History
SOUTH PLAINS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH CELEBRATES
188 Years as a Part of the Church of Jesus Christ
This little brick church has been in continuous use since it was built soon after its establishment as a congregation in 1819.
In
the preface for Through All the Years, The Story of South Plains, we read:...."To
look back through 188 years takes a kind of reverse "time-telescope".
When the events of long ago come into focus they seem very close, and one finds
it hard to turn away. As we look at the people who loved the Lord enough to
plan, build and care for a church in their community, and at those who followed
them, we learn that this bond of faith and devotion has kept its door open for
years, during times when less dedicated people would have given up and abandoned
this church and its witness".....This story is not about a church building,
but about God's faithful people. It is a continuing story, with new chapters
being lived by the congregation here in 2005.
The story begins before this church building was erected, even before there was a Synod of Virginia or Albemarle County ... Throughout the 1700's some settlers who pushed through the gaps in the Blue Ridge Mountains were Scotch-Irish, bringing Presbyterian heritage and erecting houses for worship within their home communities...the first was called Mountain Plains. In the 1800's, after Albemarle county was established, a writer said its county seat, Charlottesville, was "not only irreligious but anti-religious...Sundays are not kept with any degree of sanctity."...this, in spite of the fact that a few Presbyterian and Anglican churches existed. Where does South Plains fit into this story?
As
early as 1814 Albemarle County now had a few more Presbyterian churches and
interest was discussed by Hanover Presbytery, at a meeting at Walker 's Church
(presently, Grace Episcopal) to ordain a young "missionary" pastor
from Lexington. The meeting adjourned for the evening to the home of Captain
Meriwether (believed to be William Douglas Meriwether of Cloverfields) later
to be a vital member of the still-to-be-organized South Plains, and "seeds
were sown."
This was a preview for another meeting of the presbytery, on October 15, 1819, held at Walker 's Church. They adjourned for the evening to the home of John Rogers, who, with his son, Thornton, and Mr.John Kelly, presented a petition for the congregation, known as South Plains, to call a pastor. The petition was approved before the meeting adjourned on October 16, and South Plains became the fifth Presbyterian congregation established in Albemarle County. It was a three-fold congregation with members in Charlottesville, and from an area, known today as Proffit, and the area we now know as Keswick. The record of the 1819 meeting is the first of few records concerning the establishment and early life of this church. A record of a Session meeting in 1820 lists a Mr. Willson as pastor. In 1824 after Francis Bowman had been called and ordained as pastor. a record of a Session meeting includes a brief five-year history and a membership role is attached, listing the first three Elders and their wives, followed by twenty-nine other names.
Regrettably, no record of the construction of the church building has been found. Some early minutes record a meeting was held "at the church." The property, previously a part of East Belmont, was given by John Rogers to his son, Thornton, in 1820. Thornton and his wife, Margaret, had a home and a school on the property... he called it "Keswick." The church building remained in the Rogers family until 1871 when it and the land (five acres in all) were deeded to the trustees of the congregation. There have been a variety of opinions about the original construction and later changes to the structure, but documentation for this has not been discovered. Neither has documentation about the building of a "manse" or when the present house was built.
The years included many challenges:.. three wars, uprooted families, shared pastoral care, times when its doors were closed, followed by caring concern providing pastoral leadership, including several years of supervised "student pastors" from Union Seminary. A continuous faithful band of people, determined to fulfill the mission for which this church was originally called and established. persists even now.
First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville grew from the original congregation, and the third community built a church called Bethel, which closed in 1940.
A
l
ocal
paper of some years ago said: "The small red brick South Plains Presbyterian
Church looks like a pop-up story book edifice." New
chapters are still being written in this little brick church. The very first
installed pastor who would serve this single church full-time was the Reverend
J. Kim Steinhorst. He began his pastorate in March 1996, continuing to serve
until November 2004. During this time a building plan was acquired, including
a multi-purpose building to be called "Kirk Hall." This became the
focus of a building fund which was established.
The Reverend Stephen Brown, served as Iterim Pastor from February 2005 until
June 2006. In May, responding to the recomendation of the Pastor Nominating
Committee, the congregation voted to call the Reverend David K. Garth, Th.D,
to become their pastor. He accepted the call, beginning his pastoral ministry
in July 2006.
Even as we joyfully look ahead, we gratefully remember the past. A look around
the grounds, filled with lofty old trees, an adjoining cemetery with its weathered
stone memorials, the spacious lawn and walkway to the old white Manse lures
our thoughts to the past... to the days when horses, buggies and wagons were
in parking areas. Men, women and children in Sunday attire arrived and visited
and worshiped in the little red brick church. We share in this experience .....Instead
of horses we now see vehicles with "horse-power", but so much is the
same. The sanctuary now has modern lighting and heating and a pipe organ, but
a look around will reveal well-worn pews, light flooding through clear glass
Gothic-style windows and oil lamps. As our eyes move from vaulted wood-paneled
ceiling, to the dark wood pulpit and the celtic cross, we are touched with a
sense of history, old and recent. We are touched with a sense of being a part
of a grand spiritual company of God's people who have worshiped and served Him
in this hallowed place.
This church continues its witness in the surrounding areas and reaches out in
mission committments to all parts of the world. We plan and pray for new ways
for ministry, including more Christian Education and fellowship space; daily
seeking God's guidance and blessing upon our endeavors. Even as we celebrate
the past, we must celebrate the times we are living and seek to follow the traditions
we treasure and accept the role we play in the ongoing story of South Plains
Presbyterian Church.
"Spanning the years, a bridge of faith
Unites our hearts with those before,
All who have sought God's purpose here,
Seeking to serve Him evermore.
Through all the years the faithful came,
Gathering here to praise God's name."
MMT (1994)
For more of this story, see : Through All the Years - THE STORY OF SOUTH PLAINS, written by Marion Thompson, available in The Manse.
November 2007