Biography:

Cathy and I were both born and raised in Anaheim California. We both came to know the Lord at a young age, but did not live for him until we were older. We were married and moved to Grand Junction, Colorado in 1996. We attended Orchard Community Church where Bill Marietta was pastoring at the time. The Lord used Bill and Gail Marietta to guide and encourage our spiritual growth and desire to serve God. Through Bill and Gail we were introduced to the idea of attending Frontier School of the Bible (FSB). We asked our son Jerry if he would commit to at least one year at FSB when he graduated from high school, he did, and in July of 1999 Jaramie left his job as a cabinet maker, we packed up our things and moved to LaGrange, Wyoming where we prepared to attend the 1999-2000 school year.

After arriving in LaGrange we started attending Hawk Springs Community Bible Church where Pastor Bill Marrietta had taken a church. It was wonderful being with Bill and Gail again. Bill and his son Paul gave Jaramie a job painting. Jaramie continued working with Bill and Paul for about four years.

We hadn't been in LaGrange for very long when God blessed us with the opportunity to adopt a baby that would be born in March of 2000. We were very excited because the day before we received the phone call asking us to adopt, we had been praying for God to give us another child. Emily Theresa Fellows was born on March 8, 2000. Unfortunately Emily had been exposed to 9 months of intravenous drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana. Emily weighed only 4 lbs 5oz when we brought her home five days after her birth. Emily had a rough start, but today she is a happy, healthy and intelligent little girl and we praise God for her.

Our son Jerry finished his first year at FSB and then returned to Grand Junction, Colorado where he began working for a local construction company. (Jerry now lives in New Mexico with his beautiful wife Kelli).

On Emily's first birthday we received the news that Jaramie's mom had committed suicide. We drove out to California with aching hearts and a determination to minister to family and friends and we were given that peace that surpasses understanding in full measure. God used this tragedy to change so many of us. Everyone that knew Jesus, grew in their faith and His sovereignty. We were also given the opportunity to visit with many of the Mormon family members that traveled from Utah to attend the funeral.

We continued on at FSB and in Jaramie's second year we were introduced to the Mission Field in Utah at a Mission's Conference. Most of Jaramie's family on his father's side are Mormon and many of them live in the Salt Lake area. Although Jaramie was never Mormon, his dad (Jaramie's dad has since become a believer) was and there was a lot of religious pressure growing up from uncles, grandparents and such. It was at an early age that Jaramie became aware that there was something very wrong with the Mormon religion and he was determined that he would never live in Utah. Of course God changed Jaramie's heart and here we are. It's wonderful how God makes His desires our desires. It was so easy coming to Utah. There were no worries, no stress, just the anticipation of all that God would accomplish.

Jaramie graduated FSB in 2002. We moved to Nebraska to live in a little country house in the middle of several corn fields. As part of the training experience at FSB we were involved with many different ministry opportunities while attending school. One of those opportunities was being apart of the ministry in Redington, Nebraska. During Jaramie's second year at Frontier, Jaramie was given the opportunity to preach in a little country church about 50 minutes away from the school. While attending FSB we traveled three Sundays a month to fellowship with these wonderful people at Redington Community Church. After we left Bible School, we moved to that little house in Nebraska to be closer to the church.

In December of 2002 we packed up again and traveled back to Colorado to do some work on the house that we owned their, sell it and be in Utah in time to start our internship with Ron Thompson (director of the church planting consortium in Utah) by February of 2003. It had become apparent that Cathy's dad while living in Colorado had become unable to live completely on his own. We suspected that he had developed Alzheimer's disease and we were concerned for his safety. We were able to convince Chuck to come and live with us in Utah where he wouldn't have to be on his own and we could keep a close watch on his deteriorating state of mind. Jerry (our son) also made the move with us. Jerry moved to an apartment in Harrisville only 5 minutes away. We were all settled in and ready for God to amaze us.

Project History:

The history of North Valley Bible Church (NVBC) started long before it even had it's name. . . first in the heart and mind of God who had already had the details worked out, we just had to trust Him. In our minds NVBC began while we were attending Frontier School of the Bible (FBS) in LaGrange, Wyoming. Frontier is where our desire to plant a church in Utah started and rapidly grew. After several trips to the Salt Lake, Ogden area, our love for the Mormon people grew, which caused our desire to share the true God of the Bible with them to grow as well. After choosing Harrisville as our target area, God encouraged us with a family living in Harrisville. They wrote us while we were at Bible School and they even had a backyard VBS to introduce the upcoming church to the community.

We left Frontier in 2002 and joined Tentmakers Bible Mission (TBM). We arrived in Utah in February of 2003 and we started a one year internship with Ron Thompson (Director of the Church Planting Consortium in Utah). After about 10 months we started a Bible class in our home. That was where God provided the core group for NVBC. We had 13 Bible believing Christians that were committed, excited and ready to have a Bible teaching church in their community. We had a wonderful time learning, sharing and bonding.

Our little group prayed for God's direction and provisions and together we planned our first Sunday service. On February 1, 2004, our core group along with many visitors from some of the different churches that have been a tremendous support, NVBC had it's first Sunday morning service in the Harrisville Senior Center (Log Cabin). We stayed in the Log Cabin for about 18 months. The need for a building where we could have access 24/7 caused us to start looking for something to lease. God led us to a little store front in Harrisville, a perfect location on Hwy 89.

As in the case with the Log Cabin, God provided everything we needed. Doors were opened that appeared to be closed tight and the hand of God was so clearly evident that we had to do very little to get things going. He provided the building, the funds to finish the upstairs portion of the unit, the hands to do the work and so much more. We moved into the Barker's Plaza in November of 2005. NVBC celebrated it's fourth anniversary in February of 2008. We have had a wonderful time ministering to the community and growing in our faith together with our little church family.

Mission:

Utahan's march to the beat of a completely different drum. In many ways living in Utah is like living in another country. Although in most cases we speak the same language, when it comes to spiritual matters the Mormons have a different dictionary than the Bible believing Christian which leaves us feeling like we are speaking a different language. The Mormons essentially dethrone Christ and place man above the Creator of all things (Col. 1:16). They attempt to work their way to heaven with their good deeds which is contrary to how God says we get to Heaven (Eph. 2:8-9). Our mission is to glorify God. First, by proclaiming that Jesus is God (Col. 1:15) and that the only way to spend eternity in His presence after this life is to receive the gift of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus (1 peter 2:22-24). Secondly, to faithfully teach and preach God's word so that believers will be equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Present:

Today, we look back and we are so awe struck and deeply moved at what God has done in our lives and in the ministry of North Valley Bible Church. We have grown so much as a result of God's love and Grace. He has provided a wonderful group of believers to serve with as well as our faithful prayer and support group. We have seen Him perform miracles in providing for our needs and the needs of NVBC. We have laughed and cried with people that He has blessed us with knowing and we have seen people change. People changing. . . that is one of the important reason that we are here. God changes lives and if people don't know the true God, but think they do. . . how sad. The Mormons are a moral people (humanly speaking) and they have no idea that they are lost. Pray for them and please continue to pray for us, that God will use this ministry to share the truth about who He truly is.