In 1973, Rev. Paul Eledge (who was then the Director of the Kansas City Kansas Baptist Association) had a dream of beginning a church somewhere in southern Overland Park.  However, it wasn't until the summer of 1977, when members of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Overland Park conducted a Vacation Bible School in the Stanley home of Roy and Katy Hemeyer, that the dream began to become a reality. The success of VBS prompted several families to begin meeting together in various homes for Bible Study.  Sensing God's activity, Emmanuel voted to sponsor the small group and a mission was born.

The mission moved into the only space available in the area, the basement of The Grub and Pub Restaurant at 153rd and Metcalf, on April 1, 1978.  That same day, Rev. Eledge (who had since retired as the Director of the KCKBA) became the mission's pastor.  The little church worked diligently to reach out to the area around them and their work was confirmed that summer when 87 enrolled for VBS.  The continued ministry success of the church led them to constitute as Blue Valley Baptist Church on September 24, 1978.

That small band of believers felt God had something special in store for their church.  This led them to a monumental act of faith: the purchase of the site at 151st and Antioch where the church is located today.  Other churches in the area felt the same way about BVBC, leading them to contribute toward the downpayment for the purchase.  The church began to meet in houses on the property in January 1979. Finally, with a place to call home, the new church began to grow steadily. 

The church experienced its first change of leadership in 1980.  Rev. Eledge retired from his duties early in the year and the church called Rev. Glen Lawson as bi-vocational pastor in July.  Lawson led the church until 1983, when Rev. John Hardy assumed duties as bi-vocational pastor.  Under Hardy's leadership, the church continues slow but steady growth and the need for the church's first building project was realized.  A sanctuary was constructed and the first services were held in the building in 1984 on Easter Sunday.  This was quickly followed by the construction of an education wing in 1985.  1985 was significant for another reason as well.  Lance and Rhonda Allen and their family moved to Blue Valley that year and Rhonda begin building what is now considered the finest ministry to preschoolers in the metro.

Rev. Hardy's resignation led the church to call its first full-time pastor in 1994 when Dr. Charles McLain assumed leadership of Blue Valley Baptist Church.  The church experienced the greatest growth it had seen to that point during McLain's tenure.  The church property, which was essentially surrounded by farm land when purchased in 1980, began to burgeon with homes and businesses as the growth of Johnson County reached 151st and Antioch.  The resulting church growth led to the expansion of the facility in 2001 to include the current worship center, fellowship space, and adult Sunday School rooms. 

God led the church through a time of transition following the resignation of Dr. McLain in September 2005.  During that time, the church took important steps toward its future.  The most significant of these was the completion of the rewriting of the constitution and by-laws started during Dr. McLain's tenure.  Toward the end of this process, the church began the search for its new pastor.  This search culminated in the call of Derrick Lynch as Senior Pastor of Blue Valley Baptist Church on May 13, 2007.

Today Blue Valley Baptist Church is experiencing the reality of what that little band of believers meeting at The Grub and Pub in the late 70's saw as they looked into future.  The church is undergoing explosive growth, increasing from 300 to over 600 in average worship attendance since Spring 2007, and the enthusiasm of the people for what God is doing at BVBC is at an all time high.  So the story continues and the future is bright.  It's our hope that you and your family will become a part of the story of what God is doing at BVBC.