When the Rice family moved from Fresno to Easton, they drove many miles several times a week to continue attending Trinity Baptist Church. Since Trinity was starting new churches, Roy Rice made a suggestion to the Missions Committe that they consider Easton.
A prayer meeting was held in the home of Roy & Pearl Rice on December 5, 1967, where the planting of a Southern Baptist church in Easton was discussed & prayed for.
The social hall of St. John's Lutheran church at the corner of Elm & Jefferson (now called House of Refuge) was secured as the meeting place for the new mission work. Walter Gray was called as the Mission Pastor. There were eight people present on the first Sunday, January 21, 1968.
The first revival meetings were in May of 1968 during the Encounter California campaign. The first Vacation Bible school was held in August of 1968 in the home of Veda Watts.
A two & a half acre lot near the corner of Lincoln & Fig was purchased through a loan from the Home Mission Board. Ground was broken on May 18, 1969 for the construction of the sanctuary/classroom building. (This is now our worship center.)
The first services in the new building were held on January 11, 1970, with 77 present. The mission was constituted into a church and the new building dedicated on March 22, 1970.
Walter Gray was the pastor her until Apri 1971. He was followed by L.D. Watkins who pastored Easton Southern Baptist Church until March 1974. Floyd Looney was the next pastor, serving through June 1976.
During his time here, Floyd Looney brough Steve Williams on staff as associate pastor & youth director... and Steve went on to serve as pastor as well. Under Steve's leadership, the social hall was built & dedicated in 1979. He left to join the staff of Saddleback Community Church in August 1980.
Barry Webster pastored the church for a short time (leaving in April 1981) and was followed by Ed Bedrosian who was here until January 1986. Under Nathan Ogan's leadership, the family life center was built in 1987. Nathan served here until June 1999. Mark Curts was pastor here until June 2002.
Our current pastor, Mark Jackson, came in July 2003. The church officially changed its name to NewLife Community Church in the fall of 2003 and called our first full-time non-senior pastor, Aaron Kellar, in August of 2005. Aaron served for nearly three years here at NewLife.
Over the last year & a half, we've called Isaac Archuleta as our part-time youth pastor and Marshall Pulliam as our part-time worship pastor. Marshall has recently left to help a church plant in Long Beach, CA, so we're looking for a new worship pastor.
We know there's a lot more to a church's history than places & dates... but the best way to find all that stuff out is to come & get to know us in person. Ask us to tell you stories about God's provision & care, not only for buildings but for changed hearts & lives!
