White Hill COB

Stuarts Draft VA

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History of White Hill Church of the Brethren

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For 100 years, White Hill Church has been a landmark on White Hill Road.

In 1901, a small frame chapel was erected on an acre of land donated by Tom Offlighter.

Samuel I. Flory, a free minister in Mount Vernon Church of the Brethren in Waynesboro, served as organizer and first pastor of this chapel.

A few years after, the one room church added a small room on to the back of the church for the children’s classes.

By 1950, these facilities had become inadequate and plans were made for building additional classrooms and a fellowship hall.

In 1953, four Sunday School classrooms on the front of the church and a fellowship hall in the newly excavated basement were completed and dedicated in May with Joe H. Craun and John T. Glick in charge of the service. Much of the labor on this building was donated by the members of the congregation.

Again in 1956 the congregation removed the small room from the back of the church and replaced it with three more adequate classrooms; in this project most of the lumber used came from trees on church property.

Another project for the congregation was the building of a parsonage to provide comfortable living arrangements for the pastor and his family.

For the first twenty-four years, White Hill Church depended on part-time pastors, most of whom were “free ministers” earning their living from farming or some other occupation. Those serving the church in this capacity during the early years were E.D. Kindy, Walter Coffman, Frank Garber, P.R. Diehl, Carson Key, Paul Coffman, B.W. Huff, Samuel Wine, E.F. Sherby, Jacob Replogle, S. Loren Bowman, Jacob Kirby, James Ross and Elwood Humphreys.

In 1965, Joseph May was called to be the first full-time pastor.

In 1971, the present brick church was built to replace the old frame structure.

In 1974, Cecil Haycock became the second full-time pastor.

In 1983, Sharon Chappell became the first paid Youth Director.

In 1986, James Chappell became the first Associate Pastor, and in 1989 became the third full-time pastor.

In 1988, Shirley Bruffey became the first paid Christian Counselor. In 1991, she became the Assistant to the Pastor.

In 2000, David Chappell became the second paid Youth Director.

In 2004, David Chappell became a Licensed Pastor.

In 2005, it was brought to the attention of the church members that the church was growing and we needed more space. We as a congregation agreed to this and are starting the beginning phases of a new church.