"200 Years And Growing: A History: Oak Grove Presbyterian Church"

 

"200 Years And Growing: A History: Oak Grove Presbyterian Church" chronicles the church's establishment and growth in Hillsboro, West Virginia. Beginning with its colonial background and the influence of early families, the text highlights the church's evolution from informal gatherings to its first permanent structure in 1828. 

 The document provides an extensive chronology of Oak Grove's pastors, from its first, Rev. Joseph Brown (1837-1844), to the present day. Furthermore, it acknowledges the significant contributions of church Elders, Deacons, Sunday School workers, and the Women of the Church throughout its history. 

Finally, the text details the evolution of the church's physical structures, including the cemetery and manse, concluding with the establishment of a choir and its impact on the church community.

 The exact year Oak Grove Church was founded is unknown. However, several sources provide clues about the church's early history. For example:

• Lexington Presbytery records show a Presbyterian church at Little Levels as early as 1788.
• The cornerstone of Oak Grove Church is dated 1793, but this is believed to be an error.
• Oak Grove Church is believed to have existed at least five years before Dr. William Hill’s visit in 1793.

Oak Grove Church's name was changed from "The Little Levels Church" to "The Oak Grove Church" when a plot of land for a new church building was donated in 1828.

 The first church building constructed for Oak Grove Presbyterian was called the "Brick Church." The church was built on land donated by William Poage on January 8, 1828. This lot was located in a large oak grove where the Oak Grove Cemetery is currently located. The deed to the property was given to several trustees: John Jordan, William T. Callison, John Baxter, Josiah Beard, Moses H. Poage, and Samuel D. Poage. When the "Brick Church" was constructed, the church's name was changed from "The Little Levels Church" to "The Oak Grove Church."

 Key Figures and Families

The history of Oak Grove Presbyterian Church was shaped by a number of influential figures and families:

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Rev. John Craig had a significant impact on the church's early members, even before the church's founding. Described as the "father of religion and father of education in the Shenandoah Valley," Rev. Craig built churches and schools, and trained many of Oak Grove's founding families.

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John McNeel constructed the White Pole Church, which is believed to be the oldest religious building in the Little Levels section of Pocahontas County.

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Rev. John McCue is recognized as the first Presbyterian Minister to preach within the bounds of what is now Oak Grove Church.

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Col. William Poage was one of Oak Grove Church's founders, and the last of the original elders.

His death in 1830 led to the re-establishment of the church's session. The church's burial grounds were located on land donated by Col. Poage in 1828. Two of his sons, George W. Poage and Samuel Davies Poage, also served as elders.

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Rev. Joseph Brown, Oak Grove's first pastor, was appointed in 1837.

He is credited with founding the Little Levels (Pocahontas) Academy and laying out the plans for the town of Hillsboro.

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Dr. David Spotts Sydenstricker was appointed as Oak Grove's third minister in 1875.

The church's longest and "one of its most fruitful pastorates," Dr. Sydenstricker's time at Oak Grove ended with his retirement in 1905.

In addition to these key figures, the most prominent families in the church's history were the Poages, Beards, Wallaces, McNeels, and Kinnisons.

They were all early settlers in the Little Levels region, and many members of these families went on to serve as elders and deacons.

Oak Grove's early worship services were prayer meetings held in the homes of the church's founders. These homes included those of the Poages, Beards, and McNeels. This practice was believed to be common before the building of Old Augusta Stone Church, which some of Oak Grove's founders left to come to the Little Levels. It is possible that the Oak Grove congregation also held some early services in the Methodist Church, as the Methodists had a house of worship before the Presbyterians.

 

 The Ladies' Missionary Society began in 1902. The society's first president was Miss Elizabeth Edgar (Mrs. H. W. McNeel). The first secretary was Miss Anna Wallace, and the first treasurer was Nora Herold. The society aimed to contribute $24.00 to Mrs. Carrie Stulting Sydenstricker each year to support missionary work in China.

 Oak Grove Church's First Pastor

The first pastor of Oak Grove Church was Rev. Joseph Brown, who served from 1837 to 1844

. His brother, Rev. William Brown, was the pastor of Augusta Stone Church at the time

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Prior to Rev. Joseph Brown, Oak Grove Church did not have a regular pastor for the first 30 years after its organization

. During that time, the church relied on stated supplies, who were ministers that dedicated a portion of their time to the congregation

. Some of these stated supplies included:

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Rev. John S. Blain: Served as stated supply for two years, giving one-half of his time to Oak Grove Church

.

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Rev. James Kerr: Served Oak Grove until 1830

.

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Rev. William Graham Campbell: Became stated supply in the latter part of 1830, serving one-half of his time for the first year and one-fourth of his time for the second year

.

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Professor Henry Ruffner: Served as stated supply in 1833

.

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Rev. David H. Cunningham: Served as a licensed preacher, giving one-third of his time to Oak Grove Church

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Additionally, missionaries and evangelists, such as John McCue, John Montgomery, Mr. Lyle, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Bannals, and Dr. William Hill, preached at Oak Grove under the appointment of Presbytery

. One notable evangelist who visited the church was Rev. John McElhenney, D.O., who began his ministry in Old Stone Church, Lewisburg, in 1808. He visited Oak Grove once a year to preach and hold communion.

 

 Before attending communion, churchgoers would present the minister with a communion token. The custom of using communion tokens was practiced by sessions in churches in Scotland and America until the nineteenth century. The token was given to members deemed worthy of approaching the Lord's Table at the Saturday service. Members would then return their tokens to the pastor before approaching the Table on Sunday. While the exact date this practice ended is unknown, Dr. Sydenstricker would mail a small card to members prior to communion that was expected to be returned, reflecting the spirit of the communion token.

 Oak Grove Cemetery

The cemetery associated with Oak Grove Presbyterian Church is called "The Oak Grove Cemetery". The land for the cemetery was originally donated to the church in 1828 for the construction of a building referred to as the "Brick Church." However, after the "Brick Church" was decommissioned, the land was repurposed for use as a cemetery.

The cemetery serves the entire community, including people from other denominations and nearby areas. In 1948, the church formed the Oak Grove Cemetery Association to manage the cemetery's maintenance and improvements. This association operates under the supervision of Oak Grove Church's trustees.

 The White Pole Church was built sometime before the American Revolution by John McNeel, the first settler in the Little Levels, who came to the area in 1765. While the church itself was built prior to the American Revolution, its first organization was perfected in 1789.

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