MISSION VALLEY COMMUNITY CHAPEL

History and Founders, Site, and Focus – Scripture, Prayer, and Missions

HISTORY AND FOUNDERS

The following history, ministries, and saints in fellowship, at Mission Valley Community Chapel is based upon documents of record and recollections of current and past Mission Valley Community Chapel members and an interview between Mrs. Jean Mader and Mrs. Kelly-Jo Hollman-Herewig in November 30, 1998.

Mission Valley Community Chapel, (hereinafter referred to as Chapel), started out as a Sunday school and mid-week prayer and Bible Study by Mr. & Mrs. Ralph and Louise Barker as a small group community assembly in the late 1940’s. In the early 1950’s James Mader was called to Pastor the assembly along with his wife Jean. Ralph Barker was instrumental in establishing the religious foundation of the Chapel based upon the Plymouth Brethren worship and priority of the Scriptures, Prayer and Missions. Due to the faithful men Pastor Mader discipled from 1950’s to his passing on January 12, 2012, the Chapel’s priority has stayed true to these three (3) tenets, even today. The Chapel has no membership. All are welcome that love the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and are seeking the truth of the scriptures. Those who consider themselves in fellowship at the Chapel will add their name, address, and phone numbers to the Chapel Directory.

The Chapel incorporated on August 11, 1954 as a non-profit corporation with Article 2 (1)(b) stating “To acquire, own hold, establish, provide and maintain an appropriate place or places of assembly, facilities and properties, real and personal, for the worship of God, the preaching of the Gospel, the Baptism of converts, the conduct of maintenance of Sunday School and religious instruction, and for all other proper religious uses and purposes necessary or pertinent to any and all of the foregoing activities, and in particular for the religious use and benefit of the religious group or organization constituting of Those Who Meet in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ Alone.”  Article 2 (2) stating “That this corporation is one which does not contemplate pecuniary gain or profit to the members thereof.”

The Chapel is unique in that there are no paid staff. All of the ministry is    administered by volunteers. The Chapel authority is the Board of Directors and Board of Elders. The Chapel is not a congregational rule, but a joint Board of Directors and Board of Elders rule. The Special Rules of Order, (a part of the 1995 Bylaws) which state that each new Trustee voted onto the Board of Directors receive a copy of the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Statement of Faith, Special Rules of Order and Standing Rules. There are eleven (11) basic categories of records in the Chapel’s onsite archives and the Board of Directors home offices. 1. Historical documents, 2. Chapel Minutes, 3. Chapel Directories, 4. Missionary profiles, 5. Prayer requests, 6. Financial records, 7. Sermons and notes, 8. Legal papers, 9. Construction blueprints, 10. Charitable contributions and 11. Special events, i.e. Births, Marriages, Baptisms, Retreats, Picnics, etc.

SITE

The Chapel site consists of approximately one acre and is a subdivided parcel of the approximately 21 acres of original land owned by Ralph and Louise Barker, located in the unincorporated portion of the County of San Diego. The Barker’s operated a dairy farm on the property until the early 1950’s. The site consisted of a milking barn, later used as a cabinet shop, three houses and pastures. One of the pre-war houses was located in the vicinity of the present location of Mader Hall. The second house was locate about 300 feet west of the first house. A third house was 500 or 600 feet south westerly of the second house. The Barker’s moved into the second house in the early 1950’s so the first house could be used for Sunday school classes, Bible studies, Prayer meetings, Friday-Night Family Nights and fellowship gatherings. This first house, which became a multi-use building was affectionately known as the Annex, accidentally caught fire and 80% of it was lost to the fire. It was rebuilt in Mid-1993 and dedicated as Mader Hall.

The sanctuary building was placed near the East property line adjacent to Mission Gorge Road in the mid 1950’s.The first floor of the sanctuary building was moved to the site from the Navy. The building was part of a submarine training facility. Mr. Baker added a vestibule, with men and women restrooms at the north end, a platform and Baptismal at the south end. Mr. Barker also added a second story with eight class rooms.

The property surround the Chapel site has been used as a dairy farm, to board horses, temporary storage of houses and building in the process of being moved, a concrete plant, vehicle storage yard and a Landscape Company office, equipment yard and a car repair shop. Currently the surrounding property is being prepared for the development of 995 condominiums with public greenbelt along the river.

In the 1960s The property was annexed into the City of San Diego and public sewer was then available. In addition to being a little light house in the valley, the Chapel has contributed to the community by dedicating a portion of Mission Gorge Road and half of Old Cliffs Road contiguous to the southerly property line, in November 20, 1973. The Chapel also installed a large storm drain pipe and curb inlet from Mission Gorge Road, through the south parking lot, to the west property line.

SCRIPTURE

The scripture of the Old and New Testaments, as verbally inspired by God, and inerrant in the original writings and that it is absolute, authoritative, supreme and final in all that it affirms. 2Timothy 3:16, 2Peter 1:19-21, and Mathew 4:4.

PRAYER

Prayer meetings, prayer lists and answers to prayer are vitally important to any Christian ministry. Luke 18:1 “men ought always to pray and not to faint”.

Matthew 21:22 “whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive”.  John 14:13 “Whatsoever you ask in my name, that I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son”. The Chapel has had 3 prayer meetings every week, Wednesday morning for Pastors and Christian workers, Wednesday evening for adults and young people, Saturday morning for men of the Chapel and their guests. Now we have a weekly Wednesday prayer meeting, a Thursday morning Pastors and Christian Workers Prayer, and a monthly Prayer for Israel.

MISSIONS

The Chapel mission’s effort, was and is, to “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete withal it shall be measured to you again” Luke 6:38.  “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” Mark 16:15. The Chapel’s missionary roster in the beginning days, supported four (4) missionaries. The Faith Promise Missions concept was brought the Chapel in the late 1960’s as a result of Pastor Mader attending a pastor’s retreat. The mission’s concept was very simple but had enormous results.

In a short time, the Chapel missionary giving went from four to ten, to twenty, and peaking a thirty five missionaries (now over twenty).

The concept was for each believer at the Chapel to seek God as to whom they should support, for how much each month, and to trust God to supply that added support as part of their regular tithe. Note: this was a private agreement between the giver and God. The grand result was to see how the missionaries were added to the Faith Promise Missions roster and see how their amount of support was determined by the Board of Directors. The joy, as a director, was to have funds available to send monthly and to have funds in the Chapel Missions account to help meet the missionaries unexpected needs and emergencies, before we heard of their need. As a director, we saw how God provided for the giver and the missionary.

To Be Continued…