The Bon Air community began as a summer resort for people living in Richmond. They would ride the train from Richmond to Bon Air and stay at the Bon Air Hotel located on Rockaway Road, just up the hill from the train station. 

People also built summer homes, and eventually Bon Air became a year-round community. As the area grew, the need for a church developed. Mt. Zion Church, which was located on Huguenot Rd. where Christ the King Lutheran now stands, wanted to be closer to the community. In 1891, that congregation purchased the property at Rockaway and McRae Roads for $5.00. At the time of the purchase, a bowling alley, saloon, and pool parlor stood on the land. Those buildings were dismantled and the lumber was used to build a church, which was then named Bon Air Methodist Church.

In 1947, our congregation purchased its present property on Buford Rd. We broke ground in 1951 for a sanctuary, and one year later Bon Air Methodist Church moved to this new location. We added the education building in 1957. 

The Bon View School for Young Children began at Bon Air UMC as a private school, but became part of the church in 1993. It has been a vital school for more than 30 years. 

The congregation grew, and in 1985 we constructed a new sanctuary with a connecting walkway to the old building. The old sanctuary was transformed into a chapel and a music suite to serve the church's thriving music ministry.

As we continued to minister to our community, we discovered that our present building would no longer meet our needs. In 1996, we completed the addition of new spaces for ministry. The new spaces included the Commons fellowship area, ministers' offices and mezzanine, the Christian Life Center, a new kitchen, a nursery, and a number of additional classrooms. 

Bon Air UMC is still growing and thriving. We have a membership of more than 2,100 people. We are a very mission-oriented church, and in our outreach to the community, our building is used by many different goups each week. We look forward to a future of Spirit-led growth and ministry as we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.