A Mission Church Born in 1947 on East Center Street
Belvue Christian Church sits on East Center Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, in the Belvue neighborhood whose name it carries. The congregation began in 1947 as a mission of First Christian Church, which itself had been established in the city in 1917. The first meeting of what would become Belvue took place on February 2, 1947 at the Dickson School on Virginia Avenue. By March 14, 1948 the group had grown enough to organize as an independent church, and on June 15, 1948 the name was officially changed from Second Christian Church to Belvue Christian Church to reflect the surrounding community.
Over nearly eight decades the church has been shaped by seven regular preaching ministers: Stuart K. Widner (1947 to 1955), Robert Fogleman (1955 to 1959), Roger Rankin (1959 to 1963), Jack Hyder (1964 to 1966), Noel Kirk (1966 to 1971), Bob Kastens (1972 to 1984), John Owston (1984 to 2022), and Aaron Tyree, who began in 2023. Four of those ministers - Widner, Fogleman, Hyder, and Owston - have since died, and the church still counts them among those who faithfully served Christ at Belvue.
Sunday Mornings Built Around School and Worship
Sunday is the heart of the week at Belvue. Sunday School begins at 9:45, with classes offered for every age. The main worship service follows at 10:45 and runs through the late morning. The service is structured around preaching, congregational singing (the church still holds a regular hymn sing as part of its fellowship life), and ministry to children.
Children from infants through fifth grade have their own programming during the 10:45 worship hour, so parents can take part in the service while their kids learn at an age-appropriate level. For visitors, that means a family can arrive together, get the children settled into their classes, and then join the sanctuary for the gathering.
Wednesday Nights at 6:30
Midweek ministry meets at 6:30 on Wednesday evenings. The Wednesday night service is a second worship and teaching touchpoint each week and is listed alongside Sunday School and the morning service as one of the three regular weekly rhythms. The Wednesday gathering gives the church a chance to dig deeper into Scripture, pray together, and stay connected between Sundays.
What Belvue Believes
Belvue's Statement of Faith is set out on its own page and centers on classic evangelical convictions. God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe, eternally existing in three co-equal persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for sin, rose again after three days, ascended into heaven, and will return to reign as King. The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son, lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation, gives spiritual gifts for ministry, and is to be followed in daily life.
The Bible is described as God's Word to all people, written by human authors under the Holy Spirit's guidance, inspired and without error, and the supreme source of truth for belief and living. People are made in God's image but are separated from him by sin. Salvation is God's free gift, received by grace through faith; those who trust Christ as Savior and Lord are called to repent, confess their faith, and be baptized.
Belvue also teaches that people were created to exist forever, either eternally separated from God or eternally with him through salvation, and that heaven and hell are real places of eternal existence. The church is described as the body of Christ on earth, called to share the good news, teach Christ's followers, and equip them for ministry. Two further statements close the faith summary: a commitment to defend and protect all human life from conception through natural death, and a conviction that marriage, as defined by Scripture, is a lifelong monogamous union between one man and one woman. The Statement of Faith is held alongside the Bible itself, which the church calls the sole and final source of all it believes.
Sermons That Walk Through Books and Series
Teaching is a major thread of the church's life, and the sermon archive is organized into extended series rather than one-off talks. Recent series have worked through books of the Bible and through topical studies on attributes like joy, worship, and the fruit of the Spirit. Visitors who want to follow along can watch services online through the church's YouTube channel, where recent sermons are posted and a "Watch Online" link connects from the home page. The library includes studies on the fruit of the Spirit (Rooted in Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control), a series on whole-life worship, an Advent series on the Character of Christmas, and series that walk through longer passages of Scripture week by week.
Children, Youth, and Vacation Bible School
Belvue invests heavily in the next generation. The Sunday morning children's wing serves infants through fifth grade during the 10:45 worship service, and Vacation Bible School is a recurring summer highlight. VBS has run multiple years, with programming designed for preschool and elementary ages that includes worship, games, crafts, and time with Scripture - "an out of this world" theme is on the calendar for the next summer, with Friday and Saturday evenings plus a Sunday celebration.
Middle and high school students have their own rhythm. The church takes its students to TCTC, a weekend-long conference in Gatlinburg, TN, featuring worship, teaching, and time to engage with faith alongside other students from across the region. Registration goes through Pastor Aaron Tyree.
Men's Breakfasts, Carry-In Meals, and Hymn Sings
Fellowship around the table is a recurring pattern at Belvue. The men's ministry meets for a Saturday morning breakfast where men show up, eat, and get to know one another - no RSVP needed. The whole church gathers several times a year for carry-in meals, where members bring a dish to share and spend an evening together. Those evenings often include a hymn sing, pairing food and song as a way to worship and connect. A Thanksgiving meal and a Christmas dinner (with the church providing the meat and families bringing a side) fill out the fall and holiday calendar.
Mission Partners: Johnson University and Camp ACC
Belvue supports two named mission partners. Johnson University, founded in 1893, is a private coeducational institution in the region that trains students for Christian ministries and other strategic vocations framed by the Great Commission, offering associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. Appalachian Christian Camp, known locally as Camp ACC, has been located in Limestone Cove in Unicoi for more than forty years and has been ministering to area youth for seventy-five years. Camp ACC is a non-denominational Christian summer camp for students entering kindergarten through twelfth grade, with a campus that includes a ball field, basketball and volleyball courts, a swimming pool, a gymnasium with an indoor rock climbing wall, an open-air worship center, air-conditioned dormitories, and walking trails. Campers do not have to be members of a church to attend.
Leadership: A Pastor, Three Elders, and Four Deacons
Aaron Tyree is the Senior Pastor. Aaron has been in full-time ministry for over seventeen years, grew up in South Florida (and follows the Miami Heat and Miami Dolphins from there), and married Laura in 2014. He and Laura have two children. He teaches and preaches regularly, oversees the day-to-day ministry of the church, and fields questions from visitors and members alike.
Three elders - Rick Steadman, Gary Burker, and Alfredo Gutierrez - share in the spiritual oversight of the congregation. Four deacons - Justin Magdzuik, Marshall Taft, Matt Cohen, and Tony Mayhew - serve alongside them in ministry and practical service. The elder/deacon structure is part of the church's identity as a Christian Church (part of the wider Restoration movement that traces its roots to First Christian Church).
Connect, Watch, and Give
Anyone wanting to visit can find Belvue Christian Church at 2700 E Center St, Kingsport, TN 37664. The phone number is (423) 245-1847 and the office email is office@belvuechristianchurch.com. Those who want to follow along before coming in person can watch services online through the church's YouTube channel, listen to recent sermon series, and stay in touch through the church's Facebook page. Giving is handled online through the church's Church Center portal. Aaron's direct email, aaron@belvuechristianchurch.com, is the right address for questions about children's ministry, the student conference, men's ministry, or any of the special events on the church calendar. Belvue Christian Church's own name for its work - Love Kingsport, Live Free, and Lead Others to the abundant life in Christ - sums up a congregation that sees its neighborhood, its Bible, and its table as the three places where its life together happens.