History of RMBC
Many an itinerant minister found comfort in these words as they made the trek over Loveland Pass, descending into the remote mountain valley of Frisco, Colorado. In the late 30s, Frisco was a rough and tumble mining town sorely in need of spiritual guidance. Times were hard, money was scarce, roads were poor and transportation in the Colorado high country was very difficult. Only a few hardy souls lived in the area but neighbors helped each other and shared the good times and bad.
When Pastor Ord Morrow arrived in the summer of 1938, he laid the foundation for the Rocky Mountain Bible Church. First, he built a two-room cabin on Main Street that served as a parsonage for four decades. Within two years, Pastor Morrow had assembled five city lots for future growth.
Willing to work odd jobs during the day so he could minister nights and weekends, Pastor Morrow began a tradition of building on faith, not on debt, a tradition that continues today.
In 1940, Pastor Harold A. Thompson arrived and began a 16-year sojourn that brought permanence and stability to RMBC. Pastor Thompson, indeed, was a church planter and builder. Within a month of his arrival, RMBC was serving the towns of Frisco, Climax, Dillon and Montezuma.
Pastor Thompson soon purchased the original two-room cabin and five lots from Pastor Morrow. Within a year, he had built a log chapel with logs he hauled down a snowy mountain using a Model A Ford. The log chapel had no heat and was intended only for summer camps and conferences, but it will always be known as Frisco’s first house of worship.
Pastor Thompson added more buildings over the next several years, culminating in the construction of the first “real” church building in 1953. That 34’ x 60’ structure was complete with a 14’ bell tower and an 800-pound bell. It took seven years to build, as Pastor Thompson used his own labor and his powerful negotiating skills to beg, barter or buy materials for pennies on the dollar.
The building had several unique features, including knotty pine wainscoting in the sanctuary and a pulpit handcrafted by Pastor Thompson’s nephew. Theater-style seats came from a Denver movie theater that was being renovated. After the seats were hauled to Frisco, the church women vigorously scrubbed the dirt, scraped off the chewing gum and then varnished them.
Other Pastor Thompson hallmarks were the annual Vacation Bible School and summer camps and conferences he started in 1941. For three summers beginning in 1949, Pastor Thompson and his wife Ethel hosted underprivileged boys from Denver at a summer youth camp.
Over this entire period, Pastor Thompson relied on faith, not debt, to achieve his goals. On two rare occasions, he borrowed money for a gas range for the camp kitchen and for other camp improvements. It took two years to pay back these loans, and Pastor Thompson vowed never to borrow money again. From then on, the church has always relied on God to provide.
Pastor Thompson left Frisco in 1956, a year after the church had finally been able to pay him a salary.
This was a time of growth in Summit County as the 23-mile water diversion tunnel—the Roberts Tunnel-- was being bored under the Continental Divide. Many construction workers were attracted to the area. At the same time, Climax mining had been expanding their milling operation and men employed there lived with their families in Frisco.
Pastor Paul Rosentrater arrived in Frisco in 1958. Under his leadership, RMBC was incorporated and the log chapel and church building were expanded.
Pastor Rosentrater led the church until 1966. The period between 1966 and 1978 saw a number of pastors who served briefly before moving on. During this period, the Breckenridge Ski Area opened and the Frisco community grew at a fast pace. In 1978, Pastor David R. Stoltzfus arrived in Frisco and by 1979 plans for a new church building had been drawn. He managed to get construction started before the economy went through a downturn and many church members had to move away.
Church membership shrank to a handful of attendees. They were not able to continue work on the church building because of lack of funds. The church sat half-built for two to three years. Eventually, the congregation approached the Rocky Mountain Bible Church Mission, offering them the building, as the church was considering dissolution.
The Rocky Mountain Bible Church Mission asked if they could try to breathe new life into the church. Thus, in 1983, RMBC became a mission church, and their director, Bob Brandow, came and pastored RMBC for two years. Under his leadership, the new church basement was completed and the congregation grew to about 30.
With church attendance on the rise, Pastor Brandow and the Deacons hired a contractor to finish construction of the new church building. The added help of numerous volunteers led by Lew Buffinga gave the project a new spirit.
In April 1985, Bruce Miles came to RMBC as a missionary pastor. The main level auditorium in the church was soon completed, setting the stage for the next surge of growth.
Shortly after the new church was completed, the log chapel was donated to the town of Frisco and relocated to Frisco’s Historic Park. The old church was given to the Frisco Fire Department who then burned it down in a training exercise.
By 1987, the church was able to stand on its own financially and severed its dependent relationship with Rocky Mountain Bible Church Mission. The church was also able to take over full support of Pastor Miles.
His arrival in Frisco had coincided with an upward swing in the economy and tourism growth in Summit County. Since the mid-80s, the county has been one of the fastest growing in the United States. This surge in population has also been felt in the church, with attendance increasing an average of 10-15% per year.
Just as a church building needs a solid foundation, so the church body needs the support of its members. Over the years, Pastor Miles has moved from the “do-it-all-yourself” model to a shared ministry that now involves a Board of Elders and a Board of Deacons, an associate pastor for youth, an associate pastor of administration and missions, and a church secretary.
Over the past 15 years, RMBC has developed a number of ministries that reach out to the congregation and to the community. From a small Sunday school in 1985, youth programs have grown to include a fully functioning nursery, the Discovery Club for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, the Junior Church ministry and a ministry for junior and senior high school students.
Adult programs include men’s and women’s Bible studies, a discipleship ministry, a women’s ministry, and a Spanish Bible fellowship for Spanish-speaking members. In addition, the church has a full choir and music program. During the school year, the church offers space to the Summit County Christian School. Two services in the auditorium attract from 200 to 500 worshipers each Sunday.
