Valley Christian Church started as a dream when a group of Christians joined together to form a Christian Church in Albuquerque’s South Valley. Twelve adults met on October 12, 1962, to make plans to make this dream come true. Weekly prayer meetings were started, and a search for a temporary place of worship was started. An old adobe house at 3808 Isleta Boulevard Southwest was rented and regular services began on January 6, 1963, with 42 persons in Sunday School and 52 in Morning Worship.

The first part-time minister was Monte Avery who served about a year. Roy Barringer was the part-time minister starting in January 1964, and he served four years. During that time, acreage at 2813 Gun Club Road Southwest was purchased and a barracks from Kirtland Air Force Base was moved onto the land. After many repairs and much remodeling, the first worship service was held July 12, 1964, with an attendance of 94 at the morning worship service.

Valley needed a full-time minister, and David Sawkins, a graduating senior from Ozark Bible College, was selected. He began his ministry in June 1968 and ministered until the spring of 1983. In March of 1971, construction began on what is now the Fellowship Hall, which was used for a sanctuary for many years. Additional classrooms were also added. Other staff members were added: Carroll Moore, Neal Tardiff, and George Lanoue. The facility at 2813 Gun Club was bursting at the seams. The church leaders and congregation had the foresight to purchase 4-1/2 acres of land across Gun Club and south of the present building. In 1978, plans were started to build on that property.

The new building was dedicated on July 20, 1980. Valley Christian Academy was established in the fall of 1981.

After David Sawkins left, David Johnson served for a little more than a year, leaving in the summer of 1985. While he served as minister, our Day Care was established. In October 1985, Bernie Frazier became our minister, and he was here until November 1987. We were without a minister until February 1988 when Joe Hunsaker became the interim minister while he completed his master’s degree. Milo Davis was selected as our minister in October 1988, and he served four years, followed by Jonathan O’Dowd who was here about two years.

In February 1996, David Morgan was selected to minister, and under his leadership, our church again began to grow and prosper. A gift of 8-1/2 acres of land south of the present church was given to the church in 2003. Bill Morgan joined the staff in November 2003 and in August of 2009 Vince Delorme joined the staff. In July 2015 Vince left our staff.  David Morgan, our Pastor for 24 years retired Mar 1, 2020.

We have now been blessed with a new full-time Pastor, Dave Rorabaugh. Dave comes to us from First Christian Church of Nevada, MO, but he has served the Lord in previously in Deming, Lordsburg, and Alamogordo New Mexico.

What a busy sixty-two years God’s Christian Church on Gun Club Road Southwest has had! How blessed we have been, and how thankful we are to have had the opportunity to serve in this place!

A dream – start a Christian Church in Albuquerque’s Southwest Valley!

First planning meeting took place October 12, 1962
❖Weekly prayer meetings started
❖Adobe house at 3808 Isleta Boulevard Southwest rented
❖Regular services began on January 6, 1963, with 52 persons in morning worship
❖Acreage bought at 2813 Gun Club Road Southwest
❖Military Barracks from Kirtland Air Force Base bought and moved to site
❖Repair and remodeling of building by congregation
❖First service in new building was July 12, 1964
❖Addition of auditorium and more classrooms started in March 1971
❖4-1/2 acres of land bought across Gun Club (south) for future building

Plans started in 1978 to build on that property (2850 Gun Club Southwest)
❖New building dedicated July 20, 1980
❖Valley Christian Academy established in fall of 1981
❖Day Care established in 1984
❖8-1/2 acres of land south of 2850 Gun Club property donated to church

Ministers who have served at Valley Christian
❖Monty Avery (part-time) – 1 year
❖Roy Barringer (part-time) – 4 years
❖David Sawkins (full time) – 15 years
❖Carroll Moore (youth minister; later associate minister) – 6-1/2 years
❖Neal Tardiff (youth minister, interim minister) – about 3 years
❖George Lanoue (associate minister) – about 2 years
❖David Johnson – 1 year
❖Bernie Frazier – 2 years
❖Joe Hunsacker – 10 months
❖Milo Davis – 4 years
❖Jonathan O’Dowd – 2 years
❖Vince Delorme (youth minister) – 6 years
❖Bill Morgan (associate minister) – 12 years
❖David Morgan (full time) – 24 years

Current Ministers Serving at Valley Christian Church
❖ David Rorabaugh (full time) – Started  8/11/2020