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The Church was started in the early 1970's by three military families.
These families were joined by two others and pooled their resources to
purchase an abandoned Lutheran church on Franklin Street in downtown
Bellevue. After securing retired minister Charles Turner to preach
on Sundays, the group officially began meeting in the Franklin Street
location for services in October of 1971.Just a few months later, in
March of 1972, the church became affiliated with and was officially
recognized by the General Council of the Assemblies of God, and named
itself Bellevue Assembly of God.
The Church began to grow almost immediately. In 1974 Christian Life
Magazine awarded Bellevue Assembly of God as "Nebraska's Fastest Growing
Sunday School". It was then determined that growth demanded hiring a
full-time pastor.
In April of 1974, Sam Mayo became Senior Pastor of the church.
Construction and expansion of the original building had marked the early
days of this Church, and another construction program began with Pastor
Mayo's arrival, enlarging the sanctuary to seat approximately 250. The
church began double services on Sunday mornings, and an afternoon Sunday
School to accommodate the crowds.
In the mid 1970's Noah's Ark Child Care
and Preschool was begun in the basement of the Church. BCA, a grade school was also
started which later
grew into a state approved Kindergarten through 12th grade program. In
1976 the Church purchased 14 acres of prime land on the major "east-west"
route in the city, and began another building program. In Fall 1977, the
Franklin Street building was sold, and the congregation moved to the
completed 28,000 square foot facility at 1400 Harvell Drive. Noah's Ark
Child Care and Preschool was moved to the lower level of this building.
Bellevue Christian Academy and High School purchased a vacant Catholic
school in central Omaha to accommodate an enrollment of over 450 students.
The Church began construction of another facility on the 14 acre complex
in the spring of 1984 as a part of a multi-phased master-plan. This
facility would initially be built on a "pay-as-we-go" basis, and would
include approximately 90,000 square feet, and 25 classrooms, with a
seating capacity of 2,500 adults.
In January of 1989 Pastor Sam Mayo transferred to another state and
Associate Pastor Gary Hoyt became the new Senior Pastor. The Church
continued to grow, maintaining double services and continued renting
a nearby junior high for Sunday School on Sunday mornings.
Under Pastor Hoyt's leadership, the congregation voted in Fall 1989 that
it was time to accelerate the pace of the building project and seek
financing to complete as much of the facility as possible. Up to this
point, close to 1.5 million dollars worth of construction on the new
sanctuary had been completed and paid for.
When the new sanctuary was ready for occupancy, the church body was
finally able to return to one combined Sunday morning service. Pastor
Hoyt brought together all the previous pastors for a great dedicatory
celebration on our first services in the new facility in August, 1991.
This completed facility allowed more needed worship space and expansion
of the Church's Christian education ministries.
Today, under Pastor Hoyt's direction, the church focuses its efforts on
Gathering Believers, Reaching the Lost, Discipling the Found, and Meeting
the Needs.
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