Greater View PB Church

REMEMBERING: ELDER MARVIN P. HATCHER, JR.

PIONEERING FOUNDER/OVERSEER OF GREATER VIEW PB CHURCH

After many years of service as pastor at Hills Tabernacle Primitive Baptist Church, Elder Marvin P. Hatcher, Jr. decided to begin a new ministry. In July, 1993, he resigned from his pastoral duties at Hills Tabernacle with the intention of a more evangelistic ministry with a focus on outreach and mutual support for the needs of the flock.

Elder Hatcher had a vision, after weeks of wandering in the wilderness as he called it. He said God revealed him in a vision that he called  “My Desire.” Elder saw the old and unfortunate people being eliminated by governmental assistance and saw a need to bring the church back to the community.

Pastor Hatcher's first step to start the mission was a search for a place to preach and worship. After seeing one place and the answer was prolonged, the question came, "God, do you really want me to do this?" 

God directed Elder Hatcher to Smith Brothers Funeral Home. There the answer was quick and favorable. On September 5, 1993, Elder Hatcher walked in the Chapel of Smith Brothers with his Bible and faith intact. He called it The GREATER VIEW MISSION. The first Sunday no one joined.

GOD DO YOU REALLY WANT ME TO DO THIS?

Since there was no choir, Elder Hatcher had requested various guest soloists to render the music, Sister Virginia Glenn, Sister Linda Williams, Brother Nathaniel Davis and Brother James Davis.

Elder Hatcher recalls, "The next Sunday six people joined. Finally we had five people in the choir. Brother Jon Patterson (Keyboard) and David Cotton (Drummer) were the musicians. The total offering for the month of September was $2,124.50 with two candidates for baptism in September. Except on Sundays our fellowship and other services were limited due to utilizing a Funeral Home Chapel."

Elder Hatcher negotiated with the staff of the Big Harpeth on the 5th Sunday in January 1994, Greater View Mission was chartered with the State of Tennessee. Elder Hatcher began a search for "our own place." He looked at the current location and shook his head. It was in ruins and seemed in uninhabitable. A few weeks expired and the spirit led Elder Hatcher to go back to the same site. He came back to the members and asked them to go and look. Many members thought he had lost his mind. Generally a financial institution will not make loans to an organization, organized less than five years. Elder Hatcher wouldn’t stop. He went back to Mr. Rod Spann at First American Bank where our Van was financed. Mr. Spann’s words were, "I don't know let me see what I can do." Four days late Elder Hatcher and Deacon Theopolis Ridley were signing the loan for the Greater Primitive Baptist Mission, September 24, 1994 with 49 members on roll.

Elder Hatcher called the members to the hill to work, women and children alike. He said, "In preparation of our own place, we moved back to Smith Brothers Funeral Home."

He continued, "On the first Sunday in September 1994, we motorcaded from Smiths Funeral Home to Greater View Primitive Baptist Mission." While Elder Hatcher and Deacon and Mother Ridley were working at the Church Mr. Flatt, the next door neighbor told the Pastor, "you are making this place look so much better and you are a righteous man. My wife and I are getting old and would like for you to have the adjacent property." Elder Hatcher asked Mr. Flatt, "How bad do you want me to have it?" Mr. Flatt said, "It is heir property, I will check with the others and get back with you." During this time the Pastor went back to First American and Mr. Spann said I think that’s all I can do, due to your indebtedness and small congregation.

GOD DO YOU REALLY WANT ME TO DO THIS?

Mr. Flatt called Pastor Hatcher over to a big tree behind the church. He said preacher,"I’ll tell you what I will do, and I will sell you this house and 3.8 acres for 10,000 dollars down, and finance it myself. (GOD WAS IN CONTROL) we still didn’t have $10,000 dollars. But God had a plan. The Greater View Primitive Baptist Church was established and is still thriving today in a recently remodelled building located at 2717 Buena Vista Pike.

Elder Hatcher saw the mission to fruition. They had a choir, church van, and exemplary community support. On the day they marched into the new church, a mile-long processional of limos and cars and community leaders joined the caravan to attend the first official service at the church. Failing health in 2011 caused Elder Hatcher to call on other ministers to supply the pulpit,when he could no longer do it. He transitioned to his heavenly home on May 29, 2011.