Patterson Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church History

Church Established

On Sabbath, October 12, 1895, twenty-eight individuals organized into the first church of Seventh-day Adventists in Richmond, Virginia. The group initially met on the first floor of the Virginia Tract and Bible Society at 501 N. 25th Street.

The membership increased and in 1904 the church relocated to 33rd Street near Leigh Street in Church Hill. During the next several years the church held evangelistic tent meetings, which resulted in a number of baptisms. Because many church members lived in the west end of Richmond, the church purchased the West Christian Church on Morris Street in 1909, and began meeting there in September.

In 1912 the church body began operating a private school, which continues to run today as Richmond Academy, a full secondary school dedicated to providing a Christian education to member families and the community.

Church clerk records indicate that, as of 1915, the church was referred to as the Richmond First Church of Seventh-day Adventists.

Patterson Avenue Location

The church continued to grow to the point that the adult Sabbath School (Bible study) class was held outside with members seated in their cars and the teacher standing on the sidewalk. It was also necessary to conduct two worship services. In 1937, the overcrowding resulted in a decision to move services to the William Fox School and put the Morris Street church up for sale.

In 1938, the lot at the current Patterson Avenue location was purchased. Ground was broken on the new building on August 11, and the first Sabbath service was held on December 30, 1938. The approximate cost of the building was $20,000.

Richmond Academy met in the basement of the church until a school building was constructed at 3809 Patterson Avenue. Classes moved to the new building in December 1950.

In 1975 the church changed its name to the Patterson Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The former parsonage, built by the Potomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in 1952, was purchased by the church and renovated as part of a two-phase building expansion project that took place from 1990 to 1994. This project connected the church to the former parsonage and provided a fellowship hall, classroom space, and an elevator with access to all three levels in the building.

110 Years and Counting

Through the course of our history, the Patterson Avenue Seventh-day Adventist church has, by the grace of God, experienced amazing growth and witnessed numerous changes.

  • Started a church school, Richmond Academy, which today is a full secondary school with Kindergarten through 12th grade.
  • Developed the Patterson Avenue Child Care program, which today operates out of the home adjacent to the church at 3915 Patterson Avenue.
  • Grew from its original 28 members to spawn three area Seventh-day Adventist churches from among its membership: Courthouse Road, Meadowbridge Road, and Far West End Seventh-day Adventist Churches.

We pray that God will continue to bless the Patterson Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church and its ministries to the community as we earnestly await the second coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.