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History of CBC

The Covington Bible Church was founded through God's leading and power in 1954 by Dr. Lester Pipkin. Dr. Pipkin was also the founder and president of what was then Appalachian Bible Institute, now Appalachian Bible College, in Beckley, West Virginia. It was the first independent church in the Alleghany Highlands. In those days the church met in a building at the corner of Rayon Drive and Jackson Street. Within two years the church was established to the point of constructing a building on our current campus on South Carpenter Drive. Through the years the church continued to grow as they served the Lord together. In 1973 Pastor Howard Merrell and his wife Kathy came to Covington as he accepted the call as pastor of CBC. For the next 40 years they had a productive and faithful ministry here, and oversaw continued growth. Pastor Howard

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impacted countless lives in this area, and much of CBC's current leadership was saved and discipled under his ministry. Highlights of the ministry of CBC through the decades include the formation of the Word of Life youth group, which was the first in the state of Virginia, as well as other programs for children. A distinctive of the Covington Bible Church has always been an emphasis on missions, and through the years many people who have come through CBC have accepted God's call and gone all over the United States and around the world. By God's grace almost every missionary that is supported here has been a part of this church at some point. In addition to this there are various short-term trips that are taken several times throughout the year.This commitment to missions is reflected in our current pastoral staff. In 2015 Pastor Doug Williams, a former CBC teen who had spent 20 years in Ecuador as a missionary, accepted the call to become lead pastor as Pastor Howard retired. Upon his retirement Pastor Howard and Kathy became missionaries at Pacific Islands University in Micronesia.  As CBC moves into the future we look excitedly for God to continue the work He has been doing here as we deliver God's truth in Christ's love.

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