Humble Beginnings

Our church began as a home Bible study, meeting in Beekman. Pastor Dan Ziegler, the Director of Church Extension for the Bible Fellowship Church would travel up from his home in Plainfield, New Jersey to lead the study. In time, this Bible study grew, and there was a desire to meet together on Sunday mornings.

Eventually, this Bible study group was recognized as a "mission church" of the Bible Fellowship Church, and a young couple was assigned to be the church-planter for this mission. This young couple, Jim and Barb Wickstead, moved to the Hudson Valley, raised a family of 3 boys, and saw the mission grow into an established church. In all, Pastor Wickstead pastored the church for 37 years, but was helped by several core families, several of whom are still part of the congregation.

Growing Through Change
One of our first Sunday meeting places was a barn, which was heated by some pot-belly stoves. While Pastor Jim preached, we would put pots of soup on the stoves for a lunch after the service. Another temporary meeting place was the Grange building in Union Vale.

A few years later, the Crossroads Missionary and Alliance Church outgrew their building in "the Clove", and built a new building just down the street. But keeping up maintenance on a church building that was over 150 years old became a burden, and they agreed to sell their old building to our congregation for just one dollar! Children of our congregation brought their nickels one Sunday to purchase the building. But we needed to make over $20,000 worth of repairs and renovations - but now we had our own place to meet!

Continuing Faithful Ministry
Pastor Jim was a faithful servant of God, loved by all. He and Barbara were making plans to retire to a home they had purchased in Florida, but plans were changed when Pastor Wickstead suddenly passed into the presence of the Lord in September of 2013. Barbara, who had ministered to the children of the church each week for many years, did move to Florida the following April.

We were without a pastor for over a year, but our elders, Tom Ward and Charles Webb, served us well during that time. Then at the end of 2014, we called Pastor Dennis and Sue Spinney to lead and serve our congregation with their gifts. 

Looking to the Future
After seven years, Pastor Dennis retired to be closer to his grandkids in Pennsylvania. In April 2023, God called our current pastor, Evan Climpson, to shepherd the church at Valley. Today, we continue to be a group of disciples of Jesus, who strive 1) to know God more fully, 2) to love others sacrificially, and 3) to make the name of Jesus famous in Dutchess County. We are confident that Jesus will build His church by the preaching of His Word, the fellowship of the saints, and the work of the Holy Spirit.