History:

Beartown Road Alliance church began when a local woman, Mrs. Sturdevent, traveled to New York City to have some surgery. While there she met Dr. A. B. Simpson. Dr. Simpson prayed for her and she was healed. Mrs. Sturdevent returned to Corning and shared with her friends and family of what God had done for her.

Shortly after that, a missionary from China came to Corning and held children's meetings in Mrs. Sturdevent's home. A few women were interested in learning the deeper things of God and began meeting together to pray and read the Bible. The women's meeting was moved from one home to another. Things didn't go too well at first and then in 1900 a missionary from South Africa came and began to hold meetings in a little store on West William Street in Corning. This small group grew as they studied God's word and prayed for His blessing. The meetings were moved to an upstairs room over Lamb's Drug Store on the corner of Bridge and Pulteney Streets.

In 1907 the small group grew even more and began to discuss building a church and having a full time pastor. Meetings were being held in the Fire Station on the corner of Ontario and Decatur Streets then. The church was organized in the home of Mr. E. Bostwick and services were moved to a house owned by Mr. Sebring on East William Street. He gave permission for walls to be moved to make room until a building could be constructed. Land was obtained on East William Street and the first church building was finished in May of 1908. The name of the church was The Peoples Gospel Tabernacle of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

In the early 1960's the church had outgrown the small church and they began to talk of building again. Land was purchased in Gang Mills (in Erwin Valley, in Painted Post) on Mills Avenue and construction began. The present building was built in 1967 with Rev. Sidney Harris being the pastor. The church was renamed The Erwin Valley Christian and Missionary Alliance Church.

As the computer age came and the internet became the way to get information, it was discovered that the address for the church was taking people to another area. It was determined that we should again change our name and address so we could be more easily found. In the late 1990's we changed our name to Beartown Road Alliance Church and our address to 21 Beartown Road.