VALLE VISTA, Calif. — Scenic Valle Vista is nestled in the San Jacinto Mountain range, and Valle Vista Baptist Church has faced mountains of its own to climb as the church sought to fend off closure. Jason Mayo stepped up three years ago to lead the church through a replant process as its bivocational pastor.

“God really graced us that we were able to see 23 baptisms last year,” Mayo said. “That’s amazing, but I’m almost just as excited about the spiritual growth that we’ve seen in some of the folks who are a part of that.”

When Mayo and his family first visited the church, there were only eight people attending, and it had been nearly a decade since the church had baptized anyone.

On Monday, Aug. 25, at its annual Replant Summit, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) named Mayo its 2025 Replanter of the Year.

Like many churches, Valle Vista Baptist has seen shifts in the makeup of the population that surrounds it.

The nearby city of Hemet incorporated in 1910 as a ranching and agricultural town and prospered, eventually hosting a flight school that trained approximately 6,000 Air Force pilots during World War II. By the 1960s, though, Hemet transitioned into primarily being known as a retirement community, something it’s still known for today.

“Valle Vista is a community that is forgotten,” said Jason Robertson, who leads the Church Matters Initiative at the California Southern Baptist Convention (CSBC). “The people who are there are getting older. So, it’s one of these kinds of communities that, if you’re not careful, you’ll just overlook it.”

After Mayo and his wife Elizabeth prayed through the decision, they sensed that God was calling them to the church.

“This church was on the doorstep of not existing anymore,” said Mayo. “Those were the challenges of just getting through, getting to know the people, getting to honor the history but also, from the Lord, get a compelling vision moving forward about what God would want to do in and through this congregation.”

As he recounted the church’s journey, Mayo said he didn’t start off by launching a series of new programs. He instead focused his ministry on prayer and the Word of God so that it would fill the church’s members with a heart for sharing the gospel.

“It’s easy in some ways to come in and start programs and think that those programs are just going to fix everything,” Mayo said, “versus taking the time it requires to take the long view and let God work in people’s hearts and lives through His Word and through His Spirit to reach new people with the gospel.”

Arriving in a church replanting situation brings several obstacles, Elizabeth said, whether they be issues with the finances or the difficulties of maintaining an older building.

“There’s going to be challenges. There’s no doubt about it. I have a fantastic husband who helps me when I’m navigating these challenges,” Elizabeth said. “I have a relationship with a God who loves me and cares deeply about how I help His church. … At the end of the day, I want God honored.”

Mayo’s steady work has, despite those challenges, borne the fruit of spiritual depth and new believers, and increased baptisms have helped the church start to hope again, Elizabeth said.

“It has been worth it,” she said. “We count the cost, and we have found that we have come out on the other side better, more fulfilled, happier and seeing God’s hand in every single part of our lives. And, it has been beautiful.”

When it came to describing the church’s success for other pastors who may find themselves in similar situations, Mayo reiterated the centrality of God’s Word and the importance of prayer.

“Keep your eyes on Jesus. Devote yourselves to prayer, to the ministry of the Word,” said Mayo. “God’s Word will not return void. It will not return void. It will accomplish the thing for which He sent it. Be encouraged.”

To learn more about church replanting, visit www.namb.net/church-replanting.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Brandon Elrod writes for the North American Mission Board.)