About River Church

Our History
This church began in 1942 as Hillcrest Baptist Church. Cherry and I became the pastors in August 1978. We are coming up on our 30th year here.

I graduated Bible College in 1980. We were still Hungering for more of God. We both received the baptism in the Holy Spirit in 1983. We weren't quite sure what to do with it. We were sort of like the dog that caught the car... what do you do with it now?

In January 1984, I met John and Carol Wimber at a Pastor's Conference in Dallas, Texas. I fell in love with John and Carol immediately. Cherry and I attended John's first "Signs and Wonders Conference" in June 1984. We fell in love with the Vineyard and changed our church name to Vineyard Christian Fellowship Birmingham in 1985.

John went home to be with Jesus in November 1997. That was a very sad day for all of his sons, we were fatherless again.

In 2006, we withdrew from the Vineyard Movement after several dreams and prophetic words and joined the Global Legacy group of churches associated Bethel Church in Redding California, Bill Johnson is the Pastor (www.ibethel.org). I think Bill Johnson is John Wimber in another body (LOL). The Global Legacy churches have the same values, methods, models and message that John Wimber taught us in the early days of the Vineyard.

Today, we are called the River Church at Birmingham, doing what we've always done... pursuing intimacy with God and attempting to host His Presence.