The Westview Church has long history in the Longview-Kelso area. The Church began in 1936 as the “First Church of God” as home church with four people at their first meeting. In 1937, the group had grown to the point of needing a larger worship space and decided to rent the upstairs room at the YMCA for $10 a month. Sister Belle Watson, a missionary to China for 20 years, was also called as the churches first Pastor. Through her leadership and passion for visitations more families began to attend.
In 1938, Brother Russell Murphy was called as pastor. The church continued to grow and in 1940 the church voted to purchase a plot of land on the corner of 4th and Mill in the Kelso area for $300. With donations of time, money, and supplies the shell of the building was erected and the church began meeting in the building in 1942. Due to the war, materials were expensive and hard to come by and the building was left with a sawdust floor, an open ceiling, and no Sunday school rooms or restrooms.
In 1948, Rev. Charles Freed became pastor, and the building was remodeled and finished. Through faithful obedience to the Lord and the hard work the church continued to grow. In 1972 the church would purchase a plot of land at our current location on 46th Ave. In 1975, the property in Kelso, as well as other church assets, were sold and the church began meeting at the Catlin Grange for $15 a week until the new church building was complete.
In October of 1975 the work began on the new building. Through setbacks and hard work, the church building was completed, and the congregation began meeting in the new building in 1977. In 2020 the church changed its name from “First Church of God” to “Westview Church” and continues the faithful work and obedience of the congregation and Pastors that came before. The church continues to faithfully meet together with the purpose of magnifying God, maturing believers, and multiplying the kingdom of God.
Below are the list of all Pastors who have served at Westview church:
Sister Belle Watson – 1937-1938
Brother Russell Murphy – 1938-1948
Rev. Charles Freed – 1948-1954
Rev. T Orville Kelly – 1954-1957
Rev. Charles Kerr – 1957-1965
Rev. Archie Trudgeon – 1965-1969
Rev. Leonard Krushel – 1969-1973
Rev. Herbert Sackett – 1973-1982
Rev. Bill Shepherd – 1982-1993
Rev. Melvin Neu – 1993-2005
Joe Tira – 2005-2018
John and Angie Jamison – 2018-2022
Steven Guinett – 2022-Present
