How We Got Our Start

Mesa Hills Bible Church began in July 20th, 1891 as the Spruce Street Sunday School meeting in the home of Mr. and Mrs. G.S Wilson.  The group soon outgrew the Wilson’s living room and began to meet in a storefront at the corner of Walnut and Dale Street.  As growth continued, another meeting place was sought out, and a meeting hall for the Fire Department (Adam’s Hose Building) at the corner of Spruce St. and Mesa Road filled that need.

By 1893, the new congregation had concluded that a permanent location was needed and in August, the property was purchased.  Within a year the old fireman’s meeting hall was moved to make way for construction of the first Chapel.

The Sunday School which had begun as a mission of the First Presbyterian Church continued to grow, and in 1901 was organized into a self supporting body under the name of Emanuel Presbyterian Church.  Throughout the next 30 years, two additions would be made to the facility to accommodate steady growth, as the church would continue to teach the Bible as the inerrant word of God.

While Emanuel Presbyterian Church faithfully taught the scriptures, changes were taking place within the Presbyterian Church USA that would prove incompatible with the teaching of the Emanuel Church.  The Emanuel Church joined with other congregations in the formation of a group called the Bible Presbyterians and found that it had to buy back the property it had originally purchased, as it had become the legal property of the PCUSA.  Emanuel’s association with the newly organized Bible Presbyterians would prove too difficult to maintain, so in 1949, Emanuel Church joined with other like minded churches in an association called the Independent Fundamental Churches of America.  That association would continue through the present.

With the impending freeway construction of the early 1960’s, the church found it was cut off, and the major thoroughfare that once passed its doors had become a cul-de-sac, relegating it to an obscure backstreet.  After scouting several locations, the congregation settled on the hillside at the northwest corner of Cooper and Uintah St. and on June 26, 1966, became Mesa Hills Bible Church.  Two additional building projects would be completed in 1972 and 1992.

In the forty years since becoming Mesa Hills, we have had four senior pastors who have continued to teach the Bible message as it was taught since 1891.  That central Bible message is that God loved us enough to send His own son, Jesus Christ, to die for us on the cross, to pay for our sins, since we are unable to pay for them ourselves in our own effort.  (Romans 3:23, 6:23, Isaiah 53:6)  If we confess our sins, ask God for forgiveness, and trust Christ as our savior, He will gladly open His arms and receive us as His own.  (John 3:16, I John 1:9, Luke 15:17)  If you have never done this, or would like more information, would you please call the church at (719) 635-3566 and speak with one of our pastors?  They would be happy to discuss this with you.