About Us

Mountain View Missionary Baptist Church was founded on October 30, 1940.  As a member of the Chestnut Knob community, Mountain View has served as a multi-generational leader in the spiritual development and growth for the rural Martinsville, Virginia area.  Martinsville and its citizens have faced the stressors of civil rights, economic upturns and downturns, as well as national and world events.  The people up on "the Knob" have been blessed to have the bright light of Mountain View as a constant in the midst of turmoil and change.

“It’s about relationship, not membership.”  The words of our pastor reflect the new direction of the Mountain View Nation.  Our relationship with Jesus is our key to membership in the body of Christ.  As we reach across traditional barriers and old traditions, we believe in the power of unity in Christ.  Race, denomination and economic status have divided our world down through the ages.  Christ taught there is no Jew or gentile, free or bond in Christ.  We are a church family that welcomes all people.  I Corinthians 12 tells us, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”

We invite you to join us on our continuing journey to spread the Gospel and share God’s love with all people.  Some churches speak to what they believe.  We believe faith without works is dead.  Join us as we not only study God’s word but learn to live its truth each day.

  As the spiritual leader of Mountain View, Pastor Kaven Yancey Smith has challenged us to embrace the anointing of the Holy Spirit to Praise God in all we do. The anointing through Praise is a cornerstone of the game-changing Holy Spirit revolution taking place on "the Knob." Through the power of Praise, lives are being changed and dreams fulfilled. 

A native of Eden, North Carolina, Pastor Kaven Smith grew up in church and served the Lord as a musician, deacon and minister. Pastor Smith is a graduate of North Carolina A & T University with a degree in Industrial Technology. After accepting the call to preach the Gospel in 2004, he would be formally ordained by the Smith River Missionary Baptist Association in 2008. In 2011 Reverend Kaven Smith was installed as the Pastor and leader of the “Mountain View Nation”. Pastor Kaven and First Lady Cynthia Smith have been blessed to raise their two children, Donovan and Dominique and made their home in Reidsville, North Carolina for over 30 years.

Pastor Smith is a firm believer in the power of the community church. Although applauding the "mega-church movement," Mountain View believes in the power of connectivity of family and local community. We value the face-to-face approach of our Pastor and the strength of knowing the presence of the church in our everyday lives. For more than a decade, our pastor has instilled in our congregation the mission of service and to share the good news of “healing to the brokenhearted, declaring freedom for the captive and providing comfort to those that mourn.”

As the leader of the “Mountain View Nation” he exemplifies the compassion every pastor should have for each of their members. His devotion to the well-being of his members and families goes beyond just Sundays. Whether you are in the hospital or at home, the nation knows to look for our pastor and he will be present in our time of need.