History
Westview Baptist Church - 2010
A Brief History
The beginnings of what is today Westview Baptist Church can be traced back to July of 1958. On that date Rev. James (Jimmy) Lee Davis conducted a tent meeting in the small town of Kingston Springs, Tennessee. A Vacation Bible School was held at the same time for the children in the community. As a result of the tent meeting and Vacation Bible School, a Sunday School and regular preaching service was started. Because there was not a church building to meet in, the original worshippers met in a local building for their Sunday services. In the spring of 1959, Belmont Heights Baptist Church in Nashville became the sponsor of the new Westview Baptist Mission.
Mr. M.L. Pyburn donated 1 acre of land (the site of the current church building) to the group of worshippers and during the early part of 1959, with the help of Belmont Heights Baptist Church, a new building was built on the donated land. On October 4, 1959 the small group of worshippers met for the first time in the new building. To commemorate this date, Westview Baptist Church holds its annual homecoming on the 1st Sunday of October each year.
In the fall of 1967, work was begun on an addition for a new sanctuary and on February 25, 1968 the dedication was held for the new sanctuary. On November 26, 1970, Westview Baptist Mission was constituted as a church and became known as Westview Baptist Church.
Westview Baptist Church has been served by nine pastors in its 52 year history. Rev. Jimmy Davis, the original pastor and founder of the church, remained as pastor until early 1963. In the summer of 1963, Jimmy Mulkey was called as pastor and served until October 1965. Eldridge M. Doris was then called as pastor and served until June 1966. Stanley R. Langham served as pastor from November 1966 until February 1971. On May 30, 1971, Rev. Jesse Pedigo began serving as pastor. Rev. Pedigo was followed by Rev. Leonard Measures who served as pastor until 1979. In April of 1980, Rev. Mike Kendrick was called as pastor and served as pastor until April, 1992. He was followed by Rev. Stan Smith who served from 1992 until August 1999. In August 1999, Rev. Mark Sheldon, who was serving as the church’s associate pastor for youth and music, was called as pastor and is still serving in that capacity today. 