Miller Valley Baptist in 1954

A Brief History of MVBC

Miller Valley Baptist Church (MVBC) had its beginning in 1949 as the Miller Valley Mission, planted by the First Southern Baptist Church of Prescott, Arizona. Pastor H.K. Stringer was called to preach. On January 15, 1950, an organizational meeting was held and the mission became a constituted church with 30 charter members. MVBC entered into fellowship with the Grand Canyon Association of the Southern Baptist Convention.

In March of 1950, property was purchased on Whipple Street, and a very simple building was erected: walls, roof, and windows only. The floor was sawdust. Despite the sparse accomodations, a Vacation Bible School was held that summer with 125 children. A permanent floor was added in August. The current auditorium was added in 1955 and the parsonage was purchased from Grand Canyon College and moved on to the property in 1956. The current fellowship hall was added in 1961.

Between 1950-1978, the church had seven pastors, the longest term being held by Marlin Hall (1966-1978). In December 1978, the church called Robert Selph, a convinced Calvinist, to pastor the church. Slowly but steadily, Pastor Selph began to bring the church back to the historical foundations of the Southern Baptist Convention, whose theological heritage was profoundly Calvinistic with men like J. P. Boice, Basil Manly Jr., and Richard Furman, men who desired to preach and promote the doctrines of grace and the absolute sovereignty of God over every event in the universe.

Pastor Selph, along with his wife Cathi and their three children, would minister at MVBC for 17 years. Under Selph’s ministry, the church helped to establish the Southern Baptist Founder’s Ministry in 1989, a movement centered around those within the Southern Baptist Convention who shared Calvinistic convictions.

In 1990, MVBC joined the Reformed Baptist Mission Service (RBMS). In 1998, RBMS became the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America (ARBCA).

In 1995, Pastor Selph left Prescott and became pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Taylors, South Carolina. For the next seven years MVBC went through seasons with and without pastors.

In 2004, MVBC called Chris L. Marley to be its 11th pastor. Chris had served as a pastor for twenty years at Sovereign Grace Baptist Church of Concho, Arizona.

Chris J. Marley was ordained as Associate Pastor on September 20, 2009 for the purpose of eventually assuming the Senior Pastor role. Chris J. now serves as Senior Pastor with Chris L. as the Associate Pastor.