Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 66F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..
Mostly clear skies this evening will give way to mostly cloudy skies overnight. Low 44F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: May 17, 2026 @ 3:37 am
On Sunday, April 26, exactly 73 years to the day from the date that the church came into being, Rev. Don Howell was voted unanimously to become the permanent pastor of Valley Worship Center, which was formerly called the Mount Hood Assembly of God.
He and his wife LaRonna have been serving the church in an interim capacity since the middle of October last year. Don’s grandparents, Daryl and Marie Green, were charter members that helped establish the church on April 26, 1942.
Howell grew up in the Hood River Valley and has lived in Hood River County all of his life other than his time away to attend Bible College at Northwest University, in Kirkland, Wash. He worked for many years with his father Phil and his brothers in their family construction business, Howell Construction.
During those years, he also served as the Christian Education Director for the Hood River Assembly of God, now River of Life Assembly, and for four years served as Hispanic Ministries Director.
From 1996 to 2010, he served as pastor of Cascade Chapel Assembly of God in Cascade Locks, until the church merged with Cascade Locks Bible Fellowship in 2010.
The past four years, Howell has served as a bible teacher at River of Life Assembly as well as filling the pulpit for other area pastors.
As a youngster in the ‘60s, Don attended the Mount Hood Assembly of God when he would stay with his other set of grandparents, Dale and Helen Howell, who owned and operated the Mount Hood Dairy just across the road from where the church is today.
He remembers many good times at Valley Worship Center and hopes to see the church flourish as he leads the congregation.
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