had previously been invited to be under the direction of Rev. J. Earl Freeman, twenty-four Baptist men and women with letters from their Churches were organized into a Baptist Church. The pastors of Mt. present to constitute a council in the presence of which the Church was to organize. Deacons were present from all these Churches except Double Springs. The pastors of Double Springs and Mt. Creek could not attend. Rev. M. O. Owens, pastor of Taylors and Fairview Churches, was present. Also Rev. W. H. Gibson of Sacramento, California and Rev. J. L. Freeman, a retired minister of the Taylors Church, were present and assisted in the organization.
August 25, 1957 – The church voted to stand against the new RSV Bible.
September 22, 1957 – The church was called into conference Sunday night. The church voted to discontinue the use of the Sunday School literature because of the presence of the RSV in some of it. The church also voted to quit sending money to the Southern Baptist cooperative program and to adopt some missionaries and send the money directly to them.
January 24, 1971 – Rev. Larry Raynes called as pastor from Tampa Florida.
The church purchased the 5 acres on which the current sanctuary, school, and parking lot are now located in November 1983 for $10,000.
October 7, 1987, church voted to build the current sanctuary as a “tabernacle” for campmeetings. In June of 1988 first campmeeting was held in the new building, and on June 29 the church voted to move services into this building.
July 23, 2006 – Dr. Larry K. Raynes retired from the pastorate after 35 ½ years of faithful service.
July 26, 2006 – The church voted unanimously to bring Brother Stacey Shiflett in as pastor. Pastor Shiflett and his family were serving as missionaries in South Africa. They arrived on August 13, 2006. Pastor Shiflett has built on the foundation laid by Dr. Raynes and expanded the ministries of the Pleasant View to include a Hispanic outreach, Bus Ministry and weekly Bible Institute classes. Pleasant View has undergone many changes through the years, but one thing has not changed – a recognition of God’s Word as our Final Authority, old fashion worship and the undertaking of the Great Commission; both here and abroad.
Pleasant View has always been a place where old fashion preaching, praying, singing and shouting is not only welcome, but encouraged. Pastor Shiflett has an intense desire to maintain the course established 76 years ago, thanks to the faithful men of God that preceeded him. If people rejoicing in their salvation and testifying of God’s goodness is something you enjoy, you’ll love the services here at Pleasant View. The plain, expository, straight-forward preaching of God’s Word is the main event; accompanied by testimonies, hearty singing and worship. Old time religion is not dead. Come see it for yourself!