There are no known records, or anyone who is able to recall the exact date that the Garden Valley Church was built. According to the Minutes taken from an old Sherman Grange Record Book, the building of the church was sometime between March 11, 1911 and October 26, 1912, as the Minutes read that on March 11, 1911, Mr. Roper and Mr. McClain requested the use of the Grange Hall for church services until the church could be built. Then on October 26, 1912, the Sherman Grange loaned benches to the church for their dedication service that Sunday. Lanie Reed recalls that Rev. Healy was the minister presiding during this dedication ceremony. There are four people with us today that were in attendance during the dedication ceremony, Bertha Ensminger, Lanie Staehly Reed, Clarence Peterson and Mary Ensminger Bussler.
The church ground was donated by the late S.J. Ensminger and his wife Bertha. The land being part of their original homestead, which they settled in 1902. money for the financing of the building was borrowed from the Presbyterian Church. Much of the lumber for the building of the church was cut by S.J. Ensminger and his father and brothers, who owned and operated a local saw mill.
Harrison Reed remembers his father, J.V. Reed and his brother Bert Reed, purchasing planed lumber from a mill in Stevens County; probably to be used for casings for the church. He recalls taking the team, crossing the ferry to pick up the lumber and hauling it back across the river. Needless to say, this was an all day job.
On June 9, 1954, the church at Garden Valley was organized by Blythe McLean under the American Sunday School Union and adopted their Sunday School Constitution. The first officers of the newly organized church were Nellie Mitchell, Superintendent, Reeda Foster, Assistant Superintendent, Willa Millard, Secretary and Edna Schrader, Treasurer.
Early in the year of 1960, a series of meetings were held to write the by-laws and to elect officers, in order that the church could function as a corporation. Those elected to serve as officers were W.E. Schrader, Chairman, Reeda Foster, Secretary, Lydia Price, Treasurer and Doris Kowitz, Sunday School Superintendent.
On February 16, 1960, the Articles of Incorporation were recorded by the Auditor in Republic Washington. During this time, the mortgage held by the Presbytery Board of Missions was paid, and the church, under the Articles of Incorporation, became (officially) Garden Valley Community Church.
Several pastors have served at Garden Valley, some making the round trip from Spokane for Sunday Services. American Sunday School Missionaries serving the area have been Dlythe McLean, Glen Goddard, Irl Sewle and Missionary, Ben Crandall, for whom the church praised and gave thanks to the Lord for the blessings of those dedicated leaders.