Our Vision
Our vision at Berryessa Valley Church is to extend the hope of Jesus Christ to San Jose.
Our vision, values, and beliefs inform everything we do as a church. Our beliefs and values are linked below:
The Beliefs of Berryessa Valley ChurchThe Values of Berryessa Valley ChurchAdditional information about the church is available in our resource center.
Our History
Berryessa Valley Church started many years ago as a Bible study by a church-planter, Jim Stone. Having already planted churches throughout the Western US and Canada, Jim committed to seeing God's plan for a meaningful local church in Berryessa. Jim guided that small group until it became a vital church. God provided greatly during that early time.
In 2005, Douglas Estes moved with his family from a suburb of New York City to become the first paid lead pastor of Berryessa Valley Church. Since this revitalization, the church has grown rapidly through a clear vision to reach its community for Christ and God's great blessings. In less than 4 years, we are poised to complete a large building expansion for our growing kids ministry.
We invite you to be a part of the future story of BVC!
Who We Are
Meet Our Lead Pastor
Douglas Estes came to BVC in the fall of 2005 with a vision for a healthy, growing, effective, and hopeful church in the NE corner of San Jose. He currently serves as the lead pastor of BVC. He is also an adjunct professor at Western Seminary.
Douglas holds a PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Nottingham, UK. Prior to his postgraduate work in theology, which includes his doctorate and two Masters degrees (MDiv and ThM), Douglas earned an undergraduate degree in Chemistry. He has worked in the field of analytical chemistry, and has co-authored two winning NASA contract proposals.
He has written for a number of journals including Faith and Mission, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and Review of Biblical Literature. He is a document editor for the Online Critical Pseudepigrapha, and a member of the Society of Biblical Literature. His first book, The Temporal Mechanics of the Fourth Gospel, was published in 2008 by Brill. His second book, SimChurch: Being the Church in the Virtual World, was published in 2009 by Zondervan (a division of HarperCollins). SimChurch has been featured on CNN.com, K-Love, and in the Atlanta- Journal Constitution, to name a few.
Ordained by the Kenya Baptist Convention, Douglas has coached pastors and planted more than 20 churches in East Africa. His wife Noel is a Marriage and Family Therapist and they have one son, Wyatt, and one daughter, Bridget.
Email: Douglas Estes
Our Staff
Douglas Estes, PhD, Lead Pastor
Rex Shipman, Pastor of Shepherding Ministries
Children's Pastor -- Position is Open
Addie Edward, Administrative Assistant
Ramir Ramirez, Worship Leader
Eric Castor, MS/HS Students Leader
Chuck Mora, Advisory Board Team Leader
Online Giving to BVC
One way to help BVC is to support the church financially. You can use the links below to donate directly via paypal. You don't need a paypal account to donate. (All gifts are tax-deductible)
One time gifts, click here:
Regular reoccurring gifts, please select frequency, enter amount and click here:
If God is leading you to help BVC in other ways, please contact our church office directly. Please pray that God blesses His work here in San Jose.
Our New Kid's Ministry Building!
BVC is in the process of adding an extension onto our current building; this extension will contain much-needed space for kid's ministry.
The building will almost triple our usable space at BVC. Please pray that God will provide the means for us to break ground late 2009.
