1950 – 2025

Bookcliff Baptist Church was organized on November 8, 1950 as First Southern Baptist Church of Grand Junction with 56 charter members. The first permanent place of worship was built at 17th and Elm in 1953. Until that time the congregation met at various locations. In 1968 the church moved to 12th and Patterson and changed the name to Bookcliff Baptist Church. The Family Ministries building was completed in 1983.

Mission work has always been important to Bookcliff Baptist. The church has been involved in starting or sponsoring at least 18 congregations in Colorado. Most of these missions have been constituted into churches. 

As an extension of our ministry, Rainbow Children’s Center was started in February, 1983 to provide Christian day care and preschool. It opened with an enrollment of 7 children and 2 teachers. A morning kindergarten was added in 1984.  In 2009, the decision was made to move from a daycare ministry to a Preschool ministry. This move has been embraced by staff and parents alike.

In 1988 the education ministry of our church continued with the opening of Bookcliff Christian School with an enrollment of ten children and two teachers. BCS continues to provide a Christian education for children from Kindergarten through 9th grade, with plans to expand through 12th grade in 2026. 

Over the years Bookcliff has been blessed with many wonderful pastors. In order of their service the senior pastors have been: Ernest Willoughby, Paul Jolly, Autry Brown, W.V. Prindle, George E. Ray, Jr., Otis Testerman, John Robbins, Kenny Long, and Chad Moore. Our current senior pastor, Tobey Williams, was called in 2020.

We celebrate our 75th anniversary at the end of 2025. We are grateful to God for the ministry that He has led Bookcliff to have and for the ministry opportunities of the future.