How it all started...
In the early 90’s, God began awakening believers in Yadkin County to the doctrines of grace. Many were reading anything they could get their hands on that talked about reformed theology. A popular reformed publication produced by Ligonier Ministries, Table Talk, published an article by the pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Winston Salem and the newly awakened Yadkin County believers read it. One of the believers, Suzi, called the pastor and they talked about the article and she and the other believers began attending church at Redeemer.
As years passed, the thought of planting a church in Yadkinville began to develop and a group of men started to meet weekly with leadership from Redeemer for prayer and bible study. Eventually, Mark Brown, his wife Jeannette and family accepted the challenge to move to Yadkin County to plant the church.
Redeemer Yadkin Valley (RYV) began gathering to worship in people’s homes, driveways and eventually settled at Allison Oaks in downtown Yadkinville. The Church poured their lives into the community by starting clinics and shelters, caring for the Piedmont Village nursing home residents and hosting county-wide church events.
After six years with RYV, Mark decided to leave the pastorate to begin work with hospice. Many of those attending decided to make a change as well and the church membership receded to a core group of about thirty. At one point, there was a congregational vote to join a church nearby, dissolve altogether, or continue believing that God was not finished with RYV.
The vote was unanimous to continue.
Hunter and Julie Dockery were attending RYV after returning from their year long sabbatical. Hunter was asked to preach as the church tried to unravel the future. Hunter was unwilling to become a traditional, full-time pastor—as he had taken another full time job—but he was happy to preach regularly.
This bi-vocational situation meant that a new model needed to be worked out at the church. It was a “minimalist model” of church. There were no “professionals” running the church and everyone was responsible for what happened.
Some preferred the traditional model and chose to no longer be involved. Others saw this idea and began to gravitate towards it. It was a relaxing and intimate setting to hear the word of God in a simple structure.
RYV began to grow.
During this season of transition, the Hahne’s and the Kwasny’s began attending RYV. Brian and Josh joined Hunter in preaching. Each participated in the bi-vocational model of pastoring while having full-time jobs outside the church. The congregation of RYV voted to call all three of them as teaching pastors for the church.
God continued to lead people to RYV from a variety of areas in the Triad and it became evident that RYV would not be a geographically-centered church. In early 2018, we left our building in Yadkinville and relocated to Lewisville, which was a more centralized location for what is now a more geographically diverse congregation.
We also realized that "Redeemer Yadkin Valley" no longer represented our congregation well. So, we are now Soma Valley Church. "Soma" is meant to represent that we are the 'body'. "Valley" is meant to represent that we are a church of joyful but broken people who have come together for the mission of advancing the kingdom of God.
Gathering to worship is not intended to be “community” itself. Community is expected in the areas where people live. Our vision for the future is to build gospel communities in the various neighborhoods and communities where the people of Soma Valley Church live.
God continues to work in and through our growing community of believers by further fueling our gospel mission - to live out this minimalist model of weekly worship and gospel communities.
As years passed, the thought of planting a church in Yadkinville began to develop and a group of men started to meet weekly with leadership from Redeemer for prayer and bible study. Eventually, Mark Brown, his wife Jeannette and family accepted the challenge to move to Yadkin County to plant the church.
Redeemer Yadkin Valley (RYV) began gathering to worship in people’s homes, driveways and eventually settled at Allison Oaks in downtown Yadkinville. The Church poured their lives into the community by starting clinics and shelters, caring for the Piedmont Village nursing home residents and hosting county-wide church events.
After six years with RYV, Mark decided to leave the pastorate to begin work with hospice. Many of those attending decided to make a change as well and the church membership receded to a core group of about thirty. At one point, there was a congregational vote to join a church nearby, dissolve altogether, or continue believing that God was not finished with RYV.
The vote was unanimous to continue.
Hunter and Julie Dockery were attending RYV after returning from their year long sabbatical. Hunter was asked to preach as the church tried to unravel the future. Hunter was unwilling to become a traditional, full-time pastor—as he had taken another full time job—but he was happy to preach regularly.
This bi-vocational situation meant that a new model needed to be worked out at the church. It was a “minimalist model” of church. There were no “professionals” running the church and everyone was responsible for what happened.
Some preferred the traditional model and chose to no longer be involved. Others saw this idea and began to gravitate towards it. It was a relaxing and intimate setting to hear the word of God in a simple structure.
RYV began to grow.
During this season of transition, the Hahne’s and the Kwasny’s began attending RYV. Brian and Josh joined Hunter in preaching. Each participated in the bi-vocational model of pastoring while having full-time jobs outside the church. The congregation of RYV voted to call all three of them as teaching pastors for the church.
God continued to lead people to RYV from a variety of areas in the Triad and it became evident that RYV would not be a geographically-centered church. In early 2018, we left our building in Yadkinville and relocated to Lewisville, which was a more centralized location for what is now a more geographically diverse congregation.
We also realized that "Redeemer Yadkin Valley" no longer represented our congregation well. So, we are now Soma Valley Church. "Soma" is meant to represent that we are the 'body'. "Valley" is meant to represent that we are a church of joyful but broken people who have come together for the mission of advancing the kingdom of God.
Gathering to worship is not intended to be “community” itself. Community is expected in the areas where people live. Our vision for the future is to build gospel communities in the various neighborhoods and communities where the people of Soma Valley Church live.
God continues to work in and through our growing community of believers by further fueling our gospel mission - to live out this minimalist model of weekly worship and gospel communities.
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