Current:

We are a multicultural, interdenominational church supervised  by the German District - Assemblies of God, (dba: International Ministries Network). Though we are primarily known as a German-American church serving the Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia region, we welcome all who come to attend our services. We pray that the power of the Holy Spirit will move mightily and meet your physical and spiritual needs as you worship in our midst.

Each Sunday a German language service is held at 9:30 AM and an English service at 11:00 AM [except on the last Sunday of each month, where a combined German-English service is held at 10:30 AM.] Other dates where the combined service replaces the regular services are on Holidays and Special Days - see "Services/Gottesdienst" for a listing. Our style of worship is traditional with worship using popular choruses and songs for both, the English and the German services.

1945-1975:  (Growth and development years)

Immigrants that spoke German and resided in the greater Tacoma-Puyallup areas met throughout these communities to share their common language as they did business, dined and fellowshipped together. Some of them, immigrants from Germany and Russia who had come over from Germany 1945-68, formed worship groups and churches as part of existing churches within the community. They would simply start out by having Sunday School in their native language as the local church's reached out to these immigrants.

As the attendance grew, special services on Sunday afternoons were organized to meet the increasing need to accommodate these cultures. Bi-lingual pastors were commissioned and added to the church staffs. One particular German language group was meeting at what was then known as The First Assembly of God in Puyallup. This group continued to grow so that the lead pastor brought in Rev. George Rueb from the Dakotas - it became the original body of believers that would be considered the founders of what was then called the German Church of the Pacific Northwest. This cultural group was given permission to split away and seek its own church identity in 1973.

But pastor Rueb wanted to return to family in North Dakota, so an intensive search was initiated to find a German-speaking pastor residing in the USA. Pastor Werner Gunia, already pastor of a successful church in Cleveland, OH felt the call to serve in Tacoma and accepted the challenge in 1974. He would relocate at the end of the year to assist the new venture through the building and growing stage.

1975-1983: (with Rev. Werner Gunia as the Pastor)

Under the leadership of Pastor Werner Gunia, the property where the church now stands was purchased and the first phase of the building program was started in 1975-76 at its current site. To be more specific, the church changed its name to the German Church of Tacoma in 1975. With the assistance of the Jim Biggar Construction Company and the heavy earth moving equipment they provided plus the never tiring hands of carpenter Johann Engfer, who was 82 years old when the construction started, the building now known as the Fellowship Hall was completed and German services were offered each Sunday morning.

Construction continued on the current sanctuary in 1976 and completed in February of the next year with dedication of the entire site in March 1977. Dignitaries from the local German speaking community, including the German Consul, were present at the dedication service as a new milestone in the lives of these refugee-pioneers was realized.

Until 1978, all services were held in German. In 1979 the church began to offer bilingual services as the church extended its arms to the local community. Another name change was deemed necessary in order to move the church into this new phase. The church would be identified as Valley View Christian Fellowship and would also retain an identity for its German-speaking congregation as "Deutsche Christliche Kirche." It has retained both names to date.

1983-2010: (with Rev. Jürgen Ringmann as Leading Pastor)

Pastor Jürgen Ringmann, already active in ministry as part of Pastor Gunia's staff since 1978 with an associate pastor's role, became the church's pastor when the Gunia's returned to Bremen, Germany in 1983. He served the church and the greater Waller Road area neighborhood with over 32 years of ministry.

During Pastor Ringmann's leadership, the church focused on serving the Christian community with emphasis on German heritage. It was not uncommon for people of various denominations to come and witness both German and English traditional services as one would expect to find in Europe. Pastor Ringmann enjoyed weaving traditions into the service that were dear to the German people to give them a taste of what they remembered out of their youth in Europe. His wife, Rita, with her fabulous talent of translating and singing (contra-alto voice), helped to enhance the services as well. 

At the beginning of 2010, Pastor Ringmann retired and restricted himself to limited duties as Pastor Emeritus with the church. He and his wife continued to be part of the prayer and worship segment on a weekly basis.

2010-Present: (with Rev. Harry Fritz as Senior Pastor)

In May 2010, the church welcomed Harry Fritz as their Senior Pastor. He, along with his wife, Brigitte Fritz, served in the Raleigh, NC area just prior to accepting the pastorate at our church. Their ability to serve the church in both German and English languages, experience with career personnel, young families and music & arts will not only continue the traditions of this active German-American Church, but will open doors to new outreaches with people of diversified areas of interest.

On September 19, 2011, Pastor Ringmann went to be with the Lord; he served the Lord Jesus and his church faithfully until the call came for him to see his Savior. Just the day before - during the Sunday morning services - Pastor Jürgen reminded the congregation to prepare itself for what he called "the inevitable." Whether the Lord comes or we pass on, it is good to be prepared. He explained how he and his spouse, Rita, had gone through the process and that he felt that he was ready. "Pastor Harry will be speaking about the Ten Virgins," he concluded. "Five of them were prepared and entered into the Hall of the Great Wedding, but five were unprepared and ran out of oil for their lamps. They didn't make it to the Wedding. Let us all be prepared as we wait for the Lord!"