New River Calvary Church (NRC) Has gone through many changes over the 111 years of ministry. The church began in 1914 as the Waugh Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and was a part of the Jefferson Circuit. Rev. E. P. Stabler was the founding pastor of the new church, of which most of the members came from the Blackburn Chapel in Todd. The new congregation initially met in the Waugh School house near where the twin bridges cross the South Fork of the New River on highway 221 are today. Later, the church moved to the Fleetwood school when it was built. Also, the held meetings on the Lemley family farm. In 1924, (101 years ago this year!), the church congregation moved to the town of Bowie (now known as Fleetwood) and built a new church building constructed by Conley Green. Mr.
Green also made the pulpit that is still in use today. The pulpit is constructed out of black walnut, maple, curly maple and Georgia pine. In 1927, the name of the church was changed to Calvary and the town’s name became officially Fleetwood., NC.

The current building survived two fires (In 1924, the year the that building was completed & then just five years later in 1929). Those two fires destroyed most of Fleetwood. From 1915 to 1933 the Virginia-Carolina Railway, Norfolk &; Western Railroad line (Abingdon, VA to Todd. NC) went through Fleetwood. It was known locally as the Virginia Creeper Line. In 1933, the last steam train passed through Fleetwood and the railroad tracks were replaced by Railroad Grade Road. In 1940, the area suffered a massive flood that rose to about six feet on the church. There is a marker by the front door of the church that shows how high the water level got in that flood. On, September 27, 2024, in the hundredth year of the church building, the storm of Hurricane Helene sent flood waters again to about the same level as the 1940 flood. Almost everything in the building was lost, including the organ, sound system and grand piano.

“Through many dangers toils and snares” the church people have remained faithful to Jesus Christ and His call to ministry in this area. We understand that our heritage is a good one. Practical faith is in our DNA at New River Calvary Church. For us, faith in Jesus Christ is not just something we think or feel. It is something we do and live out as we seek to serve Him as our Savior and Lord. We are called to be a church that help people recover hope and purpose, change destructive personal attitudes and habits, make redemptive choices, advocate for the poor, and contribute in positive ways to our neighborhoods, communities, and world in which we live.

In 2021, the name of the church changed once more to New River Calvary Church and became a new church with no denominational affiliation. This was done to better follow the call to be a Christ-centered, biblically-based church. The first pastors of this new church--Roger and Joye Perry--were called in 2022.

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On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene devastated the mountains of North Carolina. Torrential rains and surging floodwaters swept through our region, and New River Calvary Church was not spared. Over six feet of water poured into the sanctuary, nearly reaching the ceiling of our fellowship hall.

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The next day, on Saturday, September 28, church members gathered outside the building for the first time since the storm. It had been a rain-soaked week, ending with the hurricane surging up the spine of the Appalachian Mountains on Thursday night and into Friday. As they approached the church, they noticed only a single broken inner windowpane in one of the Sunday School rooms. A church member broke the outer pane so someone could be lifted through and see what remained.

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“As plans were being made to decide who would be the person lifted up and helped through the broken window, I felt God say to me: ‘Stop! Don’t go in there by yourselves. Ask me to go with you,’” said Rev. Joye Perry, who leads the ministry alongside her husband Roger. “With those words in mind, I suggested that we wait, stand together in a circle, and pray for God’s strength, hope, and wisdom to be with us as we entered an unknown future.”

Inside, the scene was heartbreaking. The sanctuary was devastated.

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“The new carpet was soaked with water and mud. All the pews had been rearranged and landed in somewhat of a pile in the center of the room. Our grand piano had been flipped upside down on its lid. The heavy oak church organ was laid over on its back,” said Rev. Perry.  But in the midst of the destruction, there were signs of divine protection.“ All of the beautiful and elaborate stained-glass windows were untouched. The small communion table stood exactly where it had been, unmoved, with the brass cross and candlesticks still upright,” she said. “Most miraculously of all, the ‘flimsy’ banner stand at the front of the sanctuary had not been tipped over. It stood exactly as it had before. The words on the banner read: ‘Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.’ That was the prayer we needed. Our hope had been shaken, but our faith was unbroken.”

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That Sunday, the congregation gathered at the home of Jo Page. Children sat on the floor and adults filled the living room, with Jo’s dog Abby even joining in the service. Together, they sang “How Great Thou Art” and “Amazing Grace,” gave thanks for God’s protection, and shared a message of hope.

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After worship, many members returned to the church to begin the long and difficult task of cleaning up. Items were salvaged where possible, and anything beyond repair was carried out. Passersby offered sympathy and support. At the end of the day, church members formed a circle once more—this time to thank God for what had already been accomplished and to ask for strength in the days to come.

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This was not the first time New River Calvary had faced such devastation. The Flood of 1940 left a lasting mark on Ashe County and on Fleetwood in particular. A plaque on the south side of the sanctuary marks the high-water line from that historic storm. On this day, a church member used a black Sharpie to mark the water line from the 2024 flood—just a few inches lower than the flood of 1940.

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“A new brass plaque will one day be placed to remember this moment,” said Rev. Perry, “but one member said, ‘I don’t ever want to put up another brass plaque.’ And everyone nodded in agreement.” Recovery took many more weeks. Volunteers tore out walls and flooring, cleaned and sorted items, and created protective coverings for the stained-glass windows. Church leaders began applying for disaster relief and accepting donations to support the rebuilding process.

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Since the 2024 flood, we have not been able to use the church building. Instead, we have been meeting at the Westwood Elementary School. During this past year, through prayer and discernment, we feel that God is leading us to restore the old church building and add on to it. The plan is to move the Church building up out of the floodplain to higher ground that we were able to purchase behind our existing property and build on an addition that will have new bathrooms, kitchen, classrooms and a larger multipurpose room. Our desire is that the restoration and new addition will be a place where people can explore their faith and find Christ. As we move forward as Christ followers, we seek to lead people to Christ, help followers grow in their faith and glorify Jesus Christ in all that we do.